Posted on 03/06/2014 2:00:13 PM PST by nickcarraway
A routine flight from Calgary to Victoria was marred by a passenger who apparently didnt appreciate having his flight captained by a woman. CTV Toronto: Pilot shocked by nasty note
Instead of thanking the female pilot, a passenger left an angry note behind on a napkin. Colin D'Mello has the story. Canada AM: Passenger leaves sexist note for pilot
A WestJet passenger has caused an uproar after he left a note for a female pilot that said the cockpit was no place for a woman.
A female WestJet pilot says she was in shock after a passenger left behind a note following a weekend flight to say that the cockpit is no place for a woman.
Crew cleaning the aircraft found a note, written on a napkin and signed by "David," after passengers deplaned from the Calgary to Victoria flight on Sunday.
In addition to suggesting that women dont belong at the controls of an airplane, the note also said that A woman being a mother is the most honour, not as captain.
PS I wish Westjet (sic) could tell me a fair lady is at the helm so I can book another flight, David went on. On the back of the napkin, David wrote that he was not impressed, and signed it Respectfully in love, David.
Carey Steacy, who has been a pilot for 17 years and has been flying with WestJet for more than nine, says her first reaction to the note was shock.
It made me feel sad. It was just surprising, Steacy told CTV Vancouver. I cant believe that theres people that still think that way.
The female flight attendants and her male co-pilot all had the same reaction. All of us had our mouths open in shock, she said. We didnt know what to say. Steacy took to Facebook not only to rebut Davids antiquated view of women, but also his airline terminology: the cockpit is now referred to as the flight deck.
"You were more than welcome to deplane when you heard I was a 'fair lady,' Steacy wrote on Facebook. "You have that right. Funny, we all, us humans, have the same rights in this great free country of ours. Now, back to my most important role, being a mother. Steacy told CTV that she felt she had to "respond to his opinion. He absolutely has his right to his opinion and I have a right to disagree with it.
Steacy said she has received widespread support since posting the note and her rebuttal to Facebook.
I have to think thats very much an uncommon opinion among the general public, she said.
Steacy said she has never seen anything like the note left for her, she has heard the odd comment in jest, usually in jest. Thats the only time Ive ever seen something as raw as that. But she acknowledges that it is still a shock for some people to see a female pilot, because far fewer women than men choose to pursue a flying career.
Almost every day people I find are a little bit surprised, and I think its just because women arent enrolling in flight schools -- not because theyre not being hired, but because theyre not enrolling in it, Steacy said.
Either its because they dont think they can or they have been told that its not for women or that they cant do it. And I just hope that that mindset can change, like it has in a lot of professions.
As for Davids comment about motherhood being the highest honour, Steacy said she agrees.
I have two beautiful children, it is the highest honour.
I think someone is being trolled.
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen cockpit!"
That being said, the cockpit is not place for a hypersensitive whiner reqardless of gender.
If someone can be sent into “shock” by a stupid note of this nature, they probably shouldn’t be trusted to pilot a commercial airliner.
Shocked? Really?
If she is confident and competent, she just thinks “F-You buddy” and throws away the napkin and never even think about the incident again.
I vote HOAX. She posted the note on Facebook. Dead giveaway.
Nice try. So you actually now believe that the word, “honor,” is only used by Muslims?
Judging from the handwriting, I think you’ve nailed it...
The dot over the “e” is kind of a giveaway
A Muslim named ‘David’?
What first time? Oh yes, Oh btw ... Oh I’m a virgin airline.
If a little thing like that puts her into shock then she shouldn’t be flying.
This could be a hoax.
Remember the lesbians who put anti-homosexual graffiti on their own house, to make a statement of how society is homophobic??
Remember the nooses planted by blacks, who were making a political statement that society is racist?
I completely agree. Methinks David might be the anglicized version of Daoud.
Or....`Daoud’?
In the sixties my sister was stationed at a training base (As I recall, in Texas.) A flight of Muslim princes and high born took off with a male controller. When they returned the controller was a woman. They all turned off their radios. Several planes were damaged. The commander was furious. As I recall, nothing happened to them because they were all important men. (I want to say they were Kuwaiti or Saudi, but it’s been too long for certainty.)
An ‘unliberated’ pioneer woman leading a covered wagon across Canada would have either punched the guy or laughed it off. Modern liberated women practically go into fainting spells.
This thread isn’t quite fully useful yet.
Don’t the Canadians, like the Brits and Aussies, etc. spell it “honour” not “honor?” I’m guessing we’ll find that the woman pilot wrote this herself, just as so many lesbians and blacks have done in the past.
That is what I’d do. I know because I’ve done it. I’ve thrown people out of my lab for pissing me off, just like a wadded up scrap of paper.
If the crew is in shock that there are idiots in the world maybe they aren’t fit to staff an airplane.
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