Category: Yorks
& N.Midlands; E.Yorks
& Lincs
Date: 20.09.2004
Printable version
Inside
Out, Monday 20 September, 大象传媒 ONE (Yorks & Lincs), 7.30pm
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Britain's first female top gun claims she was forced
to give up the career she loved because the RAF failed to find her a
suitable job when she became a mother.
Flt Lt Jo Salter made history when she became the first woman to fly
the mighty Tornado strike jet operationally.
Yet she quit after becoming a mum 聳 and an investigation by the
大象传媒's Inside Out programme has revealed that she's not alone.
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Nearly a third of the female pilots who have qualified
to fly RAF jets since 1990 have left before their contracts were up.
Their departure is thought to represent a loss of training that cost
the taxpayer nearly 拢100m at today's prices.
In 14 years, 70 women have won their wings. But 19 have left prematurely
- including one who won a six figure payout at an industrial tribunal
which heard the culture of her squadron was "macho, male and almost
tribal".
Flt Lt Salter 聳 now a lecturer in business studies - claims the
sexist attitudes of her male comrades was obvious from her first day
on a fighter squadron.
She said: "I did have one navigator who came up to me and said
'We're going to make sure we get rid of you from this squadron'. I don't
believe there's such a thing as a man's job or a woman's job but the
RAF has traditionally been a man's world."
Flt Lt Salter quit after completing her first tour on Tornado GR1 strike
jets, eventually becoming a pairs leader 聳 a senior role on any
squadron.
But she says when she tried to return to work after having her first
baby at the age of 30 she was not offered a job that reflected her skills
or experience.
She told Inside Out: "That's when they said no to just about everything.
It's a shame because probably I would still be there to mentor more
pilots coming through 聳 male or female."
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Flt Lt Salter says she enjoyed her time in the RAF
but added: "When I see aeroplanes flying overhead I still have
this pang 聳 a physical feeling 聳 inside and wish I was up
there."
Ironically, Jo Salter is now a civilian and lectures to Open University
students on how organisations can change their cultures.
Inside Out was given exclusive access to two of the 19 women currently
training as pilots at RAF Linton on Ouse, near York.
Student pilots Nicky Lofthouse and Jenny Beasley say they have no complaints
of sexism at the base.
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Unlike some early female aircrew, who were given extra
tuition, they're expected to reach the same standard in the same time
as male students.
Nicky said: "People have had the idea that maybe the RAF is biased
towards women... but it's getting better. The air force has evolved
so I can sit here and say we don't get treated any differently."
The RAF told Inside Out it could not provide figures for the number
of male pilots leaving prematurely but claimed the departure rate for
women was comparable with men.
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It insists it has a zero tolerance policy towards sexism.
Notes to Editors
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Please credit 大象传媒 Inside Out if any part of the transcript
above is used.
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