Former airline captain Emma Henderson has detailed instances of sexism and unwanted advances she encountered during her career in aviation, an industry where women pilots comprise about six percent.
Henderson, 53, who was awarded an MBE for her charity work, fulfilled a childhood dream of flying, inspired by seeing the Space Shuttle Enterprise touch down at Stansted Airport in 1983. After receiving a trial flight for her 18th birthday, she decided to pursue a career as an airline pilot. Despite the significant cost of training, she found opportunities through her university's Air Squadron and later gained her commercial flying licenses in New Zealand.
She noted that in New Zealand, the presence of many female pilots made her experience less unusual and more supported. Henderson began her airline career at age 36, a slightly older age that she believes shielded her from some of the challenges faced by younger female pilots. However, her career was not without its difficulties, recounting two specific occasions where she felt unwelcome.
One incident occurred after a simulator debriefing at a hotel. As she and an instructor were having a drink, the instructor invited her to continue the debriefing in his room. Henderson firmly rejected the advance, stating she would not tolerate such behavior. Another instance involved an instructor in a training simulator who questioned her presence, asking why she wasn't at home with her children. Henderson later realized this instructor was projecting personal grief onto her after the loss of his wife.
Both incidents were reported, and Henderson noted that her male colleagues were equally appalled by the behavior. These experiences, she said, left her feeling "really worthless."
Henderson also highlighted systemic issues, such as flight manuals that exclusively used male pronouns for pilots and uniforms that were often ill-fitting and made for male bodies. She described shirts as "quite see-through," necessitating the purchase of vests, and noted that some airlines offered culottes for women, while others did not.
Another challenge mentioned is the difficulty and cost associated with changing pilot licenses after marriage. According to data from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, while the number of pilot licenses issued to women increased by 26 percent between 2019 and 2023, they still represent under 10 percent of the total licenses.
Henderson, who published a book about her career, "Grounded," in 2024, acknowledged being a minority, particularly as a captain. Despite these challenges, she described her career as "wonderful," with many of her colleagues becoming close friends. She also founded Project Wingman in 2020, an initiative that provided wellbeing lounges for NHS staff during the pandemic.
After taking voluntary redundancy in 2020, Henderson plans to return to the aviation industry as an instructor for her local flying club. Her advice to aspiring female pilots is that "an airplane doesn't know what gender the pilot is."