Two Decades of Progress for Minorities in Aviation

Abstract

Diversity within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has historically lagged behind that which is found in other vocational paths. Aviation has also suffered poor diversity with virtually no participation among professional pilots. With both the literature specifying the benefits of diversity in the aviation workplace and potential shortages of pilots looming, it is in the interest of aerospace stakeholders to have access to the most comprehensively diverse employee pool possible. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the trends in participation by minorities who completed professional pilot education programs in the United States. Data concerning the number of students who completed degrees at the associate's, bachelor's, and master's levels were collected via the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Participation rates were compared to those found within the aviation industry. In general, the participation rates by non-White minorities in collegiate aviation (27.3%) exceeds that reported in the professional pilot vocation (18.4%). Detailed trends over the past 10 years were evaluated. Between 2004 and 2014, minority (including women) participation increased from 17.1% to 22.2%, which was deemed to be statistically significant (z 5 3.7, p , 0.001). The greatest gains were exhibited among Hispanics (p , 0.001), specifically Hispanic men (p , 0.001), with marginal gains by Asians (p 5 0.06). Decreases were noted in Native American participation (p 5 0.03) as well as among women, albeit not significantly (p 5 0.31). When extending the analysis back another seven years, minority (including women) participation showed significant change from 1997 (16.5%) to 2014 (22.2%), z 5 3.7, p , 0.001. Minority participation in professional pilot education has shown steady gains over the past two decades; however, it appears that this trend is leveling, especially among women. Further study is recommended with particular interest in promotion and recruitment of a diverse aviation student population.

21st International Symposium on Aviation Psychology

“…Past research and incentives have not sufficiently corrected the disparities among women and men in the aviation industry. The literature consistently recommends we continue efforts to recruit women and other underrepresented students, but also that we monitor the status of women in those efforts (Ison, Herron, & Weiland, 2016). Through our research, we aim to identify causes of these disparities and develop guidelines which will help collegiate programs, aviation organizations, and private flight programs address them.…”

Ethnical Diversity in the Pilot Cadets Education: Study at Banyuwangi Indonesian Aviation Academy

“…This difference is very likely due to ethnic differences with nasal regions that have different levels of educational development. The difference score caused by ethnic diversity is a representation of minority groups, although the participation rate has shown an increase in the last two decades (Ison et al, 2016). The graph shows the test results which are relatively distributed with a relatively large range of values, the difference is very visible in the aspect of flying talent.…”

“…Pilot education and training also faced with cadets diversity problem. Diversity in pilot education, among others, has been studied for minorities in aviation (Ison et al, 2016), diversity policy (Morrison, 2019), racial diversity in aviation (Stevenson et al, 2020) and aviation communication (Bush, 2021). Gender diversity in aviation also studied for women role in aviation such as women representation in commercial aviation (Ferla & Graham, 2019) and women in aviation (Lutte, 2021).…”

Women in Aviation: A Phenomenological Study Exploring the Needs and Wants Necessary for Graduation

“…The world witnessed a great increase in demand for pilots as technology developed over the years, and more people were traveling in the air. General aviation was a small portion of the industry that allowed females to learn how to fly and enter this prestigious workforce (Bednarek & Bednarek, 2003;Ison, Herron, & Weiland, 2016). More female pilots were certified after World War II, and along with opportunities from the Air Force and the space program, the number of female pilots grew steadily (Luedtke, 2011).…”

“…There is an evident connection between race and gender, and student attrition rate in HEI. Historically, females have been underrepresented in aviation, and their numbers remain on the lower end (Ison et al, 2016;McCarthy, Budd, & Ison, 2015). Aviation HEIs should become concerned regarding neutralizing racism on campus and increasing student retention rates (Bancroft, 2018;Ong et al, 2018;Rask, 2010).…”