AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2020 - 6

PRESIDENT'S POSITION

Broader horizons

BY MARK BAKER
President and CEO

There is room for everyone
IF YOU KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, you'll keep
getting what you're getting. I always tried to focus
on that advice from a past flight instructor while
attempting to perfect my landings, but I have come
to realize it applies to pretty much every aspect of life.
As we've all seen, the topic of diversity and inclusion has taken center stage in the United States. And
I have to admit that when I take a look around at airshows, conventions, and fly-ins, I can't help but notice
it's a lot like looking in a mirror. Aviation could use
a little more diversity-not just in ethnicity, but in
age and gender. Aviation should reflect society as
much as possible. If we don't find ways to attract a
broader range of professionals to enter our field, we
are doomed for complacency, and, to quote my flight
instructor-we'll keep getting what we're getting.
Roughly 7.8 billion people make up the world's
population, and of that massive number, a very small

If we don't find ways to attract a broader
range of professionals to enter our field,
we are doomed for complacency, and, to quote
my flight instructor-we'll keep getting what
we're getting.

AOPA President
MARK BAKER

bought his first
airplane-a 1968
Cessna 150-while
still in college,
selling his van to
raise the money.

percentage of us can call ourselves pilots. But when
broken down by ethnicity and gender, the disparity
is pronounced. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, nearly 94 percent of pilots and flight engineers are white, fewer than 3 percent are Black, and
2 percent are Hispanic. A mere 7 percent are women.
We should find ways to be more inclusive and welcome everyone to join this passion of ours.
With all the turbulence we've hit this year, many
may be of the mindset that it's a bad time to get into the
industry. However, I don't doubt for a minute we will
bounce back. We already are. Aviation is a rewarding
industry, not just for pilots but also for maintenance
professionals, engineers, and anyone interested in pursuing STEM fields. There is room for many.
While there have been barriers to aviation for
more than a century, that hasn't stopped historical
greats such as Amelia Earhart, Bessie Coleman, and
the honorable Tuskegee Airmen. How do we add to

6 | AOPA PILOT September 2020

their legacy through today's workforce? The key is
to knock down obstacles and show females, minorities, and everyone that there are no limits, even in
the skies.
Numerous studies have shown that teens tend to
naturally prefer role models they see as like themselves. Plenty of organizations such as Women in
Aviation International, Sisters of the Skies, and the
Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals are
working to diversify the industry and introducing
new audiences to the aviation world. The nonprofit
group Fly for the Culture, a "driving force in the
effort to expand diversity within the aviation industry," takes young people on tours of airport facilities,
aircraft manufacturers, and maintenance facilities
("Pilots: Courtland Savage," February 2020 AOPA
Pilot). Savage's group also offers courses on student
pilot fundamentals and teaches concepts such as
aerodynamics, checklist philosophy, and the flight
training process. We need to help these organizations
take the lead and help aviation expand.
Even major airlines are vowing to make changes
within their ranks. Alaska has partnered with Sisters
of the Skies to welcome more minority women, while
Delta has co-sponsored OBAP in an effort to create
summer youth programs to increase diversity in the
aviation profession.
Likewise, AOPA's You Can Fly Program is all about
lowering barriers. One facet of You Can Fly is the
four-year aviation STEM curriculum, which AOPA
is offering free to high schools around the country
to spark an interest in aviation and aerospace career
opportunities. Last year, there were more than 5,000
students enrolled in the program, including 38 percent from minority backgrounds, while girls made up
23 percent. Many of these schools are in underserved
areas where students may never have been exposed
to the possibility of aviation as a viable career path.
For several decades we've been able to protect and
defend our freedom to fly because we've never lost
sight of the goal-ensuring that aviation will thrive
for generations to come. Encouraging new voices and
diverse audiences to join us will only help our passion thrive and broaden our own horizons. Our future
depends on it.
AOPA
EMAIL mark@aopa.org

AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2020

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