An investigation of task and interpersonal processes supporting women remaining in general aviation flight training

Flight training activity in the General Aviation (GA) industry has been in decline for over 20 years with little indication of a turnaround. Flight schools and GA industry groups have identified a need to increase student and training retention as important to improving the health of the GA industry. The GA industry has identified women as a group to market to for increasing flight student and licensed pilots.;Women aviators have been historically under-represented in military, commercial, and general aviation over the past century. Although women make up about 50% of the general adult population, they represent only 12% of flight students, and only 6% of those with a private pilot certificate. Women's interest in learning to fly remains strong and represents a potential untapped market for the General Aviation industry. Psychology may be able to make a contribution toward understanding why women are under-represented and how they might be attracted and retained in General Aviation training.;This study explores how females experience flight training in the initial phase of General Aviation flight training, and whether their experience provides clues to women's under-representation in aviation generally. The study investigates how, over three successive time periods, instructor and female student experience their relationship, both in the task and interpersonal dimensions of training.;Findings from this study will elucidate the distinctive ways in which female students make sense of their flight training experience and how GA training can be made more available to women. Results of this study may be relevant for understanding, as well as re-mediating, the presently existing gap between male and female individuals regarding their interest in General Aviation flight training.