See Jane Fly: Feminism in Aviation

The "Golden Age of Air Travel" was a mythical era, with commercial and military aviation being strictly gendered and racist divisions of labor. Western culture was built upon images of men as chivalrous knights, cowboys, and soldiers, but by the beginning of the twentieth century, few males had ever been cowboys or seen active military service. Pilots were defined by their training, professionalism, and courage in the air, while women were defined by their domesticity as mothers and homemakers. Airlines recruited them for their femininity to look after male clientele.

Format: Hardback
Length: 323 pages
Publication date: 20 May 2022
Publisher: SunRise Publishing Ltd

The "Golden Age of Air Travel" is often romanticized, but it was far from the idyllic era we imagine. Like other modes of transportation at the time, commercial and military aviation were deeply segregated and discriminatory, both in the cockpit and cabin. Piloting was a lifelong career reserved for white men, while "stewarding" was a temporary role for women. Western culture was largely shaped by images of men as rugged knights, cowboys, and soldiers, living adventurous lives and cherishing camaraderie in cattle drives, wars, or trenches. However, by the early 20th century, the reality was far different. Few men had ever experienced the life of a cowboy or served in the military. Yet, fueled by paperback novels and Hollywood movies, the myth of the rugged male hero persisted. National identity was closely tied to masculinity, with the cowboy representing the United States, the "digger" representing Australia, and the lumberjack, Mountie, and air ace representing Canada. Women in pulp fiction and movies were typically portrayed as either the loyal and forgiving wife and mother, the schoolmarm, or the dance hall prostitute. Pilots were defined by their rigorous training, professionalism, and bravery in the air, holding immense power over frightened passengers. Even a learned professor cited Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, suggesting that pilots had evolved from birds and the rest of humanity from fish, rendering them incapable of flying planes. Women, on the other hand, were defined by their domestic roles as mothers and homemakers. Airlines actively recruited them for their femininity, viewing them as substitute mothers, wives, and daughters to cater to male clientele. Albert James Mills, in his book "Sex, Strategy, and the Stratosphere," noted the association between commercial flying and maleness, emphasizing the gender-based barriers and discrimination that persisted in the aviation industry during this era.

Weight: 200g
Dimension: 216 x 140 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781914489068