“That’s a great job, flight attendant! » Between the croissants and the baguettes, Louise is annoyed by the smiling remark of the baker. This is not the first time that her aerial uniform puts her in the cabin, without prior question. “In people’s minds, a woman can’t be a pilot, they don’t even consider it”, she confides a bit bitterly. However, it is in the cockpit that the young woman of 24 years spends her days. As a professional pilot in business aviation, aeronautical trainer and aerobatic enthusiast – Formula 1 sky version – it would be very difficult for her to do otherwise.
10%: this is the number of licensed airwomen, according to the French Association of Women Pilots (AFFP). “When I joined Air France, we were 5% female pilots. Today, we are 9%. In 30 years, taking 4% is not much. Parity is not for tomorrow”, notes Laurence Elles-Mariani, 55, member of the association, trainer and captain. As with the road trades, the big machines that split the sky have their “phallic dimension”she remarks. “Besides, we always say “the” captain. He is seen as the guarantor of security, the father of the family. »
She is part of a “generation that was confronted with male colleagues who had trouble understanding that a woman was at the same level, who felt devalued”. But is she really the only one? Louise*, Aurélie* and Morgane are half his age: from their early twenties to just thirty. They work in civil and business aviation. With “old school” – men over 50 – all testify to sometimes tough relationships. Painful job interviews, meager salaries, sexist jokes… Modern stories rhyme with those of the old ones.
In the infernal camera of the cockpit
“How do you envision your family life? » Laurence Elles-Mariani had to find the answer to this question when she joined Air France. In theory, the law now prohibits discussing the family situation in the interview. But Aurélie, 24 years old at the time, finds herself confronted with it in turn: “What will you do when you have a child?” What if he is very ill while you are on a mission? » That this question is put to men in her place makes her dubious. Being a pilot without gender distinction is still a fantasy, including the pay slip.
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