United Nations-affiliated Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), the largest pilots union in the world, has proposed to drop “masculine” terms like “cockpit” and “father” to make the industry more “inclusive.”Pilots and crew should stop using terms that may be offensive to "women, transgender people and people with different gender identities,” asserts the association, listing terms like “man,” “men,” “guys,” “father,” “husband,” and “manpower.”The union, which represents more than 70,000 pilots worldwide, collaborates with a UN agency to make its policies, Fox New reported, including a diversity, equity and inclusion language guide released in 2021 — since removed from the association’s website. The policy advises industry professionals to avoid a long list of terms and phrases for inclusivity’s sake — especially "masculine generalizations.""Inclusive language in communications is essential to our union’s solidarity and collective strength and is an important factor in maintaining flight safety," it reads. "The purpose of this language guide is to offer examples of terms and phrases that promote inclusion and equity."The term “cockpit,” should be replaced with “flight deck,” it says, claiming the original term “has been and may be used in a derogatory way to exclude women in the piloting profession.”"Many women have heard a variation of ‘It is called a cockpit for a reason’ by a male pilot, suggesting that women do not belong in the piloting profession," states the guide.The term “cockpit,” originated in the 16th century in England to refer to a fight between two roosters, wrote the Wall Street Journal in 2019. "The circular pit was surrounded by a barrier to keep the gamecocks from escaping, with spectators" who viewed the "bloody sport" as entertainment, he wrote. As centuries passed, the term came to refer to a tense, high-pressure atmosphere, and by the 18th century the infirmary on British warships were referred to as the “cockpit.” "The confined space, the noise, the blood and the fetid air evidently reminded people of the original cockpits," wrote the WSJ. According to General Aviation News, the term is also linked to “cockswain,” which describes the person at the helm of a vessel; “cock” meaning small boat, and “swain” meaning servant. Eventually the small, confined space where the “cockswain” sat became the “cockpit.”ALPA's guide suggests “manpower” should be replaced with “people/human power,” and “man” and “men” be avoided altogether. Airline industry professionals should also no longer address a group of people (men or women) as “guys.”"Who will provide the people/human power to support this event?" states an example in the guide. The guide also advises not to say "mother/father,” because these terms could alienate "different family structures, such as grandparents as caregivers, same-sex parents," among others.Further, "husband/wife" and "boyfriend/girlfriend" should not be uttered, as it could be offensive to same-sex couples. In a statement to Fox News, ALPA admitted airlines are threatened by pilots who don’t receive proper training, but maintained flying is the safest way to travel. "Flying is the safest mode of transportation in the world thanks in large part to airline pilots, professionals that are all held to the highest training and qualification standards. There are real threats to aviation safety like efforts to replace pilots with automation or lower training and experience standards, but opening the doors of opportunity to ensure we have a robust supply of qualified aviators isn't one of them," ALPA said. Former Federal Aviation Administration safety team representative Kyle Bailey told the publication, “Diversity really has nothing to do with safe travel.”"It's basically all a matter of flight time, your credentials, your background, how much flight experience you have and also your training.""Regardless of what proposed hiring practices are put into place, the bottom line is … piloting is basically a male occupation. You don't find little girls when they're 10 years old saying, ‘Hey, I want to be an airline pilot’ or playing with little model airplanes or flying model airplanes. It's pretty much a male game, like it or not.”
United Nations-affiliated Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), the largest pilots union in the world, has proposed to drop “masculine” terms like “cockpit” and “father” to make the industry more “inclusive.”Pilots and crew should stop using terms that may be offensive to "women, transgender people and people with different gender identities,” asserts the association, listing terms like “man,” “men,” “guys,” “father,” “husband,” and “manpower.”The union, which represents more than 70,000 pilots worldwide, collaborates with a UN agency to make its policies, Fox New reported, including a diversity, equity and inclusion language guide released in 2021 — since removed from the association’s website. The policy advises industry professionals to avoid a long list of terms and phrases for inclusivity’s sake — especially "masculine generalizations.""Inclusive language in communications is essential to our union’s solidarity and collective strength and is an important factor in maintaining flight safety," it reads. "The purpose of this language guide is to offer examples of terms and phrases that promote inclusion and equity."The term “cockpit,” should be replaced with “flight deck,” it says, claiming the original term “has been and may be used in a derogatory way to exclude women in the piloting profession.”"Many women have heard a variation of ‘It is called a cockpit for a reason’ by a male pilot, suggesting that women do not belong in the piloting profession," states the guide.The term “cockpit,” originated in the 16th century in England to refer to a fight between two roosters, wrote the Wall Street Journal in 2019. "The circular pit was surrounded by a barrier to keep the gamecocks from escaping, with spectators" who viewed the "bloody sport" as entertainment, he wrote. As centuries passed, the term came to refer to a tense, high-pressure atmosphere, and by the 18th century the infirmary on British warships were referred to as the “cockpit.” "The confined space, the noise, the blood and the fetid air evidently reminded people of the original cockpits," wrote the WSJ. According to General Aviation News, the term is also linked to “cockswain,” which describes the person at the helm of a vessel; “cock” meaning small boat, and “swain” meaning servant. Eventually the small, confined space where the “cockswain” sat became the “cockpit.”ALPA's guide suggests “manpower” should be replaced with “people/human power,” and “man” and “men” be avoided altogether. Airline industry professionals should also no longer address a group of people (men or women) as “guys.”"Who will provide the people/human power to support this event?" states an example in the guide. The guide also advises not to say "mother/father,” because these terms could alienate "different family structures, such as grandparents as caregivers, same-sex parents," among others.Further, "husband/wife" and "boyfriend/girlfriend" should not be uttered, as it could be offensive to same-sex couples. In a statement to Fox News, ALPA admitted airlines are threatened by pilots who don’t receive proper training, but maintained flying is the safest way to travel. "Flying is the safest mode of transportation in the world thanks in large part to airline pilots, professionals that are all held to the highest training and qualification standards. There are real threats to aviation safety like efforts to replace pilots with automation or lower training and experience standards, but opening the doors of opportunity to ensure we have a robust supply of qualified aviators isn't one of them," ALPA said. Former Federal Aviation Administration safety team representative Kyle Bailey told the publication, “Diversity really has nothing to do with safe travel.”"It's basically all a matter of flight time, your credentials, your background, how much flight experience you have and also your training.""Regardless of what proposed hiring practices are put into place, the bottom line is … piloting is basically a male occupation. You don't find little girls when they're 10 years old saying, ‘Hey, I want to be an airline pilot’ or playing with little model airplanes or flying model airplanes. It's pretty much a male game, like it or not.”
