DSP launch scheme to encourage female pilots

The inaugural Women in Aviation and Law Enforcement Seminar will take applications until 1 February, taking on between 10 and 15 participants.

The program is slated to begin in March, and will run for seven weeks. The curriculum will cover the history of women in aviation, as well as giving people a chance to ‘ride along on missions’. While the program is primarily aimed at women, DSP have confirmed that the program is ‘open to anyone’.

The initiative is intended to recruit more women into helicopter aviation,  and was ‘inspired by DSP’s first, and only, female pilot, Corporal Carol Parton’, who will help to lead the program.

DSP Aviation Unit Commander Jeff Whitmarsh said that he think the lack of female helicopter pilots has a lot to do with poor exposure – something which the scheme aims to address.

“What I’m hoping is, when someone sees this program and they speak to a competent pilot like Corporal Parton, they think ‘Wow, I could actually do that,’” said Whitmarsh. “For us, we would love for folks within our ranks to seek out this profession and for more women to be a part of our aviation program. And at the same time, general citizens who have an interest, we’d love to have them join us, as well.”

The aviation industry is still broadly male-dominated. The UK’s East Anglia Air Ambulance (EAAA) hosted a similar event in 2021 aiming to encourage more women into the HEMS sector.