It's generally accepted that any job a man can do, a woman can do as well. However, certain fields still seem to be male-only clubs. How many times have you flown on a commercial airliner piloted by a woman?
This week, TV Tokyo's business documentary series, "Gaia no Yoake" (Dawn of Gaia; Tuesday, 10 p.m.) looks at the pilot profession, focusing on the first female pilot trainee for All-Nippon Airways. A graduate of an aviation college, the woman underwent her final testing aboard a Boeing 767 in Okinawa last February.
Recruiting women for the aviation industry is not just a matter of promoting job equality. As the number of passengers goes up every year, the number of pilots is decreasing. Of ANA's 1,600 pilots, an average of 90 retire every year.