Operational Impacts of Women’s Health Factors on Pilot Availability and Certification

The number of certificated female pilots in the U.S. aviation system continues to increase and is projected to reach approximately 15–20 percent of the pilot workforce within the next decade. Current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certification policy, Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) guidance, and aeromedical training materials contain limited and inconsistent information addressing health factors specific to women pilots. Women’s health factors—including pregnancy, postpartum recovery, hormonal therapies, menstrual disorders, and menopause—may temporarily affect medical eligibility, certification timelines, and operational availability. In the absence of a systematic, evidence-informed understanding of these factors, the FAA lacks the ability to anticipate certification impacts, promote consistency in AME decision-making, and support pilot workforce planning. This research will identify and characterize women’s health factors that influence pilot medical certification and availability, providing actionable insight to improve certification efficiency, reduce variability in aeromedical decision-making, and enhance forecasting of pilot availability. Results will inform targeted updates to FAA guidance, training, and policy materials without establishing new certification standards. There are no statutory deadlines associated with this research; however, completion within 12 months is required to support near-term improvements to aeromedical guidance as the female pilot population continues to grow. The research requires collaboration with an external academic partner and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval due to the use of human-subjects data.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $181,309.00
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Managing Organizations:

  Civil Aerospace Medical Institute-Federal Aviation Administration

  P.O. Box 25082
  Oklahoma City, OK  United States  73125
• Project Managers:

  Schneiderman, Jason

• Performing Organizations:

  University of North Dakota, Grand Forks

  Grand Forks, ND  United States 

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Principal Investigators:

  Bjerke, Elizabeth

  Schneiderman, Jason

• Start Date: 20260720
• Expected Completion Date: 20270720
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pilots; Certification; Females; Health
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Aviation; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01993759
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Federal Aviation Administration
• Files: RIP, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 25 2026 9:31AM