A disgruntled pilot revealed some passengers refuse to fly with her because she is a woman.
Bethan Haley, 24, said a number of customers have insisted they would prefer to travel with a man.
She added: “People are generally supportive but I have encountered people who are not because of my gender.
“It’s like they don’t trust me because I am female.”
Beth said a parent complained when she was about to take a child up in a Cessna 150, also raising fears over her age.
The ex-flight planner told the BBC : “It is frustrating. I have put so much into my career.”
In 2020, 5% of pilots were women and 1.42% of captains were female.
Bethan hopes to improve this by promoting aviation in schools. The commercial pilot, from York, said: “Most of the time, through explaining, you can tackle stereotypes.”
It took Bethan 10 years to become a pilot after taking to the skies on her 14th birthday thanks to a flying gift.
She got her Airline Transport Pilots Licence in 2021 before training in Sweden and at Cambridge Airport, using the Boeing 737 simulator.
Bethan is preparing for an interview with a major airline.
Martin Chalk, of the British Airline Pilots Association, said he was disappointed to hear of her experiences.
He has set up a scheme looking at diversity, adding: “The vast majority of pilots are white males, often middle-aged.”