A rose among the thorns in male-dominated world of pilots

Singapore

AT last week's pilot training course for Singapore Airlines Ltd's Scoot carrier, Eva Maria Thien stood out among the participants because she was the only woman. She also was the instructor.

She's a rarity in the male-dominated world of pilots. Just 3 per cent of pilots worldwide are female, and in Singapore, where Ms Thien is based, the figure is about one per cent. By comparison, women make up about 23 per cent of the leadership ranks at technology companies like Facebook Inc and Yahoo! Inc.

Ms Thien broke through with a blend of determination, skill and love for flyi…