Why Do Women Love Pilots? Unpacking Tinder's Most-Right-Swiped Profession

Handsome pilot standing in front of plane
Tyler Olson/Shutterstock
Tyler Olson/Shutterstock

Women have set the bar sky high for swiping right -- approximately 35,000ft high. Newly released Tinder research shows that pilots are cleaning up as the app’s most-right-swiped male profession.

To the dismay of Jewish mothers everywhere, doctors came in third and lawyers hold a paltry 11th place ranking. For shame! So the questions remains, why are women giving pilots permission to land?
 

Nicer ride

Sweet wheels, bro. But does it fly? Even the nicest car pales in comparison to a commercial airliner. Sure, there may be some phallic symbolism at play here. Obviously planes, if nothing else, resemble giant flying dicks. But beyond that, there’s something super sexy about a man who knows how to, you know, keep it up (!).
 

Dressed to impress

Women love uniforms: they're like wrapping paper for people! And a man in uniform? Swoon. Sometimes taking said uniform off is just as -- if not more -- fun as the gift inside. Plus, uniforms suggest a level of expertise (turn-on) and mastery (turn-on). Pilot uniforms are vaguely military in nature too, evoking a sense of authority a girl would be remiss not to obey. No one wants to end up on the No Fly List.
 

O captain! My captain!

Pilots have absolute dominion over their aircrafts. Whatever the pilot says, goes. And some women are into that. Power is sexy -- especially when it can get you a free upgrade from economy to first class.
 

Duty-freebies

Perfume from Paris? A handbag from Milan?! Yes and yes, please. Duty-free airport shopping means you can skip the tax on your latest splurge-worthy purchase. Even better if he can foot the bill.

pilots in a cockpit
Alexey Y. Petrov/Shutterstock

Control freak in the sheets

If you thought women were complicated, you should see the inside of a cockpit. Any man who can figure out all those buttons and switches should have no problem whatsoever figuring out what turns his lady on.

Ta ta, TSA!

Skipping to the front of the line at the club is for amateurs and entitled NYU students. How about skipping to the front of airport security? Now that’s a connection worth bragging about. You probably won’t even have to take off your shoes! And the only pat-down you’ll getting will be of the mile-high variety.

Airfare shmairfare

Who doesn’t love a free trip? Now is probably a good time to confess that I dated a pilot. A naval pilot, no less. We didn’t meet on Tinder, though. I should also admit that I don’t love flying. So when he offered to take me from LA to Napa, I politely declined (a second date seemed like a little too soon for me to put my life in his hands); but I can’t admit I wasn’t impressed.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder

If you’re dating pilot, missing him is almost always part of the deal. Shifts can go on for days, so if you find yourself getting sick of the way he loudly slurps his coffee or squeezes toothpaste from the middle of the tube, he’ll be out of your hair before you lose your shit.

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Julia Reiss is a writer and humorist who always swipes right on a well written bio. Find her on Tinder... and Twitter: @thereisspiece.