As you observe airline pilots, especially for the big passenger planes, tend to be older. This is because you need to work your way up to flying those planes.

As you observe airline pilots, especially for the big passenger planes, tend to be older. This is because you need to work your way up to flying those planes. If the pilots are 50-60 years old, then, when they were born, (1960's - 1970's) the USA was ~90% white. That compares to now when it's about 60% white. So, it makes sense that older people in the US, airline pilots included, are disproportionately white compared to current population. Airlines also tend to hire out of the airforce - letting the government do the work of training pilots. The airforce is (and was) disproportionately white and male compared to the general population. It seems perfectly reasonable for airlines to hire trained pilots out of the airforce. I'm not really sure what you're saying with this comment. As I read it - it seems like you're suggesting that, wittingly or unwittingly, airlines are racist and their racism is so severe that it overrides their financial incentives to source pilots from as wide a pool as possible. And, your reason for believing this, is that you notice airline pilots are often old white men.