Sex ratio shift in offspring of male fixed-wing naval aviation officers

Abstract

The concept that aviators father more daughters than sons is a persistent rumor within aviation circles. This study was designed to determine the sex ratio among offspring of male fixed-wing naval aviation officers and to look for associations between sex ratio, flight hours, and mission. Through an online questionnaire, we asked for gender and date of birth of the child, monthly flying hours during the 4 months before conception, and the type of aircraft flown. Analysis revealed that the sex ratio of offspring from all participants in our study was not statistically significantly different from the general population. However, a significant sex ratio shift favoring daughters existed as the officer flew more hours during the 11th month before birth. As the implications of this are unknown, officers should be counseled that their chance of having a son or daughter is no different than the general population.