ASA hats

[scott hall]

Its official. Per J.A. hats are optional.

 

[sweptback]

Hats have always been optional, unless you were based in DFW! :smash:

 

[HelloNewman]

Its official. Per J.A. hats are optional.

This is great news for all. Every other airline should follow suit. The hat tends to make people look like bell boys. Not having the hat actually makes us pilots look more professional. The hat has probably been the most over rated part of the uniform for the longest time.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

This is great news for all. Every other airline should follow suit. The hat tends to make people look like bell boys. Not having the hat actually makes us pilots look more professional. The hat has probably been the most over rated part of the uniform for the longest time.

Except when pilots want something like a fair contract. When pilots do informational picketing all of a sudden they want to be noticed and respected and paid more.

When ever any organization wants to sell the image of an airline pilot the hat is used.

It is not about the pilots but the preception they project. Image is everything...

Whenever pilots complain about the hat it is always argued from a personal perspective.. it looks dorky, it's uncomfortable, etc.... But what does the public think.... (watch the replies to this thread... there will be no pragmaitc arguement: pilots will agrue personal reasons and try to speak for the public, managment etc.. But there will no effective professional arguement against the hat...)

Same ol arguement... I want repsect but I'm not willing to wear a uniform, etc...

Other classic arguements that don't work: I'll wear the hat when they pay me more.

And when pilots interview they are willing to do just about anything for the job and for some reason good behavior, manners, a clean uniform, including the hat and professionalism were all acceptable conditions of employment...

Not wearing the hat used to be rebelling against management and authority... a valid point.... when you got a nice CBA...

But now, more than ever, we need leverage at the negotiation table... so why not make everyday an informational picketing day? Make every day a professional pilot image. If that is too uncool or difficult then what are you doing here? Don't do it for yourself... do it for all of us who are trying to save the profession. I'm willing to wear the hat to have a better career.

What? the hat makes the difference.. Well, look at the FedEx guys. They wore hats when they picketed and look at thier CBA.

You can't project a professional image one day to picket and expect it to make up for all the other days. Kinda like studying.. if you wait till the last night you will probably do poorly on your sim ride.

If you dis the hat, what next? Where does it end.... ???

Management doesn't care... they just assume we all look like FA's and gate agents... and pay us the same too...

My personal opinion on the hat? I have one, but it doesn't matter... The professional image is more important...... It is not about what we think.. rather what they think....

 

[goahead]

Its official. Per J.A. hats are optional.

Prove it.

 

[suupah]

as much as i hate the hats, i do believe they look sharp.

 

[Soverytired]

"A hat should be taken off when you greet a lady and left off for the rest of your life. Nothing looks more stupid than a hat." -- P.J. O'Rourke

 

[SPDBRD747400]

as much as i hate the hats, i do believe they look sharp.

You can have mine!!!

 

[BigPappa]

And the W@lmartization of the airline career continues. Nothing looks better than a fat sloppy pilot walking around the terminal with a quarter pounder in one hand, extra large soda in the other and a big mayo stain on his pants. All that without the hat. Priceless!

 

[DrewBlows]

I never cared one way or the other about hats until I bumped my head while getting off the crew bus in ATL. The post on the logo stabbed me in the head and caused A LOT of bleeding. I had a head-ache for the rest of the night and consequently don't much care for the hat anymore. I do think they look better though.

 

[Stuka Luva]

And the W@lmartization of the airline career continues. Nothing looks better than a fat sloppy pilot walking around the terminal with a quarter pounder in one hand, extra large soda in the other and a big mayo stain on his pants. All that without the hat. Priceless!

What he said

 

[embdrvr]

Someone better tell those non hat wearing Southwest pilots that their contract sucks and they look unprofessional.
And they don't even wear those nifty polyester maitre'd jackets either.
The hat like many things in this profession is a carry-over from the Air Force. If the Air Force didn't wear hats we never would have either.

 

[aa30]

and if it is a carry over from the air force, then why does everyone wear the hat inside? all military branches remove their hats/cover upon entering a building...

 

[goahead]

and if it is a carry over from the air force, then why does everyone wear the hat inside? all military branches remove their hats/cover upon entering a building...

What he said!

 

[Berry McCockner]

I don't think it's carry over from the Air Force. I'm pretty sure all of our titles and uniforms comes from maritime tradition. Just watch the Love Boat.

 

[CF34-3B1]

I don't think it's carry over from the Air Force. I'm pretty sure all of our titles and uniforms comes from maritime tradition. Just watch the Love Boat.

Did you see how fat Julie the cruise director got towards the end of that series?

She kinda reminded me of a Delta FA.

And she never wore her hat.

 

[Pattern-Master]

Actually, the pilot uniform including the hat was started by Pan Am years back when they were using the flying boats to copy a nautical theme uniform just like you see on cruise ships.

 

[Berry McCockner]

Actually, the pilot uniform including the hat was started by Pan Am years back when they were using the flying boats to copy a nautical theme uniform just like you see on cruise ships.

yeh, kinda like what I said.

 

[atrdriver]

And the W@lmartization of the airline career continues. Nothing looks better than a fat sloppy pilot walking around the terminal with a quarter pounder in one hand, extra large soda in the other and a big mayo stain on his pants. All that without the hat. Priceless!

It was bad enough when the leather jackets became optional. Yes, they are sharp looking jackets, but they don't look professional on an aiarline pilot. Now we do away with the hats. What's next? Ask to fly in sweats?

 

[Skaff]

Its official. Per J.A. hats are optional.

Get ready to have your uniform allotment cut.

 

[~~~^~~~]

What's next? Ask to fly in sweats?

It is all about lowering expectations.

 

[atlcrjdriver]

Can you post the source for this info, must have missed it in the SH e-mails that I deleted. If it is true, it is most likely to appease the pilot corp as many of us don't even own a hat much less like to wear them especially in the summer heat.

 

[jeroom]

It was bad enough when the leather jackets became optional. Yes, they are sharp looking jackets, but they don't look professional on an aiarline pilot. Now we do away with the hats. What's next? Ask to fly in sweats?

Ooouhh... I can smell the winter threads 'come back' about how bad the leather jackets looks like.... I can smell it already...

Too bad... i already ordered mine, and I choose the marroon one with the red and white strips... delicious!

 

[buscap]

It was bad enough when the leather jackets became optional. Yes, they are sharp looking jackets, but they don't look professional on an aiarline pilot. Now we do away with the hats. What's next? Ask to fly in sweats?

Duuudddddeee!!!

Like that hat looks professional!!!!???

And that cheap POS single breast jacket we wear is goooooood looki'n???

Quit smokin it you ******************************!!

Our level of service would be well represented by sport shirts and dockers!!!!

 

[HelloNewman]

So Rez if someone wears a hat they will get paid more money?? Yeah right pilots have been wearing the hat through every paycut that has happened the last 5 years. The hat sure didn't save them then. How is a silly thing such as a hat going to make any difference at the barganing table? I have never had a passenger walk off of a flight I was working because no one was wearing a hat. I have never seen any direct correlation between a hat and a pay raise.

Not having a hat is one less thing for chief pilots to have to police. It is also one less thing to have to worry about getting in trouble over. You guys seem to forget change is a natural part of society. The hat going away is one of the positive changes.

 

[Bizjet]

It is all about lowering expectations.

I have flown with FO's that never owned a hat. When they made Captain they never took the hat off. I asked one of the new captains if he wore the hat when he was making love to his wife and he said "Yes and my girlfriend too".

I have no position on the wearing of hats. If the company wants to make them optional that should work for everyone. Make sure we keep bitching about it in the crew lounge so that the CP's will tell SH that we are not happy with the decision.

 

[WWEfan]

Next, I vote we start wearing the Mesa windbreakers and backpacks.

 

[jegermeister]

Dr.s wear pajamas/ lab coat and no one seems to think less of them. As for me who cares. Lose it in the summer. Use it in the winter, it may just keep your head warm.

 

[SkyWstman]

I think a flight suit would be good, but then they'd have to put after burners on the RJ.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

As I said. It is next to impossible to argue against the hat from a professional point of view...

So Rez if someone wears a hat they will get paid more money?? Yeah right pilots have been wearing the hat through every paycut that has happened the last 5 years. The hat sure didn't save them then. How is a silly thing such as a hat going to make any difference at the barganing table? I have never had a passenger walk off of a flight I was working because no one was wearing a hat. I have never seen any direct correlation between a hat and a pay raise.

So if you don't wear the uniform at all will your image suffer? Where does one draw the line. Now that hats are gone, whats next? Stripes? Ties? What is concerning is if the company issued a memo that said ties were optional, pilots would jump all over that...

So what does that say? Who is holding the line on professional appearance? Do you need the company to do it for you? When do pilots take an intrest in their own image? Do they have to be dressed by the company? Should the CP come to your house and lay your uniform out for you so its ready in the morning?

Hat a silly thing? Why?, cause you say so? What I want to know is what the passengers think. Sure the FI wunderkind will tell you that pax only care about price, but really where is that guy getting that info? From the crewroom? From this message board?

Saying the pax only care about price is just a pathetic way of justifying poor self centered attitudes and behavior. It is for the weak.

Again, whenever any organization wants to market the image of a pilot, he is wearing hat. One of the latest SWA commercials has a SWA pilot wearing a hat.

Not having a hat is one less thing for chief pilots to have to police. It is also one less thing to have to worry about getting in trouble over. You guys seem to forget change is a natural part of society. The hat going away is one of the positive changes.

I don't worry about getting in trouble at work. Professionals don't need to be policed. If you don't understand the rules and don't have the ability to follow them, getting rid of the hat isn't going to help.

So instead of depending on your company to mold and craft your image why don't you do it Why take some responsibility for yourself.

Finally, you failed to argue the point of air line pilots wearing hats at picketing events. Why is it when pilots want more pay and better work rules they picket in the hat. Can you debate that?