CFI Uniforms

[Typhoon1244]

Airline Style (Stripes & Hats)

Okay, at FlightSafety in Vero Beach we wore shirts with epaulets and ties...but hats? Who makes their instructors wear hats?

(How about beanies with propellers on top?)

 

[Whirlwind]

Polo shirts with company logo on them and kaki pants or shorts.

Sneakers for shoes, CFI's work too many hours to have to wear anything but sneakers.

Jeans are not allowed.

 

[Buzo]

Most of the instructors where I teach wear jeans and t-shirts. In the summer time it was common to wear shorts. We had no dress code. When I started flying for my current airline our dress code was no shorts. When we fly the freighter most wear carharts. We just recently started wearing the airline uniform when flying the passenger planes.

 

[ArcherB]

At the school I was at it was dress pants, shirt and tie. In the summer months you were allowed to wear polo shirts with company logo on them but still had to wear pants. The summers were hot!

 

[hydroflyer]

We had our choice of company polo and khakis or dress shirt, tie and slacks. I found either Doc Martens or Sketchers to be very comfortable. Doc's were a bit expensive, but last a long time. Sketcher's looked just as good and could be found on clearance racks. Personally I liked the choice, especially when I forgot to do the laundry.

 

[toneal]

imagine putting that 172 down in a field for whatever emergency and having to trek across 2 or 3 miles of terra firma to get to farmer joes house wearing business shoes and clothes.

 

[toneal]

On a slightly related subject, I always pondered what it would be like if I showed up to my PPL (or for that matter, any other) checkride all death-metalled out... including the torn and studded leather, white make-up, some insane hairstyle, etc.... but still amaze the DE with my impeccable skills and knowledge.

Heh heh...

Who thinks I should?

Go for it.. You may not even see the airplane cause he would probably fail you on the oral..

 

[acaTerry]

Here's what I REALLY hate (those of you who know me hear that quite often ):
Airline style uniforms, be it student or Instructor, and they have either a goatee or that stinkin' hair stripe under the lip!!!!!!!
ARRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!
If you want to be it, then LOOK IT! Daggon, what the heck?!!! How many pilots do you see with goatees or hair stripes in the airport?!!!
Grow up kids! "I go to XXX flight academy and I want to be an airline pilot....and I want to do it fast...but I don't want to grow the heck up and look like a professional. That Terry picks on me. He's mean."
Well, Boo Frickety Hoo! You want a professional's position....be a professional. Look like one. Act like one (at least when you are on display). So break out the shaver. If the fashion-boy stuff is too precious for you to sacrafice, then go hang out on the set of 90210. Leave the flying to those who can handle the part. Roger Willcox, over and under.....

 

[Night_Flight]

Proffessionalism

Don't forget we owe it to our students to maintain our proffessionalism. Would you like interviewing with interviewers in shorts and tee-shirts, or suits?


Dress shirt with tie, stripes, dark pants.

Weekends and summer dress, polo's and khakis.

-Night_Flight-

 

[Goffer]

I enjoy wearing the uniform at my school. Black Dockers, black shoes, white oxford with school logo on it.

At such a small school, walking around in my uniform reminds me to be proud of my accomplishments.

As for the students we frown on shorts and do not allow the students t wear sandals of any sort. It is a nice climate hear and at no point during the year is it unbearable to wear pants.

 

[pilotshan]

Update

Not quite sure why this thread was refreshed, but here's the update:

Our awesome new administration made an executive decision based on our input to ditch the airline style uniforms and go with polos and casual button-down shirts and black pants. The black pants are still going to suck in the summer, but noone was thrilled about ruining khakis crawling under airplanes...

BTW- Tango Golf hates the airline uniform as much as we do.

 

[BradG]

At the school i work/instruct at we dont really have a dress code. In the summer, some of us wear hawaian shirt, shorts, and sandals. I did this on the days i didnt have to work the desk (Dispatching flight school). Nice and comfortable. Most of the time now i wear nice pants, and a nice shirt, w/ Doc's. I think the guys who play dress up and wear the shirt with epulattes look like tools. Save that **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** till you actually become an airline pilot, till then Business Casual is fine, and in the summer heat, just what ever is comfortable. How can you be expected to concentrate on teaching when its 100 out and your wearing a da*mn tie?

 

[CrewDawg]

At the flight school I attend, the instructors wear black pants with a button-up collar shirt (long or short sleeve) with the school's name and on it. On Fri., sat., sun., or at night they are able to wear jeans and a t-shirt. This uniform, while comfortable, is also professional.

 

[TX_DFW]

AT SOSU the required uniform was a white polo and kaki's which was fine. At SPARTAN, They wear the full eplets and pants with a tie. We would always get a kick out of a intructor in full dress in a 150

 

[Low and Fast]

Uniforms..........No need

There is absolutely no reason that CFI's should be wearing Epilets! Leave those for the guys who earned them such as Airline Pilots.

Where I work as a CFI/CFII/MEI on the east side of Michigan we are required to wear Shirt and Tie with Dress slacks and shiny Black shoes. Seems to work just fine and definitly shows that we are a professional environment dedicated to providing professional flight training.

 

[PC12Cowboy]

Hmmm

Does the clothing make the instruction better??????????????
I think not and the last thing I want to do is make my student uncomfortable while I drip sweat on him or her!!!

 

[mizzouguy]

Amen to PC12 cowboy, You hit the nail on the head. Most of our clients are proffesional people already who learn to fly for fun and definalty a stuffy getup like a suit and tie makes for a stuffy environment. We usuallywear khakis and a polo or button up shirt. The epilets sure look stupid period except maybe on a military outfit where they belong

 

[satpak77]

I was fortunate (or unfortunate?) to get about 1000 hours of instruction given time at a Part 91 FBO which had a large rental fleet and also provided Part 91 ("non 141" in other words) instruction.

At this place, the clients were not "future airline pilots" but your typical dentist, local business owner, etc crowd.

I wore shorts in the summer with a polo shirt, shoes were of the "timberland" style variety.

In the winter (which were mild) I wore jeans and a light jacket or a sweatshirt.

Not that it had anything to do with me personally, or my dress, but we had more students at this FBO than we knew what to do with. FBO manager said "whatever yall are doing, keep doing it"

As such, the CFI's were checking out people for rentals, doing maintenance flights for the A&P next store, we took people up to look at Christmas lights (this was announced on radio ad and we got more than expected turnout), the doctor who owned that Baron in the hangar always needed to be dropped off at that airline hub city, we did that, etc.

Fond memories

Polo shirt and shorts

 

[CFI'er]

Uniforms, Yes

The debate on whether to require a school uniform or not can go on forever. Personally I favor some type of standard uniform for all school students and instructors. The students should have the same pants, as the instructors, but with a different color shirt, be it polo or pilot style. Forget all the wings, stripes, and tie. You haven’t earned the professional privilege to dress like an airline pilot. School is not one big Halloween party where you can be something that you are not. The reason I favor a school uniform is the cost savings on work clothing. The pilot shirts, when purchased directly from the manufacturer are about $18 a copy. Try buying an open color or polo shirt anywhere for that price.

 

[Propsfullfwd]

Shirt and tie. Jeans or slacks.