Does the a hat make you a professional?

[CaptainBrazilia]

My company just issued a "Hat Optional" memo. I'm pretty excited, actually. I hate wearing the stinking things. They don't have my size (7 and 5/8 is just a bit too small but the next size up is huge), they're HOT, they're making me go bald...etc. Most guys at the company are "WOOHOO"ing the announcement, but there are a few that seem to believe that the hat is a REQUIRED piece of the uniform and that we need to wear it in order to "look like professionals."

Agree? Disagree?

 

[FL000]

The only thing my hat is good for is covering that unruly tuft of hair that is kicked up by the top of my company-issued Dave Clarks. Other than that, it just makes me look like a golf tee.

 

[T-Gates]

It has become apparent to me that my head is mishapen, causing me to look like a real dofus in the hat. Given the choice...no hat for me. I ruined mine when it got knocked off from some prop blast and gave it a nice uniform fade around the top as it slid 100yds on the ramp, until it hit a tug.

By the way, who do you work for?

 

[embdrvr]

Congrats on working for a company with an enlightened management team.

I'd bet money that the guys that think they need the hats to maintain a "professional appearance" are the same ones that have to keep reminding everyone that they are the captain.

Another possibility is that they are a bunch of whiny malcontents that find fault in everything the company does.

Last I checked Southwest has a hats optional policy. Has anyone accused them of being unprofessional? Would any of the people claiming that lack of a hat is unprofessional turn down an offer at Southwest? Now if you could ditch the tie......

Which company is it?

 

[banned username 2]

The only thing my hat is good for is covering that unruly tuft of hair that is kicked up by the top of my company-issued Dave Clarks.

What the he!! do you fly that you need to wear David Clark's?

As far as the hat... I'm glad I've never had a job where I had to wear one... Make you look like a (city) bus driver... Ralph Cramden...

 

[FL000]

What the he!! do you fly that you need to wear David Clark's?

I don't need them. It's just that I'm too cheap to buy a lightweight set, and I don't feel like toting them around and caring for them. The DC's don't bother me too much, and they're free.

 

[boeingav8r]

the hat

I admit, traveling light is the name of the game and if you can get away with not wearing your hat, then that's one last thing you have to carry with you on a trip. But on the other hand, I think the hat looks good. I don't think it has anything to do with looking "professional". I think a pilot in a leather jacket without a hat looks plenty professional. Although bus drivers and skycaps wear the same hat, I think it would be cool if we could keep the traditional image of a pilot...suitcoat uniform and hat....looks sharp to me. I personally wore the suitcoat in the summer and the leather jacket in the winter. In rainy weather, I wear my London Fog trenchcoat with the liner removed for rain protection.

 

[CRJ puppy]

Look it...it's a no Forkin' brainer. For John Q. Public, the hat has a certain air (no pun) of professionalism to it. We all know that we can dress up and make the worst pilot we know look "professional"... Frankly, (ok, I won't call you "Frank"...)... Honestly, if wearing the hat would get me off furlough, I'd wear the hat 24/7... I'd wear it on my d*ck if it would help me keep my job. If all we had to worry about was the freakin' hat, then good for us. But with the world and work the way it is...if that is the worst thing you have to worry about, then I am jealous of you.

Wear the freakin' hat if your company requires it and worry about something more important. Pull-leeze...

Oh...PS...as a former Biology teacher...I can assure you that wearing a hat doesn't make you go bald...your head would get as bald as your a$$ whether you wore a hat or not...it's genetics my friend, not hats...that's been proven over and over again...

 

[Bluestreaker]

i have bigger problems, my head is about as balled as my ass and i have a full head of hair!!

 

[Deftone45075]

That avatar is just a little disturbing.

 

[bailout]

>>it just makes me look like a golf tee.<<

LOL !!

>>It's just that I'm too cheap to buy a lightweight set<<

Ive noticed a pattern... Its ALWAYS the senior captains, (who are making the most money) who wear the free Dave Clarks.

 

[WhiteCloud]

My company just issued a "Hat Otional" memo. I'm pretty excited, actually. I hate wearing the stinking things.
Agree? Disagree?

I hate hats. Just another thing to forget. Well fed and rested pilots look a lot more professional than the tired, hungry pilots I see running around airports with hats on.

 

[ExFokkerFlyer]

BTW, it's Skywest who is making the hat optional.

I'm freakin' thrilled, I hate those darned things.

 

[skyking]

hats

Hats are cool man. The more gold and glitter the better. You can get more chicks by wearing the hat too! People will respect you more as a pilot by wearing one. I even wear mine when I go to bed at night!

Skyking

 

[sstearns2]

hats

To me the hats always screamed, 'Informantion Kiosk'.

Yes Sir, gate J43 is down that way....

Scott

 

[Rogue5]

Optional Hats...

The funny thing was I got that memo around 6 am when I checked in and by the time I got to LAX three hours later I noticed a distinct lack of hats around the crew lounge....

More than a few pilots I spoke to read/heard about the new policy and without comment threw their hats immediately in the locker/back seat of their car/trash can.

One or two of the old guys seriously looked like the sky was falling and ranted and raved about "nothing being sacred," etc. Usually the same guys that cringe at the leather jackets.

My informal poll guesses about 60-70% will chuck the hats...

 

[ksu_aviator]

The hats can go in the summer as far as I'm concerned but I'd wear it in the winter for a little extra warmth. As for the jackets, get real. You look like the stereo typed fly by night drunk bastard pilot that has a girl in every state and sometimes two. In other words, it's not professional.

PS, baldness is not caused by wearing hats, heard so in a hair restoration commercial so it must be true hehehe.

 

[Thedude]

Warmer in the winter....are you nutz or just NEW. The only good thing I ever found for a stupid uniform hat is a drink& key holder.

Now get yor biatch a$$ back in the galley and get me something to drink (ha).

 

[Looking4Traffic]

"You look like the stereo typed fly by night drunk bastard pilot that has a girl in every state and sometimes two."

Hey! I resemble that remark!

Actually my wife makes me wear the hat during one of our little role-plays. "Oh, Mr. Skycap", she says, "can you bring me your luggage?" But that's probably too much information.

Hey, while were on the subject of David Clarks, does anyone have a pair of Telex Airman 750s they're looking to sell? My David Clarks may not be making me bald but my ears are starting to look like I wrestled in college.

Thanks for the PM.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

I suppose everyone has their opinion on the hats, but here is something to think about. A few months ago one of our rjs had a gear fold on landing. From what I heard later was that all the passengers were wandering around and spreading out all over the runway, not staying in one spot. They were not sure where to go. The captain went back into the plane to get his hat and after he re-emerged from the airpane wearing it, all of the passengers formed around him and were all accounted for quickly. I asked about the incident in the cp's office later and it was confirmed. The point being the figure of authority in an unusual event.
just my 2 cents. not attached to my hat for sure.