Hats: Yes or no?

[WhiteCloud]

Hats are just another hassle I don't need. Personally, I just don't want to worry about a hat that doesn't keep your head warm and can easily be crunched or forgotten when busy concerning yourself with flight operations. They just get in the way. My way would be a professional pilot shirt with eppaulets and functional, all weather jacket or coat that is more appropriate for preflights and walking around in the weather than a dress jacket. All the jacket and hat does is invite folks to ask for directions.

 

[70Cuda]

Bottom line.........I've definitely noticed those pilots who like to wear the hats have "egos" to support. They want to ensure everyone in the airport and hotel knows they are big-shot airline pilots. Don't even try to deny it!!!!! Almost all the guys I know who are low-key and without attitudes don't like to wear that rediculous thing.

Hats are outdated, are a pain to carry around, serve no purpose, and don't make you a professional. They just boost the ego of those with tiny things between their legs.

 

[crashpad]

Yeah, but everyday is a bad hair-day for me so the hat comes in real handy...heeeyyyy...who told you it was tiny!?!?

 

[AirBill]

Bottom line.........I've definitely noticed those pilots who like to wear the hats have "egos" to support. They want to ensure everyone in the airport and hotel knows they are big-shot airline pilots. Don't even try to deny it!!!!! Almost all the guys I know who are low-key and without attitudes don't like to wear that rediculous thing.

I've noticed just the opposite. Most guys who don't like to wear them are metros who don't want to mess up their hair gel.

My choice: keep 'em. Or, at least keep them as an optional uniform piece. There's a movement afoot where I work to get rid of them all. That and the blazer. In its place would be a leather jacket. Now tell me, which is more of a symptom of an ego that needs stroking: a uniform hat or a leather jacket?

 

[AirBill]

Sorry, hit the button twice.

 

[Axel]

Not this again

Grow up.

Did you accept the position? Then wear the GD hat. You agreed to it when you took the job. Don't wanna wear the GD hat? Get a job that does not include a hat with the uniform.

Punks.

 

[NHaviator]

wtf?

settle down there buddy...who are you the GD pilot hat police or perhaps you own a GD uniform company? GD!

 

[T-Gates]

That's all we are anyway, "glorified bus drivers."

Yeah, and for all of those that don't feel the need to wear the hat when they are supposed to, we don't even look bus driver-like.

I hope enough of my bretheren at PCL can find thier f'ing hat so they can walk the line with Mesaba come January 9th.....

 

[bud5437]

Hey fellas, I'm a retired Airline Pilot. I've been doing this for the last 36 years and quite frankly, I was proud to wear the hat. We earned the PRIVLEDGE to wear it. I would venture a guess, with 12,000 pilots on furlough, if you asked them if they would return to work on the condition they wore their hats, I would bet they would do it in a heartbeat.
Now, being an OLD FART, I have to tell you, I have kicked co-pilots off the trip because they wouldn't wear their uniform properly. The hat is still a part of the uniform isn't it. I see a lot of young guys carrying their hats. Well, all that establishes is that their hat fits their hand. Put it on your head where it belongs and be proud to wear it!! Also, as long as I'm making myself sound like a real butt hole, I think a crisp clean hat (no 50 mission crush) looks really professional. Flame away. We will never fly together so don't worry about hurting my feelings.

 

[climbhappy]

i've noticed alot of major guys have removed the donut from inside the hat to give it this natural air force B-17 look. Is that the more stylish way? i just switched employers and don't have the money yet to buy a new hat, so when i do i guess i'll splurge if only it helps me commute and look like a pilot when I commute.

 

[VADriver]

There is the leadership choice and the popular choice.

As a professional pilot are you a leader or are you cool?

As a pax, there aren't very many indicators for me to tell who is a leader when I see pilots in the terminal. I focus on thier behavior, body language and dress code. I wouldn't pay extra money for a ticket knowing I am being flown by "Joe Kewl". I will pay extra for a professional pilot who looks sharp, acts conservative, confident and in control. I don't want to like this kind of pilot. I want to respect him.

On a personal note. It's interesting, the guys that will carry their hat but never wear it, unless the CP suddenly appears. Then thier bad a$$ spine turns to jelly.

If you aren't going to wear it then have the kahunas to save yourself $60 bucks and the chore of carrying the damm thing around.

There is an attitude that we have lost repsect as airline pilots, while at the same time a professional image device (PID) is a hassle. Not sure I get it. Do you?

Where is Pez D. Spencer when I need him??

 

[OakRBust]

Reason # 4,927 to work for SWA.

GD Hats Optional!
Normal Pilots Hats Optional Too!



Happy New Year Everybody!

 

[BE99chick]

I wear the hat because pax get out of your way when they see you hauling ass in their direction. The hat is scary man!!!

 

[belchfire]

Leather jackets to all, ball caps to keep
the sun out of your eyes when you need
it.

The he!! with the nazi sub Kapitan hats!

 

[DTNflyer]

I wear my hat so I don't have to carry it. It doesn't bother me, I hear fat chicks dig it. How are you suppose to wear it? Do you ever notice that some people wear there hats low with the brim just above their eyes and some people wear it above their foreheads.

Its late, I like beer, I wish fat chicks hated the hat.

 

[Axel]

settle down there buddy...who are you the GD pilot hat police or perhaps you own a GD uniform company? GD!

It's not about the hat. Your utter failure- likely your inability- to grasp the true point serves to emphasize it.

 

[JJJ]

Pinnacle doesn't care if pilot wear their hat or not. They pretend to care, but they don't. If we start getting into trouble for not wearing a hat, then I will wear mine.

Wasn't the whole pilot uniform thing started with the airlines flying flying boats. Notice the similarities between the love boat uniforms and pilot uniforms. At least we don't have white pants though

 

[surplus1]

bud5437

Yours is the perspective of maturity. Don't expect to see that from the current run of hair-gel and die proponents.

I agree with all you've said, but I guess that just makes us both "old fashioned".

In today's world it seems you need the "Abercrombie look" (sloppy, unironed, half-dressed, untied sneakers, open neck - no tie and of course hatless) to join the new breed of airline professional. Now if we could only replace the blazer with a sweat shirt, everything would be perfect.

Enjoy your retirement and be thankful you earned it while we were still on the way up.

 

[Stuka Luva]

belchfire

To each his/her own naturally...but,

IMHO:
Leather jackets are for ego strokers who see themselves as Fighter Pilots and ball caps are for guess what...ball games.

Give me a trenchcoat anyday and I can blend in with the rest of the aviation "professionals".

BTW, I'd rather look like Rommel than Fred Durst anyday

 

[VADriver]

Pinnacle doesn't care if pilot wear their hat or not. They pretend to care, but they don't. If we start getting into trouble for not wearing a hat, then I will wear mine.

Yeah, I've seen Pinnacle pilots look just the part you described. And that is a shared responsibility between the Pinnacle pilots and management.

Professional means doesn't need to be policed. No one looking over your shoulder making sure you are doing your job right. I don't want my doctor being supervised..... Do our pax want us being policed? How much are you willing to pay for a ticket for a pilot that needs to be supervised? How much margin of that ticket price will you get into your paycheck?

If you don't wanna wear a hat go to SWA or FDX or become a cubical operator.....

There is only one kind of pilot that wears a hat.