Have you earned your Stripes?

[Long Time Gone]

....if the company had wanted me to wear three, they would have provided a new hat, jacket and stripes.

Following tradition, you shouldn't have to wear a 3 stripe jacket after a downgrade, even if one is provided to you. It is traditional to maintain the 4 stripe jacket, F/O hat, and 3 stripe boards after a downgrade.

 

[Counselair]

A Squared,

Exactly! But then agian I could "have" cared less!

Counselair

 

[Typhoon1244]

Originally posted by enigma
I'd rather wear boots, jeans and a feed store cap.

While you'd be a lot more comfortable, a pilot dressed that way has no credibility in the eyes of the passenger. Particularly in this day and age, the flying public needs to be assured in every way that they're lives are in the hands of professionals. If you stand in front of them with an open collar and a wrinkled shirt, in the backs of their minds they'll associate that with a sloppy cockpit.

So as uncomfortable as it is during the Dallas summer, I make sure that passengers never see me outside the cockpit without a complete, proper uniform. It doesn't do a thing for my ego...I'd have to lose fifty pounds first! But for customers who are now used to seeing pilots sperad-eagled and shoeless for some TSA knucklehead, we need to do everything we can to keep our image positive.

I think airline uniforms will go away about the same time the military's do...two days after He|l freezes over.

 

[dmspilot00]

Following tradition, you shouldn't have to wear a 3 stripe jacket after a downgrade, even if one is provided to you. It is traditional to maintain the 4 stripe jacket, F/O hat, and 3 stripe boards after a downgrade.

Interesting bit of trivia. Scratch my last post, stick with tradition!

Like someone else said though, if everyone wore X number of stripes, then what's the point of wearing them in the first place?

 

[WMUSIGPI]

My school requires all instructors to wear 4 bars. Personally I'd much rather wear a polo and kahkis but the "international" instructors had to have thier bars (whatever). Personally I just take them off when I go on cross countries. Nothing makes me feel more silly than getting out of a Cessna 172 with a student and walking by a Gulfstream F/O preflighting wearing those darn things. When I go to the store after work I take the bars off for 2 reasons. 1, I don't feel I have earned 4 stripes yet in my career, even if I am PIC of every flight as the instructor. 2, I got tired of so many people asking if I was in the Navy, even stranger often by ex-military. Guess back in WWII there must have been a lot of 25 year old Captains in the Navy, even though I don't even look that old.

 

[ShawnC]

So Typhoon what would the passengers think if I showed up in my Nomex flight suit, complete with gloves, boots, helmet, O2 mask, aviator shades and parachute?

Personally I know they wouldn't be too thrilled.

 

[350DRIVER]

I could be completely wrong and mistaken for making the following assumption but wasn't there a time and place not too long ago where a pilot could feel good about the many years of hard work, sweat, tears, etc, ... that it took get to that point.? I guess "pride" and "accomplishment" really doesn't mean much to a select few but when I see some older captain with four stripes or even a GV captain in a polo shirt I usually have quite abit of respect for that individual and understand the years of hard work that they have probably put in to get to where they are present day. I don't think the "number" of stripes or attire as a whole is as important as what is behind them and what it took a certain individual to be able to wear them day in and day out. Even flying 135 I see many pilots from different flight departments that wear the "casual" and "relaxed" attire which could be company logo shirts, polo shirts, button down shirts, etc, but no matter what attire that they may have on the outside of the body I truly believe that was in on the "inside" is much more important. I am always fascinated to meet different pilots of all ages from the various different walks of life in this industry and be able to pick their brain and find out just "how" they got to where they are present day.. Some of the stories are great to hear about the different trials and tribulations that they have went through over the years..... Some of the experiences that have been shared with me are simply "priceless" in my opinion and he!! for everything else there is mastercard.. (so how could one possibly go wrong)-

I agree completely with most of these posts and once again I am happy to be able to get different perspectives on this since it is much more than simply a topic about "stripes"....


cheers to all

3 5 0

 

[Typhoon1244]

So Typhoon what would the passengers think if I showed up in my Nomex flight suit, complete with gloves, boots, helmet, O2 mask, aviator shades and parachute?

If that was what you were required to wear to work, your "passengers" would probably be twelve Snakeyes and a pair of AIM-9's.

I don't think they'd mind...

 

[ShawnC]

Well subtract the O2 mask and thats what we wear for aerobatics.

Though if anyone is hiring, I am sure I wouldn't mind blowing things up.

 

[Timebuilder]

Good answer, typhoon!

If it doens't mean anything, then why do pilots wear them, and I don't see any military personal walking around with Captain bars when they are GI's, even when given a demotion. Isn't this where the uniforms originated?

I have to suppose that you mean a situation in the military where an officer is demoted for cause. This is a case of the officer being disciplined, not simply downgraded. To retain rank insignia (on your uniform) after a reduction is a violation of the UCMJ.

If you have one set of boards from your previous job, you might want to ask the chief pilot for a policy opinion. If you are downgraded at a company, it probably isn't that big a deal to keep your "four", if you are properly qualified. Of course, policy could say otherwise.

And yes, many civilians recognize rank insignia. There are more than enough friends, family members, and retired officers (not to mention people who watch movies and TV) to give creedence to the notion that an airline captain can be recognized by his uniform.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Though if anyone is hiring, I am sure I wouldn't mind blowing things up.

Be sure and mention that in your interview at ASA!

(Actually, there're a couple of guys here who would hire you on the spot based on that alone...)

 

[Badger]

Pilot Costumes & Stripes.

Fancy outfits must be to hide the dirty facts of this business. Many will do the job for little or no pay. Many will pay to simulate having a flying job. If you're in it for dress-up, I suggest you get a 9-5 and save the stripes for halloween.

I do wear (3) strips as I am not yet typed in the jet a/c I fly 135 by the way. It's a work rule. I think I'd be happier wearing a polo shirt & dockers.

I de-bar & de-tie, EVERY time I hit the applebees or Chillis in Generica, USA. Most co-workers feel the same, however there are a couple morons I work with that like to wear that Sh$% as they think the clientelle at Applebees is impressed. Talk about Geeky.

PS. I've seen a couple guys in TEB wearing (5) stripes, WTF is up with that? I think they were Canadians or French go figure.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Re: Pilot Costumes & Stripes.

I've seen a couple guys in TEB wearing (5) stripes, WTF is up with that?

When the irrepressible Mr. Mac at VRB retired (the first time), we got him a custom set of shoulder boards with five stripes each. He'd cut his teeth in the P-47 in '43 and then flown just about everything else since...so we felt like he'd earned 'em.

He only wore 'em once, though, just to piss off Banfield and Wakefield.

 

[pilotyip]

Tripp

This whole thing goes back to Mr. W. Tripp who started Pam Am. He was a boat nut and in the late 20's or early 30's he started an airline with flying boats between Havana and Key West. The pilot in the left had coat with 4 strips and was referred to a Capt. The guy in the right seat had a coat with three strips and was referred to as First Mate (get the boat thing) Later on the big flying boats he had a Cheif Engineer, Chief Stewards, Pursers, and Navigators, the flying boat was organized by the ships standard organization. Other airline pilots caught on to Pam Am's uniforms and the turn Captain became the way to designate the PIC. Rumor has it that Tripp gave his Capt.'s the authority over international waters to perform marriages and assign death sentences much like s on ship's in the 1800's.

 

[Timebuilder]

I imagine the death sentence thing was the first aspect to fall by the wayside...

 

[Typhoon1244]

Back in those days, Pan Am actually had a rating that was one step above Captain. If memory serves, it was "Master of Flying Boats," or something like that. The "Master" was in command of the craft, but did not actually manipulate the controls. He gave orders to the Captain, First Officer, and Second Officer, just like the Captain of an ocean-going ship.

Wonder what ALPA'd think of that...

 

[bart]

Only wear uniforms when going out of the country. I had some Army General's stars and wore those. I think the next time we go we will be Admirals. Maybe we can pick up some Argnetinian Air Force Colonels boards and wear those on the return.

 

[Deftone45075]

Uniforms in public are horrible. I ususally go to work with my black pants and a regular T-shirt or jacket. I''ll put the rest of the monkey suit on when I get to the airport.

I hate going into 7/11 before I come to work and getting asked Are you Navy? Are you a pilot? Who do you work for? what do you fly? and so on. I just want to get my coffee and go to work.

I learned pretty soon how to wear the uniform as little as possible.

However, when I do wear it, it is with some amount of pride and it is always clean and pressed.

Note to 135 guys: Do not roll up your shirt and use it as a pillow while sleping in the FBO, then shrow it back on when the pax show up. NOT EXCEPTABLE PRACTICE.