Leather Jackets

[HMR]

We tried the blazer and leather jacket but opted for this instead. Super warm and loved by 'da ladeeez.

 

[njcapt]

We tried the blazer and leather jacket but opted for this instead. Super warm and loved by 'da ladeeez.

... can't even see yer friggin' epaulets under all that bling. Howz it stand up to Skydrol and Type 1 fluid?

 

[semperfido]

.....lol

 

[SMOE]

We tried the blazer and leather jacket but opted for this instead. Super warm and loved by 'da ladeeez.

Who do you fly for? Fabulair?

(Sorry, I saw the shot, so I took it. I only went below the hard deck for a moment...)

 

[Flying Colors]

Here's some cheap leather.......don't know how the quality is though but I am sure you will get what you pay for.

www.airborne-leathers.com

Flying Colors

 

[flybrowntails]

why wear a leather jacket when you can wear a tan flasher jacket--soo nice and very practical.

(it is cool to see the ceo wearing a leather jacket and we get these tan things--although they make great blankets for the sleep room)

fbt (9 on the survey)

 

[Sgt. Hartman]

About a year ago in the local paper, there was a Joe Schmo pilot from Airtran that had his uniform on in an engagement announcement picture with his fiance. We laughed for a while at breakfast that morning.

C'mon you know everyone wants to be with the "COOL" pilots.

 

[TWA Dude]

AWA also allows for the jacket. It's very functional. Yes, as somebody pointed out, it doesn't look all that great for one crewmember to be wearing the blazer and one the leather, but I can live with it.

 

[Dizel8]

A "Members Only" jacket, now that is the way to go!

 

[Atccfi]

Don't do it

In my opinion ( I know it doesn't really count) I think the leather jackets are cheesy and unprofessional. Sure it might be more functional, but I just think it looks unprofessional. Not to mention that it looks like you're trying to be something that you're not. I've always associated the leather jackets with military bombers and fighter jet jocks, but you're neither of those.....you are a professional pilot and should dress the part ( that is not to say military pilots are not professional). It would be like showing up to work and going to a meeting wearing your leather jacket as opposed to your suit..... Just my view.....

 

[IAHERJ]

By far, my airline has the lousiest leather jackets in the industry. They don't match the navy pants and have hideous epaulets that don't match the shirt epaulets. They were origionally designed to match the khaki pants worn by the Valuejet pilots. We switched to a more formal uniform however to appease the cheap pilots that didn't want to buy a new jacket, we now have these things. I'll never wear one. Perrone makes a great leather jacket. My previous employer had them however I never actually wore mine on the line. I personally like the traditional blazer. Call me crazy.


IAHERJ

 

[HMR]

Is it just me, or does it seem like Regional captains (i.e. SkyWest) wear their leather jackets w/epaulets in the terminal at all times?

BTW-Our dept. only lets us wear the leather jacket with matching chaps.

 

[mach none]

In my opinion ( I know it doesn't really count) I think the leather jackets are cheesy and unprofessional. Sure it might be more functional, but I just think it looks unprofessional. Not to mention that it looks like you're trying to be something that you're not. I've always associated the leather jackets with military bombers and fighter jet jocks, but you're neither of those.....you are a professional pilot and should dress the part ( that is not to say military pilots are not professional). It would be like showing up to work and going to a meeting wearing your leather jacket as opposed to your suit..... Just my view.....

Don't wear leather dude! Only apply to those companies that don't wear leather.

All kidding aside, I will continue to wear my leather jacket, even thought it stains the collar of my shirt. As singlecoil pointed out, don't use the san diego leather co. coats. The dye bleeds onto your collar and the quality is so-so.

 

[DH2WN]

Have you seen independence air's leather jackets? They are the best in the industry. No cheesy elastic band and weird looking folds or crazy eapuletes. Very New York chic.

 

[RideandDrive]

Leather Jacket

Another vote here against leather jackets. Of course, I guess the calculator watch goes well with the leather. Perhaps you can sync watches in the ready room as well while you leather guys discuss the "mission."

Don't forget those paddle stemmed sunglasses you guys picked up at the base exchange.

 

[nyboilermaker]

Another vote here against leather jackets. Of course, I guess the calculator watch goes well with the leather...

Count me in.

The leather jackets look unprofessional. We get paid McDonald's wages because we continue to act like wannabe red barons instead of professional Airline Pilots. We want professional salaries; walking around in a leather jacket doesn't convey that picture.

Next time I want to play bomber pilot, I'll buy a leather jacket, Ray Bans and silk scarf, and drop stuff out of the tree-house.

Show me a pressed suit with a well tied tie, shined shoes and I'll show you a professional looking person.

Ditch the bus driver hat too.

IMHO

 

[Falconjet]

Wow: Now leather jackets are unprofessional. Everybody is entitled to an opinion, and mine is that the tide has turned against the jacket and hat marking the look of a professional pilot. No thanks. The leather jacket is WAY more practical than the suit jacket and I don't see too many Wall Street types walking around and under aircraft leaking hydraulic and de-icing fluid and fuel all over in their suits. Its rediculous to require pilots to do so. Wearing a hat to do a walkaround is just as rediculous.

I had a discussion via email with the leaders of my MEC about what uniform items made us look professional about a year or so ago. The MEC was encouraging pilots to either buy or borrow hats to do informational picketing in support of another ALPA carrier. I expressed my willingness to stand the line, however I wouldn't buy or borrow a hat to do so. The same with being required to wear the psuedo-military SDB jacket. Sorry, but I won't waste my (or my company's money) on something that I feel makes me look rediculous just to walk the line. I, of course, was informed that I my opinions were fine but they obviously weren't in conformance with their's (the MECs) so we agreed to disagree and I stayed home.

Imagine my surprise this month when I got my copy of Air Line Pilot (The Official Journal of the Air Line Pilots Association, International), and right there on the cover are real ALPA member airline pilots doing informational picketing, and not one of them is wearing a jacket or a hat. I'm pretty sure they are pilots even still, and I'm pretty sure the public could tell they were pilots.

Personally, I don't think that the public gives a rat's arse about what we wear, as long as they can fly across the country for less than it costs for a hotel room for one night. I also don't think that informational picketing does anything to improve our stature with the public, so why we would then worry about looking "professional" while doing so (by wearing a hat and jacket according to some) is beyond me anyway.

Oh well, sorry for the thread drift.

By the way, FedEx allows leather jackets and hats are optional.

FJ

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Falconjet,

Why didn't you show up to picket without the hat. Would you have been sent home? Your MEC had an opinion about the image, but any ALPA leader with half a brain knows not to enforce or demand uniform compliance. He'll lose his audience right away. (BTW, informational picketing has worked for over 70 years, why doesn't it work in your opinion?)

First, not sure the FedEx guys have a place on the hat table discussion. I've seen one FedEx hat on a commuter in MEM. FedEx guys really don't need to wear hats. At 3am on the freight ramp, who is concerned? More later.

The blazer is more professional looking however the leather jacket is more practical. Consider it a tie and either choice is accpetable.

I was wondering when hats was going to work it's way into this thread..hijack time?

When the Hat is argued as a uniform piece, it is always done so with the author thinking about himself. How do I look in the hat. Do I like the hat? How does the hat feel on MY head? ME ME ME!

It is not about me. It is about us. It is about our image to the public and what THEY believe! The question is do THEY believe we are worth it? Most people travel on a limited basis. Airports and aircraft can be confusing and intimidating. Give them a reassuring image so they feel good about giving up their MO-NAY!!

Look if you want to argue that ticket prices are so danm cheap and it doesn't matter if we show up in sweats to fly, then what about the future. The future in two ways. 1. If you do wreck a jet do you want to been seen looking sharp or sloppy afterwards? (It doesn't matter if you screw up, just as long as you look good doing it!) 2. If and when this industry turns around, the concern is that we'll have let our image slide and this will hurt us a the negotiating table. ($$$)

Back in the good ol' days, PanAm was adament that it crews would been seen at the best intercontinental hotels and never been seen carrying thier own bags, much less anyone elses. Boy, times have changed. It is all about cost and managment would just assume we stay at the Motel 6 and carry/load bags. But we don't.

Management would just assume have our image dumb downed to blue collar hourly laborers. I'd rather smarten it up to a professional, like a doctor. I think we can realize more pay from management and the public with a professional image.

It is disapointing that so many of us are willing to be a reflection of our current environment. If the passengers don't care, then don't wear a tie. Do we wear the uniform because we are concened the CPO will discipline us? Or do we wear the uniform because we know as professionals, presenting a professional image is...well.....professional. (hint: key word here....)

Give a guy 350K a year and he'll wear any hat. Run him through this current airline environement and hats are lit on fire as they're frisbeed to the nearest trash can. Is that professional?

When it comes to our companies, the gov't and the public all we have is image. Imagine if our image was brought up a few notches? The image was "Man, those airline pilots are disciplined, calm, smart, relaxed, polite, trusted and professional."

Instead we have Air Line Pilots in the terminal, with faded blue cotton dockers, Margariitaville Tshirts shown through white shirts, oakleys with croakies, dirty epaulets, combined with body language that says "who gives a crap" and foul language, etc.... You get the idea.

The hat is a tool to do our jobs via projecting a professional image, that's all. Even I don't like wearing the hat but I think wearing it is greater than my opinion.....

 

[sladude]

Leather jackets suck!

 

[Double Shot]

I think anyone who wears a leather glove while playing golf is unprofessional...They must be weak.

Real golfers dont play with a sissy glove.

This thread is stupid.

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