NPA Hat Survey

[Lear70]

Strange, I have an old photo from the thirties of two airline pilots in the cockpit wearing.........leather jackets.(and hats!!)
The brown leather jacket is synonymous with flying, it is a tradition. Love it or loathe it, your choice.
I don't think Dodeenf has "military withdrawal", (a little condescending on your part) he was just answering your original question regarding the "dog sh!t brown" color.
I happen to like mine for it's practicality and I receive many compliments on it from passengers. I also happen to think our navy blue blazer with sparkly gold stripes looks theatrical, but that's just me.
Have a nice day.

It may have been condescending on my part; his post was just as condescending, lecturing me on just how many military scenarios the leather jacket has been in (hint, didn't need the lecture).

I happen to have a very nice LAMBSKIN (very soft) black A-2 from my Express One days (which I bought as part of the uniform, wore once, then put in the closet for leisure wear - I liked the longer trench coat in the winter on the freight ramp in the freezing cold snow and slush). I agree, it's a classic look, great to wear... away from work, flying in a Cub or a Citabria or just around town. I'm well aware of the history behind the A-2 and its predecessors.

You may get compliments on yours. Don't know what pilots from the 30's have anything to do with it (leather jackets and hats were military cockpit garb, too and, in the 30's, the airlines had just BARELY began to form into what we have today).

I can't seem to find any pictures from the 50's and 60's from Major carriers wearing leather jackets - the same time when contracts that shaped the industry and made pilots VERY well-compensated professionals were signed.

Again, my point was that the guy went off about how many theaters the leather jacket has been in WHEN WE SHOULD BE WORRIED MORE ABOUT OUR CONTRACT.

PCL is right; it's absolutely deplorable how many people will get upset about derogatory comments regarding the jacket or its removal from our approved uniform and how few people will step up and complain about our substandard F/O pay, high insurance premiums, and the crap that was T.A. 1 and 2.

Like I said, wear the jacket, I don't care (same for the hat). But can we keep our eye on the ball?

Hope you have a good day, too. :beer:

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

We didn't get here......

I can't seem to find any pictures from the 50's and 60's from Major carriers wearing leather jackets - the same time when contracts that shaped the industry and made pilots VERY well-compensated professionals were signed.

without first being here....

You may get compliments on yours. Don't know what pilots from the 30's have anything to do with it (leather jackets and hats were military cockpit garb, too and, in the 30's, the airlines had just BARELY began to form into what we have today).

Hey Lear70, those sh>t brown leather jackets heve;

-been with Chenault in China
-been over the "hump" in Burma
-been on daily 1000 plane missions over Germany
-been over the beaches at Normandy
-been over Patton's 3rd Army
-been over Bastogne
-been on the Berlin airlift
-been in Glamorous Glennis
-been north of the Yalu river
-been north of the Tigress river
-BEEN APART OF AIR TRAN

Keep in mind MIL folks... if it weren't for the civilian pilots during WWII we might have failed miserably....

Read : When the Airlines went to War.

Back in the 10's and 20's MIL aviation was born out of CIV aviation.

The CIV guys were wearing anything they could to keep warm in open cockpit planes. Some of the first pax service was a man or lady riding on a mailbag in a closed compartment while the pilot sat in an open cockpit....

The quasi-MIL uniforms were worn to instill confidence in the traveling public in part to the new-ness of commercial flying and the high accident rate. IOW, the uniform including the hat was worn to stifle fear.

Hats were not worn to make pilots better or more professional. Hats were worn to help keep ticket sales up.... It was all about appearances. If you went to see a movie with your fav actor and they were wearing jeans and a T-shirt... thier part would not be as believable... and you'd might feel jip'ed out of your money. You might even feel diss'ed as your fav actor tries to get you to believe they are playing a part set 200 years ago... in jeans and a tshirt that says "I banged Angeline!"...


Now, consider the pax perspective when they show up.... Do the pax want the Deltoid with hat or Bomber Bob?

I believe the image still means something. I am not willing to risk it..... and neither are most....

that is why.....

did you forgo the tie in your interview? Why not? You don't need a tie... or a suit for that matter to prove you can do the job...... do you?

 

[Britpilot]

Don't know what pilots from the 30's have anything to do with it (leather jackets and hats were military cockpit garb, too and, in the 30's, the airlines had just BARELY began to form into what we have today).

Well those pilots from the thirties and forties might have something to say about who formed the airlines we see today. Uniforms are essentially Military garb in one form or another.
I too hope to see a new contract this year and I will be as focused as I usually am on this subject.
Bye.

 

[Britpilot]

Now, consider the pax perspective when they show up.... Do the pax want the Deltoid with hat or Bomber Bob?

I don't know, why don't you poll the passengers?

Do the pax want to see Tug Boat Tim in the multi stripped polyester blazer or Aviator Andy in the tailored leather flying jacket?

 

[tubelcane]

All the folks care about is theyre going to wally world for less than $100! Mickey and Goofy could be in the cockpit and half of them wouldn't care.

 

[Lear70]

All the folks care about is theyre going to wally world for less than $100! Mickey and Goofy could be in the cockpit and half of them wouldn't care.

TRUE!

I take professional pride in how I present myself to the public, even if half of them don't care.

It's a personal value set... Not to say the pro-bomber or anti-hat club doesn't have personal values. I've seen sharp-dressed pilots in both, as well as slobs in both.

I personally prefer the "traditional professional pilot" presentation, that's all.

Now, has EVERYONE gone and done their surveys by now?

 

[curtis46]

All the folks care about is theyre going to wally world for less than $100! Mickey and Goofy could be in the cockpit and half of them wouldn't care.

Not true;people do look at pilot appearance, even if that's not the determining factor the moment they're purchasing their tickets.the same way we comment about pax dressing code nowadays,pax also comment on our appearance.
A pilot may be a true professional,but with a sloppy look nobody would ever know.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

I don't know, why don't you poll the passengers?

Do the pax want to see Tug Boat Tim in the multi stripped polyester blazer or Aviator Andy in the tailored leather flying jacket?

It would be beneficial if pilots knew their market.

All the folks care about is theyre going to wally world for less than $100! Mickey and Goofy could be in the cockpit and half of them wouldn't care.

wrong!

A common misconception and ideal pilots like use to justify in their mind their perceived status of the profession by the public.

IOW if we were in the golden age and kids and 20 something girls were impressed by pilots in FULL uniform, you'd bet your hat they'd dress the part...

So...what does that say? Who is determining the profession?

Not true;people do look at pilot appearance, even if that's not the determining factor the moment they're purchasing their tickets.the same way we comment about pax dressing code nowadays,pax also comment on our appearance.
A pilot may be a true professional,but with a sloppy look nobody would ever know.

Excellent points! We complain about how the pax dress but then turn the cheek and say they don't care about how we look....

 

[tubelcane]

Flying is the new Greyhound. People used to wear suits and dresses. Now they wear sweatpants and flip-flops. Maybe Mickey and Goofy weren't good examples. The folks see two dorks wearing their pilot uniforms and other than that couldn't care less. When's the last time somebody stopped you and said "damn you look so darn professional in that uniform." Half the time they don't know if we're pilots, skycaps, flight attendants, or friggin busdrivers.

 

[curtis46]

Just a month ago i was compliment for my appearance by an old couple.they put a smile on my face and i put one on theirs.
Why pilots don't take proud of their personal appearance is beyond me.