Simple question for airline pilots.

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

Does your company accept pilots having facial hair? If so, what will they let you have? Goatee, Full Beard etc..Also which airline to you work for?

Regards,

TA

 

[B190Captain]

When I worked at the stream, we had a few captains/FO's with mustaches. Don't believe they would allow any more than that. I wouldn't reccomend showing up to Indoc. with an full beard. Don't see too many, if any of those in the Airlines. I know enough people who have gotten reprimanded for not shaving.

You worked at the stream?

 

[tarp]

Gee, let's go to the Operations Manual:

"Mustaches may be worn neatly trimmed to the side of the mouth. FOR SAFETY REASONS, facial hair should not affect proper seal during use of oxygen mask."

 

[RocketRob]

I think you'll find the standard is no beards or goatee's (sic?). Like previously mentioned, this is for a secure seal with the o2 mask.

 

[furloboy]

I flew fighters (O2 Mask) for several months with a beard. Maintaining a good seal, even with the types of masks on airliner flight decks, is not a problem.

The reg does make it easy for the companies to keep their aircrew clean-shaven though.

 

[Huck]

I worked at Lockheed in flight test in the eighties. We had several engineers with full beards. The company sent them to the baro chamber and they proved that their masks would seal.

Some european airlines allow beards. I'll never forget the Aeroflot captain I met in Orlando once - seventy years old with a full beard - looked like the friggin' Ancient Mariner.

If you want a reason to not have a beard, it is this: if you breathe 100% oxygen, your beard will get "impregnated" with pure O2, which may get exciting if you have to run through a fire to get out. Many hospitals forbid respiratory therapists from growing beards for this reason.