Solo shirt Ripping/cutting

[airforceusaf]

what is the history behind the ripping of and/or cutting the shirt off the pilot after their first solo?

 

[pilotpat]

You're gonna get a lot of differing opinions on this one. The one I heard was that the instructor cut it off because he didn't need to tug on it to get the student's attention anymore...

Like I said, you'll get a lot of different stories.

 

[QuasarZ]

dont know the meaning but I never had it happen to me..

 

[GogglesPisano]

Freud would have a field day with it.

 

[Princedietrich]

Here's the story as I'd heard it way back in my student pilot days.

In the early days of aviation and flight instructing, the airplanes were all tandem seaters and did not have intercoms (or electrical systems for that matter). The instructor would sit in the rear seat and the student would be in the front. If the instructor wanted to get the student's attention or offer critique about something, he'd reach up and yank on the back of the student's shirt who would then turn around and lean back so he could get yelled at.

When the student's skill level was high enough that the instructor didn't have to yell at him anymore, the student would be allowed to solo and would have the back of his shirt cut off. THis would signify that the instructor felt confident enough to take away the only means of communicating with the student.

But as a previous poster said, you'll hear many different versions or explanations.

 

[airforceusaf]

I herd that they cut it off because your so stressed and your sweating. so they cut it off.lol.

 

[tracearabians]

what is the history behind the ripping of and/or cutting the shirt off the pilot after their first solo?

Don't know the origin of this ritual, but I did have a gal that didn't want her shirt cut. Instead she took off her panties and I pinned them up on the board with solo date !!

 

[pkunzip66]

I know there was a small article about it in AOPA about a year ago. They had a few explanations for the tradition. I would tell you what I remember but it has been so long that I would probably be making up half of the story along the way.