The Airline Pilot Hat: What will become of it?

[Rez O. Lewshun]

I don't believe this logic applies to professionalism or daily line flying.

I understand you don't believe this applies..... however, ...... why.

 

[crashpad]

Hats help keep our profession looking respectable...along with suit jackets. Kids like to wear them while getting their picture taken in the cockpit. Now if we can only get pilots to spend more than ten bucks on a pair of dress shoes instead of waffle-soled Rockports with extra thick shoe laces!

 

[TWA Dude]

Wow, a four-page mad-hatter thread. What is this, C&R (the APA message board)?

The hat is uncomfortable, hot in the summer, not warm in the winter, and a pain to keep track of when deadheading/commuting. Plus, the interior leather seems split and the plastic breaks causing the front to collapse and look stupid. In other words, it's an inconvenience.

Now, about image. There's no doubt the hat improves our image with the public.

Keep in mind, however, the public chooses a three-leg journey to save 1$ over the non-stop flight, wears flip-flops, cut-off muscle shirts (but only the men), or sweat suits. So whatever improvement in image the hat may impart is drowned out to complete irrelevancy.

Now to the pay and managerial respect issue. <large belly laugh> The hat has nothing to do with either. Management doesn't respect pilots at most airlines because we're an expense. The hat won't change that. Our pay will increase when we have the leverage to negotiate it. The hat won't change that.

Now to the professionalism issue. Please. Hats have nothing to do with it. 'Nuff said.

So when we weigh the one plus and many minuses on the issue it's clear: the hat is an anachronism. But hey, for the few who actually wish to wear it I have no problem.

 

[Four Strings]

The flying public doesnt give a crap what you look like. Really. Unless you look 13 years old. Then they might get scared thanks to the colgan guys, who were probably wearing hats.

The hat is overkill in this day and age. Flying an airplane is not so difficult that you need to dress up like the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO when you go to work. Further, the job doesn't really command the respect it used to, nor does it command the salaries. And NO, before you say it Rez, it's not because we dont wear hats.

Nope, it's because too many people would do this job for free as long as they could look at themselves in the mirror with their hat on and seek never ending opportunities to tell people what they do.

 

[Giggity]

Hat.............................Other Issues.

 

[jonjuan]

Hats help keep our profession looking respectable...along with suit jackets. Kids like to wear them while getting their picture taken in the cockpit. Now if we can only get pilots to spend more than ten bucks on a pair of dress shoes instead of waffle-soled Rockports with extra thick shoe laces!

No kidding. I have seen a few gummers wearing these:

http://www.suitableshoes.com/product/0000001678.html
I saw some dudes in business suits laughing....

 

[eaglesview]

No kidding. I have seen a few gummers wearing these:

http://www.suitableshoes.com/product/0000001678.html
I saw some dudes in business suits laughing....

I've seen "gummers" wearing these as well. I have also seen guys in really nice shoes wearing a back pack like they are going to their cup scout meeting. I've had folks show up for a jumpseat ride with wings on their shirt, ID hanging around their neck, no tie and no epalatts. In this scenario I'll take the gummer who is in uniform but has bad taste in shoes.

 

[UALRATT]

Wow, a four-page mad-hatter thread. What is this, C&R (the APA message board)?

Thanks to you it keeps on going, and going, and going...

hat is uncomfortable, hot in the summer, not warm in the winter, and a pain to keep track of when deadheading/commuting. Plus, the interior leather seems split and the plastic breaks causing the front to collapse and look stupid. In other words, it's an inconvenience.

Old excuse from a few threads ago. The ones here are quite comfy, addresses your concerns and definitely Made In America. Customize it for fit. http://www.premierhatco.com/?page=shop/index. Now excuse me again!!

, about image. There's no doubt the hat improves our image with the public.

Keep in mind, however, the public chooses a three-leg journey to save 1$ over the non-stop flight, wears flip-flops, cut-off muscle shirts (but only the men), or sweat suits. So whatever improvement in image the hat may impart is drowned out to complete irrelevancy.

Keep in mind the public generally wouldn't pay a buck more for safety either. They just hope that chit doesn't happen. Trust you're not lowering the bar here based on the public's perception.

Now to the pay and managerial respect issue. <large belly laugh> The hat has nothing to do with either. Management doesn't respect pilots at most airlines because we're an expense. The hat won't change that. Our pay will increase when we have the leverage to negotiate it. The hat won't change that.

In the four pages here who said anything about management?

Now to the professionalism issue. Please. Hats have nothing to do with it. 'Nuff said.

It is part of it. The image that you and I inherited.

So when we weigh the one plus and many minuses on the issue it's clear: the hat is an anachronism. But hey, for the few who actually wish to wear it I have no problem.

So is the RLA!!!

 

[UALRATT]

Nope, it's because too many people would do this job for free as long as they could look at themselves in the mirror with their hat on and seek never ending opportunities to tell people what they do.

I absolutely agree with you that too many will but that has nothing to do with a certain sense of professional pride. It might very well be that you're in the wrong profession because associated with that pride is your responsibility to not denigrate it (no different from those who will do it for free).

 

[Whine Lover]

Okay Girls....Let's close this ridiculous thread down shall we?

Nurses use to wear hats and uniforms.....

"The use of nurses' caps in the medical facilities of the United States (as well as many other nations) all but disappeared by the late 1980s with the near universal adoption of "scrubs." - Wikipedia

Now, they wear neither.

In reality, the "uniform" that they once wore has evolved into a set of scrubs and some comfortable shoes ( sneakers ). Much like the evolving uniform of pilots....leather jackets and no hats.

However, it seems that we can conclude from the above pool of genius like aviator logic that without hats and formal uniforms:

A) Nobody knows who the nurses are anymore.

B) Nurses are denigrating their profession.

C) Nurses suck in their professional skills as compared to the past 100 years or so due to lack of snappy uniforms and hats.


If I had my way, all pilots would be wearing Klown Suits with really Big Orange Hair ( highly visible so as to identify Crew Members in emergency situations, evacuations, etc. ) so that no hat could ever fit on top of their vacuous craniums.



LOVE,

YKMKR

 

[PBRstreetgang]

The hat is past its prime, it was a holdover from the military days of yore, when pilots still had some vestige of manhood, and at contract time grabbed the goose by the neck and choked the last possible golden egg out. Today's pilot thinks that the hat will buy them some prestige and therefore respect and ultimately increased pay. Face the fact, Form Follows Function. You want more money? Go to negotiations and tell them your demands, and when they say, NO, you tell them, you all will quit tomorrow and kill the airline. They played hardcore with us and you all, just stuck your taters up in the air for penetration.
You guys just don't get it, they(management) have way more to lose than we(pilots) do. The average airline management puke is only just smarter than your average retard and twice as greedy! So if airline pilots get once(twice) baked by them , what does that say for the average pilot?
PBR

 

[PBRstreetgang]

Rez, you're such a hack. The problem with you damned prima donnas is that you're too concerned with all the crap that doesn't mean a thing while losing sight of the real problems in this industry. Our profession isnt going down the tube because I dont wear the same headpiece a tip-collecting skycap wears. Its going down the drain beacuse we have morons like you who believe that not wearing a hat is ruining our profession.

I wanna integrate a codpiece into my uniform, that will impress the flight attendants!
PBR

 

[Whine Lover]

" You guys just don't get it, they(management) have way more to lose than we(pilots) do. "

PBR,

I will buy you one if ever our paths shall cross ( "What'll Ya' Have?... Pabst Blue Ribbon! ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI_mZrLRl0I

You can't believe how many times I tried to get the above simple point across to some of the slack-jawed mouthbreathers that I inhabited crashpads and cockpits with.

They will NEVER learn.

Maybe it's the hats that decrease oxygen flow to the brain?

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL....As the Kids say.

YKMKR

 

[rajflyboy]

Hats help keep our profession looking respectable...along with suit jackets. Kids like to wear them while getting their picture taken in the cockpit. Now if we can only get pilots to spend more than ten bucks on a pair of dress shoes instead of waffle-soled Rockports with extra thick shoe laces!

Hats don't even look good anymore. They serve no actual useful reason to wear.

This is the year 2010. The days of wearing suits all the time and having spit shined shoes are in the past now.

Start paying the big bucks again and make this career respectable again!

 

[UALRATT]

In reality, the "uniform" that they once wore has evolved into a set of scrubs and some comfortable shoes ( sneakers ). Much like the evolving uniform of pilots....leather jackets and no hats.

Almighty, the leather jacket has passed it prime, died with the goggles, leather skull caps and scarves; all relics from the era of open cockpit biplane flying.

Now how about a white shirt with them little teddy bears all over it... Much appreciation though for wearing the cap on such occasions as a cold and rainy prefilght.

 

[Penguin46]

This is the reason

This is obviously true. One can be just as professional with or without tha hat. Unfortunatley we are not flying around, for the most part, other pilots. we are flying the general public around and I believe their view is they want to see the most professional LOOKING crew they can get. These folks don't get a chance to interview you before they place their lives in your hands, their comfort level with you as a crewmamber is by first impressions, usually a quick look when you walk through the gate area to the jetway. So in my opinion we should look the part for a general public that is not familiar with all of the politics going on in our respective airlines/unions.

Good summation "plane" and simple - my hats off to you.

 

[eaglesview]

Hats don't even look good anymore. They serve no actual useful reason to wear.

This is the year 2010. The days of wearing suits all the time and having spit shined shoes are in the past now.

Start paying the big bucks again and make this career respectable again!

Do I read this as, in your opinion we don't even need polished shoes anymore? Maybe I am reading it wrong, I hope so. Yes, our pay for the most part is severely substandard, I am not sure how degrading our look is going to help that. If you have a plan share it, we'd all love to know.

All of us realize we can act professional in a pair of gym shorts and a T shirt. If you walk into the heart surgeon and he looked like that would you be comfortable, I would not. And do not tell me about researching said doctor, the public that we fly around does not have that luxury.

So in the mean time we can all do ourselves a favor by having some pride in the way we look. Shine your stinking shoes, leave the backpack at home for when you are on your kids cub scout trip and iron your shirt. When you are in public where the entire uniform, that may be with or without the hat pending on where you work.

 

[Skank]

The airline hat and uniform are the only dignity an airline pilot has left. Pay,retirement and benefits have been all taken away. Maybe eventually we will all be wearing t-shirts with the airline epaulets and tie painted on them along with flip flops.

Oh, I don't know. When I see a sloppy dude walking through the terminal with a yellowed, rumpled shirt, f'ed-up shoes and hair like prince charming, I don't think the hat and uniform impart any dignity whatsoever.

If you take a little pride in whatever uniform you have, and in whatever you do, it will show. We've all seen people in uniforms from every airline that make the uniform look like a joke. Some of those foreign carrier uniform hats look a lot like U-boat captains hats. You can have 'em.

 

[Green Banana]

It was actually kind of sad to see the cover of AIR LINE PILOT this month. Half the guys in the suit and hat, the other half bald head and faded, streached leather jacket. It makes a difference.

 

[AlbieF15]

It was actually kind of sad to see the cover of AIR LINE PILOT this month. Half the guys in the suit and hat, the other half bald head and faded, streached leather jacket. It makes a difference.

True. But the same magazine said Tim Martins was a firefighter, an F-16 pilot, and an all-round great guy.

You wanna hat? You wear it. I just want pilots who have their $hit together...professionally, personally, and are ready to come to work and do their jobs. If you'd have to live on the road for a week out of single suitcase, you can appreciate having to pack only ONE jacket (ala FedEx, SWA, or Alaska) that you can still wear out to dinner. I wore mine today sightseeing in Paris. Its clean, and when I take it off my shirt underneath is clean and pressed, my tie is straight, and I don't have a t-shirt showing. I've seen plenty of "slobs with hats" in my time going through the terminals, and I don't think the hat added any credibility. Instead, it was just trying to polish a turd. For the sake of those even fatter than me I'll lay off the whole "belly over the belt" thing...but a hat on that doesn't make it look any better either.

Back in 2001 I used to brag I had been hired by three great organizations...FedEx, JetBlue, and the Air National Guard. What was the common thread? Hats were optional at all of them.... (okay...not really--but a joke for my ANG brethren)

 

[denny]

But all these guys will make an extra effort to look their best in their complete uniform when they go shopping at Wal Mart, Costco, Sams. I have SEEN this crap! Really! Complete with ID badge swinging.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

True. But the same magazine said Tim Martins was a firefighter, an F-16 pilot, and an all-round great guy.

You wanna hat? You wear it. I just want pilots who have their $hit together...professionally, personally, and are ready to come to work and do their jobs. If you'd have to live on the road for a week out of single suitcase, you can appreciate having to pack only ONE jacket (ala FedEx, SWA, or Alaska) that you can still wear out to dinner. I wore mine today sightseeing in Paris. Its clean, and when I take it off my shirt underneath is clean and pressed, my tie is straight, and I don't have a t-shirt showing. I've seen plenty of "slobs with hats" in my time going through the terminals, and I don't think the hat added any credibility. Instead, it was just trying to polish a turd. For the sake of those even fatter than me I'll lay off the whole "belly over the belt" thing...but a hat on that doesn't make it look any better either.

Back in 2001 I used to brag I had been hired by three great organizations...FedEx, JetBlue, and the Air National Guard. What was the common thread? Hats were optional at all of them.... (okay...not really--but a joke for my ANG brethren)

How is the elected rep term coming along?

Your viewpoint lacks having worked for the regionals (where real airline pilots are made nowadays....) and passenger airlines..... quite a different world.....

Here is a great picture of a sharp pilot group wearing hats..... seems they wanted someting too...... and got it...

 

[denny]

Aiiiiieeeeee!!!!!! Wal Mart on Parade! Aiiiiiiiiieeeeee!

 

[AlbieF15]

I bought a hat simply because our company tracked how many we got. 99% of us use them for picketing...period. You can see even some folks without hats showed up, and of course were welcome. Hat sales indicated potential picketers. So--I do own a hat--I simply choose not to wear it.

Hats FOD engines. Hats are hot. Hats take up space in suitcases better used for running shoes, extra t-shirts, or porn magazines. They also look stupid. But if its required you wear it...just like I did in the Air Force. But even the AF, which makes our airmen wear reflective belts in a combat zone, has the sense to keep hats off around airplanes. That should tell you something right there...

Perchance a better effort on saving the profession would be to develop good communicators, solid sticks who can pass things along. If you want to do a hat crusade--do as you see fit. If FedEx makes the hat madatory--I'd wear it. Hell...I'd wear a pink tutu if that's what it took to fly F-15s (...yeah...here come the Eagle jokes). But if the biggest issue you have is with hats...have at it. Pilots wore hats in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, because most men of the times did too. Times change. Uniforms change. Airplanes change. I don't particularly want to go back to flying ADF approaches and using HF radios to make position reports, and I really don't want to be lugging a damn hat around all the time either. It'd be nice to be in the 1960's world of "Catch Me if You Can..."...dapper uniforms...hot flight attendants, etc etc. But c'mon...that's the movies...and those days have gone.

And I can tell you this...I certainly don't need a hat to go on strike. You need some money saved up, and you need backup plan. You need the ability to know when you leave it could be your last day in the industry. I think our pilot groups know that. And no hat is gonna make a dime's worth of difference to a group of pilots when they have to make those tough choices.

 

[rajflyboy]

I bought a hat simply because our company tracked how many we got. 99% of us use them for picketing...period. You can see even some folks without hats showed up, and of course were welcome. Hat sales indicated potential picketers. So--I do own a hat--I simply choose not to wear it.

Hats FOD engines. Hats are hot. Hats take up space in suitcases better used for running shoes, extra t-shirts, or porn magazines. They also look stupid. But if its required you wear it...just like I did in the Air Force. But even the AF, which makes our airmen wear reflective belts in a combat zone, has the sense to keep hats off around airplanes. That should tell you something right there...

Perchance a better effort on saving the profession would be to develop good communicators, solid sticks who can pass things along. If you want to do a hat crusade--do as you see fit. If FedEx makes the hat madatory--I'd wear it. Hell...I'd wear a pink tutu if that's what it took to fly F-15s (...yeah...here come the Eagle jokes). But if the biggest issue you have is with hats...have at it. Pilots wore hats in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, because most men of the times did too. Times change. Uniforms change. Airplanes change. I don't particularly want to go back to flying ADF approaches and using HF radios to make position reports, and I really don't want to be lugging a damn hat around all the time either. It'd be nice to be in the 1960's world of "Catch Me if You Can..."...dapper uniforms...hot flight attendants, etc etc. But c'mon...that's the movies...and those days have gone.

And I can tell you this...I certainly don't need a hat to go on strike. You need some money saved up, and you need backup plan. You need the ability to know when you leave it could be your last day in the industry. I think our pilot groups know that. And no hat is gonna make a dime's worth of difference to a group of pilots when they have to make those tough choices.

Thanks for a great post!!

 

[waveflyer]

I think albie touched on something pilots do awful- too many BMW fetishes, not enough back up plans-
you want your pay to get cut- get yourself in a financial situation where you can't walk away... It hurts us all when we make dumb financial choices... And it'll bite you

 

[Bjammin]

You know, I've spent 23 years in my country's military and couldn't find a decent airline job in the states when I got out so I went to work for a foreign airline, just because I needed a way to feed my family. Now, I'm embaressed that these kinds of arguments plague the airline industry in the great U.S. of A. while my company is kicking the a-- of every American carrier out there, PAX and freight. We wear the hats, we have specific dates between which we wear the jacket, and we are very proud of our airline. We ARE old school and we are keeping the dream alive. Flying heavy metal over the Oceans with the lovely F/A's and people dressed up to fly still exsists in my world. The image of the Pan Am 747 crew stepping off the flight from Paris is what I have in my mind as I walk through the terminal in a far off land coming from LAX. You can all say that will go the way of the hula hoop, I'm stuck up, or no one really cares, but most all will agree that somehow aviation was better then. It still exists!! Try hard to keep this profession professional and look the part for all the people that look to us for leadership, comfort, and peace of mind. It doesn't matter if the public pays 30 bucks or 3,000 bucks, they are looking at us, judging us, and are free to change their opinion of what we deserve solely based on how we look and act.

 

[AlbieF15]

Bjammin, I will spot you that the FAs from Emirates, Ethiad, Cathay, KAL, and Singapore Airlines are very pretty. Add LAN CHILE to that list too.

If it impressed THOSE ladies...I might wear the hat. Then again--if I were around those ladies, my wife would probably NOT like me flying as much as I'd like to...

Enjoy...

 

[waveflyer]

My company is also kicking the crap out of every airline in the u.s.--- and our hats are optional, we started the leather jacket deal, and our FA's will sing goofy songs.... if only they still wore hot pants and gogo boots... ;-)

i'll stick to my guns and say i know my role. If my company thought it was imperative to our image and marketing that i wear the hat- I would. A professional wears the uniform the way their company wants it worn.

I'll also stick to my guns that i haven't heard a great argument that the hat would lead to better revenues for the company, or a better contract for us. tenuous at best.

 

[rajflyboy]

You know, I've spent 23 years in my country's military and couldn't find a decent airline job in the states when I got out so I went to work for a foreign airline, just because I needed a way to feed my family. Now, I'm embaressed that these kinds of arguments plague the airline industry in the great U.S. of A. while my company is kicking the a-- of every American carrier out there, PAX and freight. We wear the hats, we have specific dates between which we wear the jacket, and we are very proud of our airline. We ARE old school and we are keeping the dream alive. Flying heavy metal over the Oceans with the lovely F/A's and people dressed up to fly still exsists in my world. The image of the Pan Am 747 crew stepping off the flight from Paris is what I have in my mind as I walk through the terminal in a far off land coming from LAX. You can all say that will go the way of the hula hoop, I'm stuck up, or no one really cares, but most all will agree that somehow aviation was better then. It still exists!! Try hard to keep this profession professional and look the part for all the people that look to us for leadership, comfort, and peace of mind. It doesn't matter if the public pays 30 bucks or 3,000 bucks, they are looking at us, judging us, and are free to change their opinion of what we deserve solely based on how we look and act.

Can I show your wife this email??