Ive just read through this post and it reminds me of something that happened to me a couple of years ago.
I quite often do a/c deliveries and ferry flights moving the little puddle jumpers around between flying schools and engineers etc, this particular evening a Warrior had just had its 100hr and needed to go to it home airfield I was given a call and asked if I could go up in an Arrow and pick up the guy delivering it I turned up to the airfield in jeans and a polo shirt smart casual if you wish, when I got there I had to wait for the other pilot and wait and wait and wait by now time was becoming an issue we were going to a grass strip and dusk was rapidly approaching.
Eventually epaulette boy (as I fondly named him) turned up in full uniform we didnt speak before the delivery but on the way back I asked
"who do you fly for?"
"no one " came the reply
"oh its just I saw the uniform" I said
"Its cost me alot of time and money to get this licence and I want something to show for it"
still giving him the benefit of doubt I asked if he had been flying elsewhere earlier his reply came
"no I was mowing the lawn when to call came"
he had changed especially to carry out a 20 min ga flight making us late in the process I found it very hard not to take the p***s but decided not to.
To refer to the original postee well done for getting your PPL please please dont wear epaulettes
get your respect and reconition from becoming a safe and competent pilot and not by wearing accessories.