In my day one was discouraged from going off base in uniform due to the IRA threat so not much chance of the general public seeing chaps in uniform smoking.
Mind you, one was positively encouraged to go to the scruffs bar at any time of day or night after a 9 hour sortie plus 4 hours brief/debrief, have a round ie 4 or 5 pints and then drive home. And as there were only 5 married quarters on base, we all jollied off onto the public roads. Double standards? Different culture in those days I know.