What's up with the bar hatred?
I am repeatedly amused at how most helicopter pilots have this aversion to epaulets/bars, golden or otherwise. Helicopter crashes, pilot wore bars....obvisouly he was a complete imbecile that thought wearing bars made him bulletproof. Really? How many commercial pilots can choose what to wear at work? If you can, awesome...I wish I could. But don't judge people on what they are wearing or are not wearing. Most likely that's one choice this guy didn't have... I have to wear the white shirt, black pants, shiny shoes...and yes...bars. Would I rather wear a polo shirt? Of course. Does it make any difference whatsoever in how I fly? Of course not....