Scruffy Instructors?

[Lizzie]

Now, I may be a gal, and old, but.....!

South Coast airport today, mass fly-in from C** A** and others, the bar soon fills up at lunchtime...

But the sight of ayoung AFI/FI, wearing white shirt, badges and gold braid AND scruffy jeans does not really imbue the image of a professional FTO, does it?

One laddy had the ridiculous garb of a T-shirt longer than his white airline short sleeve shirt!! If his mother could see him now...!

Assuming these lads are on the stepping stone to an airline career, I do wonder what they would consider appropriate for their interview?

Discuss.

(Personally, short skirt, sussies and flouncy hair for me...!)

[FlyingForFun]

Well, short skirts don't suit me, and my hair is too short to do "flouncy"!

But seriously, this is a personal thing. I don't care what an instructor looks like - I've flown with some very good scruffy instructors, and some very bad smart instructors. That's just me - some people put far more emphasis on looks than me, and that's why when I instruct I always try to look smart (or at least as smart as I can, because I'm not a naturally smart-looking person.)

If it really bothers you, then don't go to that school. But I wouldn't read very much into it myself.
Assuming these lads are on the stepping stone to an airline career, I do wonder what they would consider appropriate for their interview?Although there's a connection, it's only very indirect. In my previous life (where I was very rarely allowed out of the basement to interact with the public) I was frequently scruffy, but I'm quite prepared to smarten up when it's necessary.

FFF
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[18greens]

I think you are being a little unfair to these chaps.

Meet them in their daily jobs and you will see crisply ironed shirts and smart pants. I've never seen better turned out instructors anywhere but C*** A***. And the quality of instruction is also very good before the naysayers jump in.


The problem comes when you go on a fly out. You don't want to look like a knob walking down the street with bars and stars on but the company says you must wear uniform. Inventive instructors 'combine clothes' to meet most occasions. (I suspect the shirt over t-shirt allows a swift change from action man to ordinary man)

I think the company should have just said 'casual allowed for the flyout' and you would never have known.

Pop along to one of theses schools and swoon at how well they are turned out.

[Whirlybird]

Oh, come on, 18greens. It's not that difficult to effect a complete metamorphosis. I do it a lot. As a helicopter instructor, I have to do the collar and tie bit, but as a woman, I really, really dont want to go shopping or anywhere else after I leave the airfield looking like that. A teeshirt in a flight bag, or even under an aircraft seat, is all you need. Then a quick dash to the loo - and you chaps don't even need to do that - and I can look like a normal person again. Trousers are trousers - I like tatty jeans too, but they're not essential. And modern shirts survive being stuffed in a flight bag; you can always iron them before the next day's flying if you really want.

I'm inclined to agree that these lads need a lesson on what is appropriate - uniform OR casual, but not a mixture! :(

[18greens]

Well Whirly,

Obviously these guys are not the suave and debonair aviators we are. Metamorphosis dressing is not for the faint hearted and it is a liittle too much for the 20 year old boxfresh CPL to pick up overnight. I myself regularly pack a dinner suit under the flying suit. Gieves and Hawkes provide all of the tools for transformation dressing, packed into a small overnight bag.

Your comments are very valid but remeber they have been told what to wear (probably by someone who did not realise how the instruction would be interpreted).

[Centaurus]

Now, I may be a gal, and old, but.....!

Sorry to sound so ill-educated but what is a "Gal?"

[QTS]

Sorry to sound so ill-educated but what is a "Gal?"
Girl. Not the diminutive of galah...

[Dr Eckener]

Looks like the 'collar and tie' poll has just returned in another guise. Guess you can't keep a bad thread down :{

[WrongWayCorrigan]

I've flown with one instructor and one examiner who were males dressed as women going through the sex change process. The wigs took some getting used to at first, but were soon forgotten, and both were excellent operators.

[Jinkster]

:) I think, Shirt, Tie, Trousers, Polished (clean shoes).....hair bit of a nightmare with those david clarks but combed and shaven!

Must be mine cadet days......

Jinkster :)

[HS125]

Im not saying that the instructors shouldnt make an effort - far from it, but when youve just paid up for a frozen ATPL and then more for an Instructor rating its not really reasonable to expect the guys to be faultlessly attired too especially when they're being paid something like £10 an hour for flying an aincient PA38 and nothing for being on the ground.

[Egnatia Instructor]

A pair of pants and a pilot shirt cost next to nothing, therefore the 50k you have just spent should put the uniform issue into perspective.

However if it is really that bigger problem, work for a company that provides the uniform?

Egnatia

[Jinkster]

As you are self employed - students approach you at a school (so I have been told...), I'm sure someone would approach a groomed student as appose to a scruffy looking one!