Dress Code for pilots

[Wannabe Flyer]

On a recent flight while checking out at the hotel for a morning flight the flight crew of a KF were also checking out for their mid morning departure. The crew were all dressed in crisp uniforms with the requisite look except for one of the pilots. His uniform was starched and clean but from his face it looked like he had not shaved for a few days and he looked all scruffy and un kept with his hair not combed. To put it mildly not a person one would like to meet in a dark alley at night.

Later at the airport I saw him boarding the flight in the same way ( my flight was from the next gate).

Keeping aside any snide remarks about blood shot eyes or anything, is there a general dress code including such things as shaving and combing ones hair etc.
Was the first time I was seeing such an unkept flight crew that it was surprising. :*

[IndAir967]

Keeping aside any snide remarks about blood shot eyes or anything, is there a general dress code including such things as shaving and combing ones hair etc.
Was the first time I was seeing such an unkept flight crew that it was surprising. http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/bah.gif

Forget the dress code for a second..
To me its more about the respect I give to my profession, the machine and inturn to ME.
Even when I am off duty I tend to wear clothes that would give an good impression to people when I am being introduced as an pilot flying for an airline. Expecially in india where flying is still highly respected and admired and as a Pilot I represent not just ME, but my Airline and infact whole of my industry !
I completely agree with you. I have noticed some people turning up shabily dressed. All I can say is it only hurts and to change it we need to go the person's grass roots and fundamentals which I feel is virtually impossible.

[itsbrokenagain]

INDAIR, climb down from your high horse, you are just a pilot not a god to be worshipped. I ferry fly sometimes wearing jeans and tshirt... its just clothes man! Who gives a ****!! Plus what looks bad to you man not look bad to someone else, it all depends on how far up your own ass you are I suppose.

[lowvaeater]

I fly 744 with a peanut pay, live in ****ty dark alley way hotel.

Wearing nice cloth and comb my hair, the HR still gives me peanut pay

and crappy hotel.

No need to pretend that I am rich or being treated well.

Not in my current company anyway.

[Clb Crz Alt]

I tend to wear clothes that would give an good impression to people when I am being introduced as an pilot flying for an airline. Expecially in india where flying is still highly respected and admired and as a Pilot

I believe Indair answered your question without actually realising it.

Perhaps in India, there is still this perception, The rest of the world, airline management, owners have forced the professional pilots terms and conditions down to that lower than a bus driver. Therefore the pride in ones self and more so to the airline they work for, has gone.

Why promote the airline that is destroying you profession and livelihood.
I am not saying, present yourself poorly intentionally, but realistically, human nature, will result in pilots not going out of there way to promote the company they percieve is treating them poorly.

[rdr]

this debate really, is not one of the terms and conditions of your company, nor that of respect from the public. more so, of values and upbringing. yes, if it is not in you, it will never be.
also, one persons ideal should not be the holy grail for the rest.
things have a way of catching up with you in this profession. no ones ever hit paydirt for dressing smartly. on the contrary,..........

if itsbrokenagain chooses to present himself as a a piece of ****, its his option, as he can do nothing about it.

[IndAir967]

this debate really, is not one of the terms and conditions of your company, nor that of respect from the public. more so, of values and upbringing. yes, if it is not in you, it will never be.
also, one persons ideal should not be the holy grail for the rest.
things have a way of catching up with you in this profession. no ones ever hit paydirt for dressing smartly. on the contrary,..........

if itsbrokenagain chooses to present himself as a a piece of ****, its his option, as he can do nothing about it.

BANG ON RDR :ok:
I dont know about you guys.. I am just really happy about being a pilot and I have not come to this profession for the sake of money or any thing else.. Its sheer love and passion. I am qualified enough to have taken up a position in some corporate company and draw a salary much more than I do now in the air.. But for me I just love flying as much as I love my life.. May be for some of you aviation is just a job.. but for me its like my own family.. Even if I am not treated well.. I will never let it down !
P.S. I am not promoting my airline by dressing up well.. Its just me and my industry !

Sorry guys.. I respect this forum a lot and I understand it reads PROFESSIONAL PILOTS rumour network and I cant go cheap abusing people around.. Every person has the right to express his/her opinion and one must only discuss/debate it PROFESSIONALLY.

Bonne Landings !:ok:

[Wannabe Flyer]

Well if the look of an employee is directly linked to his or her pay, then I should assume the the $6/hr staff at McDonald's should be serving us in their Underwear smelling of crap. Wonder if one would raise a noise if the person is unkept.

I somehow tend to agree with Indiair. Regardless of the pay if you are proud of what you do it should show. And yes while peoples perception of looks and upkeep might differ, there are some basics that are universally acceptable.

Question still went unanswered however. It is not if the employee chooses to comb his or her hair or shave, but what in general if any code of conduct or rules are stipulated by airlines regarding appearance. In the end a company is entitled to lay down their rules, and a staff can choose to follow or leave.:ugh: after all they do ask staff traveling to dress smartly, so then why not staff working?

[lowvaeater]

We do have dress code manual in our company, it is the ONLY manual that is printed in colour, lots of money wasted.

I am always dressed appropriately beyond the manual standard anyway.

Taking a tie for example, the new tie the company issued was very bad in quality, it can not last more than 6 months, however it is only issued once a year.

Will you buy new one from the company out of your own pocket to look professional? or there is a problem regarding to the companies' attitude towards your profession?

[Wannabe Flyer]

What about a simple thing such as shaving or combing ones hair?

[lowvaeater]

All do regardless of being a pilot or not, proud of myself even unemployeed.

And in this company, leaving is not an option (unless you want to end your flying career)

[Slasher]

Yonks ago in TAA some 727 FEs took to relieving bordom
each day by marking a tiny pencil-tick on the back of the FOs
shirt collar. Next day another tick would be made by the
same or diferent FE.

The marks could be easily removed thru laundrying.

The oficial record? One FO wore the same shirt for 12 sectors
over 6 days! :eek: :uhoh:

[cpnkirk59]

The "perception" around much of the USA, is that pilots are overpaid. This perception, has not been helped by CEOs claiming the same (Robert Crandall, after he retired, of AMR claimed the high pay of pilots was destroying the airlines (AMR was still middle of the pack at that time)). A pilot doesn't have to have his head "stuck up his ass", to want to retain what little professionalism is left in this industry! itsbrokeagain asks who gives a "****". I'll ask him - would he go to a Doctor, dressed in the same manner as the aforementioned pilot? Would you pay him hard earned money, to operate on you (unshaven and unkempt). Obviously, itsbrokeagain works for one of the leading industry carriers; so, he doesn't need to take pride in how he looks. For the rest of us, trying to maintain some semblance of professionalism though our attire and hygiene; can only help us in terms of respect from the people who fly with us or send their packages with us, and hopefully help to stem the loss of anymore pay/benefits (thats how I know "itsbrokeagain" works for such a great company - he can afford to dress down and doesn't care how any other pilots are perceived by the public!).

The only respect you get, is what you earn - if you have no respect for yourself and/or your profession, you won't get any from others.

RP

[Clb Crz Alt]

It sounds like many of the posts here are fairly new to the industry, or excited about getting their first jet postion.

Lets see what a few more years of pay cuts, cuts in benefits, extended working hours on less pay, all because of the next war, sars, fuel price hikes.
Then they realise their ceo just gave himself and his directors a multi million bonus for cutting costs.

Edit: OK, I just noticed the usename of the original post.
Are you working as a pilot yet 'wannabe flyer'?

[Metro man]

is there a general dress code including such things as shaving and combing ones hair etc.

Cabin crew on Singapore Airlines have an extreamly rigid dress code, even detailing the shades of make up to be used. I've never seen one of them with a hair out of place.

We (non SQ flight crew) have a dress code specifing the uniform to be worn and that it be freshly laundered. It hasn't been found necessary yet to tell people to shave and comb their hair except for one isolated example whose shirt looked like he had rolled it into a ball and carried it around in his flight bag for a week.

A scruffy appearance suggests poor attention to detail and a lax attitude which may be reflected on the job, not something you want on the flight deck.

An F/O looking for promotion would be advised to dress properly and present a professional image.