Shoulder bars?

[bubbleboy]

Can someone please educate/inform me of the correct status of 1 to 4 stripes worn on the shoulder by pilots. No one can really tell me what each stripe means or when you are entitled to wear them as you progress through the licenses. I know alot of pilots think you are a w#*@er for wearing them but well that is their opinion?

[Jamair]

Depends on the Company you are flying with / for.

As an employed pilot, you follow the Company uniform policy, which as a rule of thumb is usually something along the lines of
1 Bar = Junior Line Pilot or Copilot
2 = Regular Line Pilot
3 = Senior Base Pilot or Check & train
4 = Chief Pilot, CFI etc.

If you are working through a full-time pilot program with one of the Uni-style operators, they may also have a uniform policy, say
None = GFPT
1 = PPL
2 = CPL
3 = MECIR

Instructional schools also use the bars to recognise instructor grades,
1 = Gr 3
2 = Gr 2
3 = Gr 1
4 = CFI

If you are employed by a company without a uniform or uniform policy, I would recommend either wearing neat civvies or a plain white shirt with a mind to fire and sun protection (ie long sleeves / pants / decent shoes/boots).

If you are a private pilot wear civvies (with the same caveat as above) or folks will think you a bit odd.....


regards.

[Hugh Jarse]

1= N/A
2= Second Officer
3= First Officer
4= Captain
4+Star= Chief Pilot

[18-Wheeler]

Quick test for the younger pilots out there - Why do Flight Engineers have three bars, with purple stripes between the bars?

[drexel]

QANTAS LAMEs have purple and gold bars is this because they
earn so much money there special washing machines discolor the gold.
and Cathay SOs have only one bar this is because they too earn so much money they only need one bar their hired help carries the other one for them.

[Ozgrade3]

I read somewhere that after the sinking of the Titanic, the King(of England) ordered all marine engineers to wear two gold strips on their shoulders in tribute to the engineers on the Titanic, all 150 or so went down with the ship. The Purple stripe signifies that it was a Royal decree.

[Nil defects]

In my airline:

Three Bars, First Officer, each bar means- I Do Everything.
Four Bars, Captain, each bar means- I Don`t Do Anything.

[imabell]

it started out as,

1 white bar... flight steward,
2 gold bars... first officer,
3 gold bars... domestic captain,
4 gold bars... international captain,

now it means nothing.:p

[Watchdog]

Nil defects....i like yours, but you've got the Captains one wrong.

starting from the outside it's

| do
|| what
||| i
|||| say

|||| not
||| what
|| I
| do

:D :D :D ;)

[franksnbeans]

1 bar = Commercial student (from 0 hrs to CPL)
2 bars = CPL and employed as grade 3 and also grade 2 instructor
3 bars = grade 1 or higher (the CFI wears 3 bars)

I wear civvies when flying privately, and my uniform (one bar)when at ground school or CPL navs with instructor.

rgds
fnb

[18-Wheeler]

A jolly good hand-shake to Ozgrade3 - Yes, the purple bars are to remembe the engineers that went down with the Titanic. They stayed at their station while the ship sank, to give the passengers a better chance of getting off.

[Highbypass]

I was working for a Reception centre about 10 years ago. One of the other waiters turned up for her shift wearing blue slaks, short sleve white shirt and slides with two gold bars. I asked her if she was a CPL or doing an instructor rating or simillar. Nope.......she was working part time on a river cruise boat on the Yarra River!!!

Embarrassing???

I flew a charter once where I was invited to come into town with my pax and spend the time with them at their function. During the post function nibblies, I was asked (by one of the patrons) which one of the coach busses I drove............OMG!!!......how embarrashment!!!!!...........

Our beloved shoulder bars have been hijacked!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.................................H.:cool:

[criticalmass]

In the merchant marine the epaulettes were colloquially called "rat-guards". The engineers were gold braid with purple, Chief Steward wore braid with white. Deck officers wore braid on black with no colour trim.

The oddest of the lot were those worn by the Electrical Engineer...two braid bars with green felt. These were identical to those worn by the Radio Officer (who could add a third bar if he had over 7 years service) and as a result those two officers could not be told apart by their epaulettes, an anomlay which remained until both officers were made redundant, removing them from the industry.

All a bit academic now because merchant marine just about all handed over to third world uncertificated seafarers now, with some notable exceptions.:rolleyes:

[drexel]

A little tip guys dont wear your bars anywhere you can be mistaken for a bus driver. Embarassing

[Aussiebert]

and if your going to the shops on the way home, don't forget to take them off or you'll be mistaken for a security guard (aka toilet direction assistant)

[compressor stall]

And what companies have policies about wearing bars in public, to and from work?

Personally as I walk out of the door, the bars are off.

[JULIET WHISKEY]

Ozgrade , how very royal of you.....

You must be OHMS perhaps??????

[Natit]

Have you seen the Roulettes tavern at PF??

I walk in with my two bars, and waitresses wearing 4 bars outrank me! :)

What's going on there?

Are they are Captain's of service or something?

NATIT

[Pinky the pilot]

When I was in PNG you never walked in to the Aero Club with your bars on. If you did you shouted the bar!
And no, I never got caught! Never even heard of anyone getting caught either.

[FL CH]

Sophie Lee and her sex show a few years back said girls like to men in uniform with gold bars. The more gold the better!

[v1rotate]

The other night while I was standing in the hotel lobby checking out of my room getting ready for my flight, an American lady asked me where the Payphones were. This may not seem like an unusual request on the surface but she thought that I was the Hotel porter and the flight case I was carrying belonged to some punter that I was taking up to their room.

From Pilot to Porter in 3 seconds...

I wasn't wearing my jacket only the shirt with 2 bars.

I stared at her with a blank expression on my face and said "Wouldn't have a clue, I don't work here". Her response was "Oh....OK then"

[Towering Q]

So that's why I have to beat the women off with a stick when I'm wearing my bars.:cool:

[drexel]

towering Q forget the stick and try using your hands they like that better.:eek:

[McIce]

I went to Maroochy Airport yesterday with Suncoast Taxis and my driver appeared to out rank my pilot :)

[Willie Nelson]

I love my job, and should I be lucky enough to get into a regional airline or greater, some time in the future I would wear bars happily to and from work, but I have to be honest , I feel a bit undercooked climbing into the light twins and single engine chestnuts I fly, with my w#@&!r bars on. I have worked hard to get this far but I haven't "made it" yet!

Walking into the local bakery with the w#@&!rs on touting to everybody "I am the local hero", just isn't on, not when your still charter anyway. Nothing against charter but try describe to the hottie behind the counter the difference between a Cessna 182 and a B744 when she gives you that blank look:confused:

Besides, I am only a little tacker and my shoulders can only fit so much heavy metal on them before the variable geometry has to be extended:D


There is nothing quite as useless as a meaningless maxim.

[drexel]

I think GA companys should incorperate gold rope and tassels
into the shoulder bar system this would help with problems of
being outranked by taxi drivers as in Mr mcice case and a also
stop us from being mistaken for bus drivers ect.Where's my
monicle?

[Hugh Jarse]

I had a great laugh a few months ago when an (apparently) new Captain of a Mainline airline walked out of Cordony Bros hairdressers in Macquarie Centre dressed in full regalia including cap.:eek: He even had a good look around to see if anyone was watching :D

Young Jarsephine doen't normally swear, but she turned to me (laughing) and said: "He's a bit of a w@nker daddy!"

Nearly wet my pants, I did. Trying to keep a straight face :D:D

[drexel]

Its all about white uniforms and hanging around in target rich environments
my appologies for the top gun quote

[marshall]

I thougt it was:

No bar = GFPT
1 bar = PPL
2 bar = CPL/Instructor 1,2,3
3 bar = CPL + CIR
4 bar = Tosser?

Could be wrong....

[Centaurus]

Up in Cairns back in the Sixties saw a guy climb out of an Auster. He wore four gold bars and a cute little star. In addition he wore large gold wings, a gi-normous wristwatch, a name-tag and an ID card. Turns out he was the Bushies chief honcho.
Nowadays Melbourne Yellow cab drivers wear two bars. You can buy any number of gold bars you like in the Pilot Shops and put them up. There is nothing to stop you.

[iceblock]

Wanted to sell:

5 stripe gold bars: $70
Extra large gold wings: $20
Gold shoulder braid: $30
Hat with gold visor: $50
Gold Jacket: $100
Gold tie: $20

Please email if interested

[Flying Spaniard]

ehhmm...
special price for all???
cheeky!!!

[jungly]

At CX:

1 bar = SO
2 bars = JFO
2.5 bars = FO
3 bars = SFO
3 bars with 'S' above it = Sim Instructor
3 bars and purple = FE
4 bars = Skipper

'Wings' on Jackets only.

I only mention this because on a trip to NZ I noticed that the customs/security folks down there wear white shirts with 3 Bars and Wings. :confused:

[gaunty]

Approaching 400 moons ago I was working for an International Charter outfit, directing their ops between SE Asia, Oz, and Europe, which in those B707 and DC8 days required transit and tech stops in the ME and the Gulf which was even more upside down then, than now.

My job had me flitting hither and thither through all manner of dodgy airport and border controls.

When they decided to base me in London for a time the boss takes me down to Savile Row and Messrs Gieves and Hawkes for a "fitting".
"What's this all about then boss, I look like a South American Admiral and I feel really really stupid with several cwt of gold and stuff, I can barely stand up."

"Steady on dear boy," he says "where you go, whoever has the most braid wins.":p

I gotta say, I was rarely subject to other than the most cursory of checks. Except the chicks thought I was a real ****** and after everybody around the place got to know me well enough, I managed to ditch the gear, except when dealing with some of the really important dudes who seemed to appreciate the effort.

I can't even begin to imagine what young Jarsephine would have called me.:eek: :D

Having said all of that if you have ever had anything to do with the London City businessmen, you will understand about the importance of dress and the wearing of "invisible shoulder bars".

I dunno I guess its horses for courses, but having worn a uniform for all of my school life, (with a straw boater no less) and being brought up in a time when appearance really did count, I still feel uncomfortable without my suit of "armour" in business with the "invisible shoulder bars".
In business it is a Power thing and you have to play the game unless you are big and rich enough to make your own rules.
I still drive my son nuts when I get into him about his attire which despite being highly expensive gear, looks like it's been styled by Vinny de Paul and his hair is very deliberately cut and styled to look like it hasn't been.:rolleyes: But then "what would I know."

Mind you I am also of the age when I see all these impossibly young Captains that look like they are barely out of shorts and still not shaving, bit like those young Policemen nowadays. :(

[jorvad]

hey Aussie bert,

that happened to me once. Except i was in a supermarket and another customer thought I was an employee and asked me which isle the soft drinks were in!!:eek: :eek:

[Speedbrake UP]

Saw a taxi driver on the sunshine coast last night with three bars - Does that mean he does everything ???????? ;)