Beard Protest
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,195
Likes: 271
From: Equatorial
Question for QF peeps, I know I mentioned it in my original
post (and used it as a point when I had my beard fun), I’ve also seen it mentioned again in this thread.
Are there any Sikh pilots in QF mainline? If so are they permitted to keep their beard (as per religious requirements). I know there are other religions that suggest keeping a beard but the Sikh seems the most relevant here.
It is actually a genuine question.
post (and used it as a point when I had my beard fun), I’ve also seen it mentioned again in this thread.
Are there any Sikh pilots in QF mainline? If so are they permitted to keep their beard (as per religious requirements). I know there are other religions that suggest keeping a beard but the Sikh seems the most relevant here.
It is actually a genuine question.
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 800
Likes: 279
From: East of Westralia
Question for QF peeps, I know I mentioned it in my original
post (and used it as a point when I had my beard fun), I’ve also seen it mentioned again in this thread.
Are there any Sikh pilots in QF mainline? If so are they permitted to keep their beard (as per religious requirements). I know there are other religions that suggest keeping a beard but the Sikh seems the most relevant here.
It is actually a genuine question.
post (and used it as a point when I had my beard fun), I’ve also seen it mentioned again in this thread.
Are there any Sikh pilots in QF mainline? If so are they permitted to keep their beard (as per religious requirements). I know there are other religions that suggest keeping a beard but the Sikh seems the most relevant here.
It is actually a genuine question.
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 449
Likes: 202
From: 3rd Rock
To imply the only choices are acceptance or to quit suggests an unhealthy level of subservience.
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 1,169
From: Kichin
Other airlines, such as Emirates allow beards, the same Emirates that Qantas allows its passengers to fly with under its code share agreement. So if Qantas says this is a safety related issue, but feeds its passengers into a beard clad Emirates under a code share, it would then follow that safety of Qantas passengers isn’t really that important, and that it’s just an attempt at control.
Or perhaps Qantas need to tell Emirates pilots to shave too?
Or perhaps Qantas need to tell Emirates pilots to shave too?
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 470
Likes: 53
From: The Dirty South
We also scurried around eating shrubbery and being chased by wild animals. Now we have grocery stores, zoos and male airline CEO’s with husbands. Admittedly not all of these things are progress. I mean the zoos of course. We’re living in the future. It’s time for the platted beard in Qantas cockpits !
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,646
Likes: 766
From: Australia
If the history of beards and the RAAF is uncovered then the history of Qantas and beards would follow. It has nothing at all to do with safety and oxy masks and everything to do with historical precedent. The Navy has bearded pilots and that is also because of a historical precedent.
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 800
Likes: 279
From: East of Westralia
What about the rest of the uniform? I hate the hat, and don’t like wearing ties. Should we challenge that as well? What about long hair for the blokes as well?
At some point it’s just a grooming guideline.. out of all the things we should be getting upset at - this ain’t one of them! (For me - you do you!)
Joined: Nov 1998
Posts: 443
Likes: 40
From: A long way from home but seeing and experiencing the world!
Zero safety issue-call for them to provide the safety case against it. Given far larger carriers as well as military aviators (some of whom wear Oxy masks for their entire flights) have no issues its time for the Pilot groups to push back.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2024
Posts: 352
Likes: 424
From: The Bin
Happy to when I’m shown clear evidence that having facial hair has both a real risk and a probable risk to flight safety of an airliner in Australia. I’m yet to see that evidence.
Realistically no-one in the business unit that I work for wants or cares about this. This request has come from someone above who is not man enough to announce who they are.
Realistically no-one in the business unit that I work for wants or cares about this. This request has come from someone above who is not man enough to announce who they are.
Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 18
Likes: 40
From: Around
Out of interest are they also asking female pilots to remove their makeup prior to fitting the quick don? Pretty sure some makeup is flamable, hence the reason they remove it in the cabin when administering O2 to sick pax.
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 116
Likes: 21
Happy to when I’m shown clear evidence that having facial hair has both a real risk and a probable risk to flight safety of an airliner in Australia. I’m yet to see that evidence.
Realistically no-one in the business unit that I work for wants or cares about this. This request has come from someone above who is not man enough to announce who they are.
Realistically no-one in the business unit that I work for wants or cares about this. This request has come from someone above who is not man enough to announce who they are.
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 70
Likes: 79
From: Location Location
Do you want the job or not?
If you really want a beard join the Navy or the Lakemba community.
What other company rules do you want to debate?
Drinking within hours?
Not wearing the uniform in toto?
Wearing facial tattoos?
Not working on Saturdays because of your religion?
If you really want a beard join the Navy or the Lakemba community.
What other company rules do you want to debate?
Drinking within hours?
Not wearing the uniform in toto?
Wearing facial tattoos?
Not working on Saturdays because of your religion?
Bad rules and directives made by bad people should never be followed blindly, nor enforced for free by drones with their false equivalences, shaming and gaslighting tactics. For pity sake, the COVID lockdowns were only a couple of years ago.
This is a bad rule, it’s not for safety, it’s to exert control and probably has some dips*#ts KPI bonus all over it. If mainline want subsidiaries to comply with mainline directives - mainline can comply with paying subsidiaries mainline pay for the same job.
Joined: Jan 2025
Posts: 49
Likes: 59
From: perth
Mate, if you think blindly following rules without question is something to be proud of, that’s on you. We’re asking a simple question. Where’s the actual evidence this is a real and probable safety risk? The QinetiQ report doesn’t recommend a blanket ban, and more importantly, it doesn’t cite a single real-world incident involving a bearded pilot and a failed oxygen mask. If the risk is real, show it and I’ll follow the rule. But telling people to shut up or leave for asking fair questions isn’t leadership. It’s just noise. And since this is being driven by Qantas management, let’s not pretend it’s coming from some sudden care for our safety,
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 116
Likes: 21
Mate, if you think blindly following rules without question is something to be proud of, that’s on you. We’re asking a simple question. Where’s the actual evidence this is a real and probable safety risk? The QinetiQ report doesn’t recommend a blanket ban, and more importantly, it doesn’t cite a single real-world incident involving a bearded pilot and a failed oxygen mask. If the risk is real, show it and I’ll follow the rule. But telling people to shut up or leave for asking fair questions isn’t leadership. It’s just noise. And since this is being driven by Qantas management, let’s not pretend it’s coming from some sudden care for our safety,
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 70
Likes: 79
From: Location Location
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2024
Posts: 352
Likes: 424
From: The Bin
It’s a beard mate. If they want you to wear a red shirt you wear a red shirt, if they want you to wear green pants you wear green pants. If they don’t want beards well it’s their trainset. You can question all you want but it’s their policy not yours. Binchook basically implied he would only shave if he was shown evidence that facial hair was a risk. Well if he turned up on my flight deck with a beard he’d be going home to shave it off and the standby called out. Once again if you don’t like the rules move to the desert and fly for Emirates where you can wear a beard. In a world where we have EBA’s up in the air this issue rates a zero out of 10.
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 185
Likes: 255
From: Dubbo
It’s a beard mate. If they want you to wear a red shirt you wear a red shirt, if they want you to wear green pants you wear green pants. If they don’t want beards well it’s their trainset. You can question all you want but it’s their policy not yours. Binchook basically implied he would only shave if he was shown evidence that facial hair was a risk. Well if he turned up on my flight deck with a beard he’d be going home to shave it off and the standby called out. Once again if you don’t like the rules move to the desert and fly for Emirates where you can wear a beard. In a world where we have EBA’s up in the air this issue rates a zero out of 10.
Joined: Jun 2021
Aviation Qualifications: Spotter
Posts: 1
Likes: 430
From: DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA (DPRWA)
6 million? I don’t live in Fairfield mate!
It’s so funny watching the younger generations get their panties all soiled because they can’t get their own way with a non issue like a beard. Yet they’re the first ones to roll over when the second time EBA is up for a vote and then tell everyone they voted no, but they didn’t. It’s amazing how people always poke fingers at the older folk for destroying things for the new generation. There were a hellava lot of junior first officers and second officers that voted for the b scale in the last long haul EBA, not just Capt’s. Easier to blame the Capt’s though rather than your own generation for screwing you over. Anyway back onto beards, so much more important than pay, conditions and the like. What’s next? Striking because the company want to ban man buns and nipple rings? Go your hardest I wont be replying to this bollocks non issue and maybe take a look at yourselves in the mirror and see what’s actually worth fighting for. Beards ain’t one of them.
It’s so funny watching the younger generations get their panties all soiled because they can’t get their own way with a non issue like a beard. Yet they’re the first ones to roll over when the second time EBA is up for a vote and then tell everyone they voted no, but they didn’t. It’s amazing how people always poke fingers at the older folk for destroying things for the new generation. There were a hellava lot of junior first officers and second officers that voted for the b scale in the last long haul EBA, not just Capt’s. Easier to blame the Capt’s though rather than your own generation for screwing you over. Anyway back onto beards, so much more important than pay, conditions and the like. What’s next? Striking because the company want to ban man buns and nipple rings? Go your hardest I wont be replying to this bollocks non issue and maybe take a look at yourselves in the mirror and see what’s actually worth fighting for. Beards ain’t one of them.
And yes many young ones of my generation are sellouts and so are alot of the older guys. But many have joined with no other option as they need hours, most at Network are just hour building to go overseas, they know they will never get a position at mainline. So what do they do? Sit at home or work at bunnings for peanuts or build airbus time for peanuts and then pissoff. I know what option I would be choosing. NJS and Network are Jet hour building academies.
Joined: Jun 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 2,238
Likes: 218
From: Eden Valley
Multi-millionaire Gen X here ( thanks to aviation ). Perplexingly, I suppose I should be sorry about pulling up the ladder?
If you’re in a job flying jets to build experience to go to an airline, my generation would call that GA with Jets. What a wonderful way to build hours! Enjoy your beard. You must look like a Territory pilot of the 80’s?
If you’re in a job flying jets to build experience to go to an airline, my generation would call that GA with Jets. What a wonderful way to build hours! Enjoy your beard. You must look like a Territory pilot of the 80’s?