No, no, I think you meant "austronauts"...

Right….. so THIS belongs in the airline forum, but other topics, like the FJ contract belong in GA and questions?

shoes how precious QF is, or seems to be!

What is a female anyway? It's 2025. We don't see gender we see capsules. Pony tails, man buns, AFL style fade mullets and dual diamond earrings are in at the links. Fergus, Paul and Hudson must be spinning in their graves. Spare me!

World leading
 

So Qantas yet again , just weeks after pioneering the launch of the A320 have decided they know better than every other much larger major airline and airforce worldwide.
Why would beards not be a hazard for Emirates and its 200+ wide body’s flying hundreds of sectors a day but for Qantas and its 5 sectors, that aren’t cancelled due lack of aircraft, have deemed it a critical risk. All those times pilots have had to don rapid oxygen masks over the years…
Strange but not unexpected that women and men can dress as each other now in this woke company yet a man can’t be a man and grow facial hair

QantasLink Bans Beards After Realising Nobody Can Afford Braun Anymore

In a bold move to streamline cockpit aerodynamics and eliminate turbulence in chin coverage, Qantas has officially implemented a no-beard policy across QantasLink. The decision comes after years of stubble tolerance, initially justified by pilots’ inability to afford German precision razors like Braun, settling instead for the noble but primitive Gillette Sword, known for its ability to shave exactly 63% of a face before rusting into folklore.

However, following the recent mainline EBA agreement, Qantas pilots came to a sobering realisation: they had been generously compensated into a marginal state of enhanced poverty. The Braun dream was over. Overnight, the previously primitive Gillette, which once stood as a symbol of compromise was rebranded as “adequate”. Thus began the Great Grooming Reform.

An elite faction of mustachioed aviators launched Operation Chin Freeze, lobbying for facial freedom under the guise of hydrodynamic uniformity and psychological morale. Their efforts were swiftly intercepted by Qantas’ Facial Hair Harmonisation Committee, who voted unanimously (and anonymously) to declare the beard era officially over, citing safety concerns, cabin drag, and the irreparable emotional damage caused by patchy goatees in cockpit selfies.

Qantas' spokesperson, a man named Gil (presumably short for Gillette), announced: “Beards represent an era of fiscal irresponsibility and follicular arrogance. We believe our pilots should reflect our fleet, clean, polished, and slightly over budget.”

Passengers are advised that the updated policy does not apply to ground crew, who remain at liberty to cultivate neckbeards in accordance with union-mandated seasonal shedding cycles.

Isn't it just about weight saving?

Actually, the catalyst for this is something that happened at Jetstar, not QF.

So have a coke and a smile, and go fly your a319 on half a mainline pilot’s wage.

37% of said wage, actually.

You've been around long enough to know the difference between the two forums. You're right, this thread probably qualifies to be moved to the GA and Questions Forum, however I have been debating with self to move it to Jetblast where it probably belongs.

Australian Standards in regard to respirators are clear about being clean shaven.

However companies have come up with masks that are safe with beards. These include positive flow full face. Sounds very similar to a quick don on pressure flow.

I feel for the folks at QF that are caught up in this affair

AS/NZS1715:2009 APPENDIX B FACIAL SEAL OF RESPIRATORS has the below information regarding facial hair and wearing a respirator.

Beard growth, some hairstyles and other facial features prevent an adequate seal between the wearer’s face and the fitting surfaces of a facepiece or mouthpiece. Facial hair may also interfere with inhalation and exhalation valve operation. The complete sealing surface of the respirator mask should be in contact with the wearer’s skin.

Some military services allow fighter pilots to have beards, do they have better sealing masks than el cheapoo airline?

Some military outfits allow beards if the individual has a facial skin condition.

Next ting you know QF will require blokes to have a Brazilian, and require an inspection prior to assuming duty.

To be serious, FAA circular.

http://www.faa.gov/fdocumentLibrary/.../AC120-43.pdf/

C suite strikes again

Both modern studies found no impact on the efficacy of oxygen masks. One was done up to 25000 feet, the other at 30000.

SFU STUDY BUSTS MYTH ABOUT FACIAL HAIR ON PILOTS - Faculty of Science - Simon Fraser University

Analyzing the air mask fit for bearded commercial airline pilots.

The FAA document from the late 80's cites research from the 70's, which mostly seems to cite research either by the US Air Force even earlier (that was possibly biased), or by respirator studies, which are not the same as crew oxygen supply.

It would be interesting to know what literature the consultants reviewed as all recent literature points towards beards not being an issue.

It is very simple, if Qantas want Qlink pilots to shave well they need to pay them mainline wages. Pilots at Network and NJS can't afford razors, a 15 pack of Gillette blades is $50 and obviously Qantas want that fine clean shave. So now instead of Qlink pilots looking like the hobo's they are now they need to decide whether to buy bake beans or gillette blades at the supermarket. And whether you like beards or not, some guys look good with them some look terrible, but regardless when Qantas is paying such poverty wages I don't think they are entitled to dictate how you present yourself. Honestly qlink pilots should be allowed to showup in a dirty singlet, tradie shorts and thongs atleast then their image will represent their salary. So I say grow the beards as long as you want, hell grow one that would rival Merlin's or Dumbledore's beard. And hey if Qlink have an issue just say your Sikh. I can only imagine the backlash if they were forced to shave their beards...

This isn’t about beards.

It’s about a parent company requiring franchises to conform with its broader group policies.

The QF branded franchises are becoming more like Mainline everyday except remuneration & seniority.

If there were some safety issue arising from the interface between a hairy chin and an oxygen mask, surely a competent safety regulator would have intervened by now.

If it was a safety thing would there really be scope for “limited” exemptions?

What constitute clean shaven?

Are they expecting Pilots to shave prior to work each day? If you’re caught with a 2mm stubble will you be sent home?

I’d say most fresh Dash Pilots would conform to any new facial hair rules and the older senior blokes with beards will never be questioned by anyone so no dramas there.

Network and NJS Pilots however will actively push back on stupid rules and will purposely grow beards just to put their management teams in a position where they need to accept the facial hair or stand them down. Obviously they won’t stand them down as they don’t have the crew to sustain the business.

Id be interested to know who is the person pushing the agenda. Is it one singular individual? Is it coming from a group safety person or team? They clearly have too much time on their hands in HQ so perhaps some cost saving staff reductions need to occur on Coward St.

Coward street should be replaced with GROK AI...

I wonder why the Group hasn’t just made up it’s mind and put whatever rule in it wants like always with everything else.

A month of “consultation” like they want the fight? They want us to be arguing amongst ourselves even more than always, something bad in the results coming?