View Poll Results: Should PPL Instructors wear a collar and tie?
no - pretentious
172
44.44%
yes - I think I look good
215
55.56%
Voters: 387. This poll is closed
PPL Instructors wearing collar and tie
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PPL Instructors wearing collar and tie
What do folk really think about the need to wear a tie when PPL instructing. I think it's unecessary pretentious foppery. So there.
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I can't quite see why it should be regarded as pretentious. You will find workers in many industries wearing collar and tie, look at school teachers for one. My 5 year old is taught by a male teacher who wears a tie every day. It sets a tone, weather you like it or not. I view this similarly to a PPL instructor - my 5 year old is not going to get a professional qualification from this man, but he and the system he represents don't see this as a good enough reason for him to turn up to work in jeans. What would you think about a instructor who turned up in heavy metal rock gear with died hair and piercings all over his body? I would be enlightened enough these days to see what he instructed like and how good his handling skills were, but, you may find that the owner of the school/flying club is not willing to take the risk of losing customers due to the somewhat extraordinary appearance of his instructor. Students are paying a lot of money over for this insruction so the school will want to look as professional as possible, it's all about showing a professional image and instilling confidence in this safety critical industry. Perhaps you don't need a tie to achieve that, but psychologically it helps.
PP
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For someone who is intending on getting their FI rating in the next few months, the topic of attire is one that I have thought about and I don't have any problems with wearing a tie. IMHO I think any instructor should be wearing a collar and tie. I would intend to pitch up to meet my student looking smart with a collar and tie and shoes as polished as they would be for a interview or flight test. Your student (don't forget customer!) is far more important than the CAAFU chap who sat beside you on your IRT, because the student is paying for the privilege and is ultimately paying you! So if you made an effort to look tidy for your IRT then you should be making even more of an effort for your PPL student.
First impressions are of vital importance, especially for anyone who is looking to part with cash and large amounts of it too! Smart instructors, tidy clubhouse and a clean fleet of aircraft will create the right impression for the average punter who wanders in on his lunch break to find out about getting a PPL or even just an hours gift voucher for his nearest and dearest. To cut it short I feel that a commercial pilot is regarded as a professional and not many highly skilled professionals turn out in a T-Shirt and Jeans for work.
Call me 'old school' if you want, but I have heard customers who say that the very least they expect is a well turned out instructor - I can't agree with them more!
Happy instructing folks
MG
First impressions are of vital importance, especially for anyone who is looking to part with cash and large amounts of it too! Smart instructors, tidy clubhouse and a clean fleet of aircraft will create the right impression for the average punter who wanders in on his lunch break to find out about getting a PPL or even just an hours gift voucher for his nearest and dearest. To cut it short I feel that a commercial pilot is regarded as a professional and not many highly skilled professionals turn out in a T-Shirt and Jeans for work.
Call me 'old school' if you want, but I have heard customers who say that the very least they expect is a well turned out instructor - I can't agree with them more!
Happy instructing folks
MG
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Surprised by the responses
My opinion is that a shirt and tie is a must. Its smart, looks professional and as Pilot Pete said it sets a tone, whether you like it or not.
I've seen some really scruffy instructors and to be honest I wouldn't be seen with them sharing a beer, never mind teaching me to fly. One guy I worked with when I was an AFI was so scruffy I quit the job to disassociate myself with him.
Being smart and well presented is an absolute must. I can't imagine turning up to teach in jeans and a tee shirt. How could I expect my students to take me for real???
The day I can't be bothered to don the shirt & tie I will hang my headset up.
Can I ask the guys who think shirts and ties are pretentious what clothing they consider suitable for instructing? Where does the suggestion of it being pretentious come from?
I've seen some really scruffy instructors and to be honest I wouldn't be seen with them sharing a beer, never mind teaching me to fly. One guy I worked with when I was an AFI was so scruffy I quit the job to disassociate myself with him.
Being smart and well presented is an absolute must. I can't imagine turning up to teach in jeans and a tee shirt. How could I expect my students to take me for real???
The day I can't be bothered to don the shirt & tie I will hang my headset up.
Can I ask the guys who think shirts and ties are pretentious what clothing they consider suitable for instructing? Where does the suggestion of it being pretentious come from?
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If you are new to aviation and wish to make a career of it then you have to create the right impression If you are inexperienced and scruffy, you are poorly placed.
If you are old and experienced you can be like Richard Branson and where what you like. Its all down to who needs to impress who.
If you are old and experienced you can be like Richard Branson and where what you like. Its all down to who needs to impress who.
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Well chaps, who said the Alternative to a collar and tie was a
T shirt and jeans, or automatically scruffy? Surely professional attitudes are not dependent on a tie? An instructor can give all the right impressions in a corporate polo shirt and/or sweat shirt with a logo etc, though I have to admit drawing the line before we get to blue jeans!But that is my personal prejudice. If the tie was so important then make the students wear ties and a uniform to promote his 'professional attitude'. The student pilot learns good airmanship and a responsible attitude from the way his instructor behaves on the ground and in the air, not from his dress sense, and no amount of gold braid is going to hide any deficiences there! Would it be less 'professional' to wear a flying overall?
The suggestion that it's pretentious is simply that it is apeing airline flying uniforms (which I suspect we are all in favour of) when in all probability you are flying a 2 or 4 seat piston single. When I first started flying, the instructors I knew did not wear ties at Flying Clubs, but then most were PPLs themselves and a lot of them did it for fun albeit hours building toward the magic 700 hrs; I would say therefore that I was 'old school' rather than MG! I have worn ties instructing, but when in a position to dictate uniforms I ditched ties, though I have never prevented folk from wearing them if they so desired.I would say that the wearing of ties has become a marketing issue - so be it, but let's not deny there is an Alternative and pedantically say ties=professionalism
Good Luck MG, but don't rely too much on that tie!
T shirt and jeans, or automatically scruffy? Surely professional attitudes are not dependent on a tie? An instructor can give all the right impressions in a corporate polo shirt and/or sweat shirt with a logo etc, though I have to admit drawing the line before we get to blue jeans!But that is my personal prejudice. If the tie was so important then make the students wear ties and a uniform to promote his 'professional attitude'. The student pilot learns good airmanship and a responsible attitude from the way his instructor behaves on the ground and in the air, not from his dress sense, and no amount of gold braid is going to hide any deficiences there! Would it be less 'professional' to wear a flying overall?
The suggestion that it's pretentious is simply that it is apeing airline flying uniforms (which I suspect we are all in favour of) when in all probability you are flying a 2 or 4 seat piston single. When I first started flying, the instructors I knew did not wear ties at Flying Clubs, but then most were PPLs themselves and a lot of them did it for fun albeit hours building toward the magic 700 hrs; I would say therefore that I was 'old school' rather than MG! I have worn ties instructing, but when in a position to dictate uniforms I ditched ties, though I have never prevented folk from wearing them if they so desired.I would say that the wearing of ties has become a marketing issue - so be it, but let's not deny there is an Alternative and pedantically say ties=professionalism
Good Luck MG, but don't rely too much on that tie!
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I think its important to look smart and presentable, I dont think its neccessary to wear a tie though.
How about spending all day in the cockpit of a badly ventilated Cessna 150 on a hot summers day dressed like you're going to a wedding... its uncomfortable, fatiguing and doesnt help anyone a great deal. After a whole day of that wearing a tie wont make you look any more presentable!
Looking smart and professional is of course essential, but some degree of practicality is required.
How about spending all day in the cockpit of a badly ventilated Cessna 150 on a hot summers day dressed like you're going to a wedding... its uncomfortable, fatiguing and doesnt help anyone a great deal. After a whole day of that wearing a tie wont make you look any more presentable!
Looking smart and professional is of course essential, but some degree of practicality is required.
Last edited by Loony_Pilot; 29th Sep 2002 at 22:52.
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I would wear rather more than a shirt, tie and trousers to go to a wedding, but if that's what makes you feel uncomfortable and fatigued then perhaps when that happens is the time to hang your headset up for the day? Just a thought.
PP
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I accept the need to present a professional image to both customers and visiting regulators, but I would offer this in an effort to mainatin some balance.
At a recent course that I attended at the head office of a certain aircraft manufacturer based in Seattle, ALL of the instructors wore smart, pressed, Chino style trousers, and good quality polo shirts bearing the corporate logo. This presented a professional and unified appearance of staff, and enabled them to instruct in a relaxed, (perhaps informal atmosphere) - which their own feedback had shown was what the Students preferred.
The tie, as far as I am concerned is no more than a strip of coloured cloth designed to hide my shirt buttons, and I would scrap it tomorrow if I could. However, I have flown with instructors who wear them with no problem. If my employer required that I wear one as part of a corporate image, then I would, reluctantly do so. I take the point about hot days too.
From a Health and safety perspective, perhaps we should consider wearing clip on ties, bearing in mind that there are many parts of an aeroplane that can trap a flapping tie?
Blue skies
At a recent course that I attended at the head office of a certain aircraft manufacturer based in Seattle, ALL of the instructors wore smart, pressed, Chino style trousers, and good quality polo shirts bearing the corporate logo. This presented a professional and unified appearance of staff, and enabled them to instruct in a relaxed, (perhaps informal atmosphere) - which their own feedback had shown was what the Students preferred.
The tie, as far as I am concerned is no more than a strip of coloured cloth designed to hide my shirt buttons, and I would scrap it tomorrow if I could. However, I have flown with instructors who wear them with no problem. If my employer required that I wear one as part of a corporate image, then I would, reluctantly do so. I take the point about hot days too.
From a Health and safety perspective, perhaps we should consider wearing clip on ties, bearing in mind that there are many parts of an aeroplane that can trap a flapping tie?
Blue skies
Smart casual. In other words company polo shirt with logo and tidy slacks or chinos. No braid, no t-shirts, no jeans. And definitely no ties, particulalry 'clip-on' ones (whatever they are).
Wearing a tie has got nothing to do with tidiness. In fact, most of us look much less tidy when we wear a tie because we can't tie it properly and get it covered with soup stains.
Wearing a tie is a more to do with convention and fashion. Yes, maybe some want our instructors and airline pilots to look safe, reliable and conventional.
Personally I would rather see a clean, pressed shirt with an open neck and I wholeheartedly agree with Beagle.
One of the few modern trends I welcome is that it is becoming more acceptable not to wear a tie, even with a suit, and I welcome this with enthusiasm. Now I'm the boss in the company I work for, I do not wear a tie
..........unless I have customers visit because it's conventional! Urrggh! 
Along with caravans and dangly things in cars, ties are pretty close to the top of my hate list.
Wearing a tie is a more to do with convention and fashion. Yes, maybe some want our instructors and airline pilots to look safe, reliable and conventional.
Personally I would rather see a clean, pressed shirt with an open neck and I wholeheartedly agree with Beagle.
One of the few modern trends I welcome is that it is becoming more acceptable not to wear a tie, even with a suit, and I welcome this with enthusiasm. Now I'm the boss in the company I work for, I do not wear a tie
..........unless I have customers visit because it's conventional! Urrggh! Along with caravans and dangly things in cars, ties are pretty close to the top of my hate list.
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I have seen many PPL instructors and know many as well. I have never met one who has not worn a tie when ever he/she turns up to work. Therefore after years of seeing this, it has become the norm for me to see a tie than not see one. This includes people who are wanting to join the airlines and those who do it during the weekends for fun. Even the chaps that I know who fly for the airlines still wear a shirt and tie on their days off to instruct! However personally speaking I would still wear a collar and tie even if I was the only one doing so!
None of us would probably make any fuss if we are required to wear ties in an airline environment and to be very honest with you I don't see how PPL instructing should differ in the slightest!
MG
None of us would probably make any fuss if we are required to wear ties in an airline environment and to be very honest with you I don't see how PPL instructing should differ in the slightest!
MG
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I must admit I work (as a ground instructor, not yet as FI) at a school that also does a lot of commercial training, but certainly I think it best we wear ties. However the people working for the little PPL-only club could probably get away with a club polo shirt and slacks I think.
Note that many (not all, we do not insist) of our commercial students wear a simple uniform both in groundschool and on the flying side. It does start them in a professional feeling, plus to their own self-esteem it distinguishes them as career pilots from the hobby pilots without seeming too pretentious.
Note that many (not all, we do not insist) of our commercial students wear a simple uniform both in groundschool and on the flying side. It does start them in a professional feeling, plus to their own self-esteem it distinguishes them as career pilots from the hobby pilots without seeming too pretentious.
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Interesting comments guys. But what about women instructors wearing ties? I started my instructing career at quite a casual school where nobody made a fuss whether you wore a short and tie or jeans. i always wore a tidy shirt and dark trousers but in the summer I wore a polo shirt and shorts. Very comfortable.
Now I have to wear the uniform and wear a white airline shirt and black trousers. There is a company tie, but I am in two minds about it and have dispensed with it this summer, as i do not think it adds much to my image. However, I do think it is essential to make that first impression of being tidy, clean and organised. These days when even lawyers' firms dress down on Fridays, I think the tie is less important.
What is important is to be CLEAN and not smell of BO, halitosis or cigarettes. My advice to instructors is not to eat curry, onions or garlic, not to smoke and not to drink too much coffee before flying. If you tend towards overheating ditch the tie and make sure you use plenty of deodorant. The confines of a C152 cockpit do not tolerate any bodily odours or breath problems, so make sure you take the extra strong mints with you!!
Now I have to wear the uniform and wear a white airline shirt and black trousers. There is a company tie, but I am in two minds about it and have dispensed with it this summer, as i do not think it adds much to my image. However, I do think it is essential to make that first impression of being tidy, clean and organised. These days when even lawyers' firms dress down on Fridays, I think the tie is less important.
What is important is to be CLEAN and not smell of BO, halitosis or cigarettes. My advice to instructors is not to eat curry, onions or garlic, not to smoke and not to drink too much coffee before flying. If you tend towards overheating ditch the tie and make sure you use plenty of deodorant. The confines of a C152 cockpit do not tolerate any bodily odours or breath problems, so make sure you take the extra strong mints with you!!
"I started my instructing career at quite a casual school where nobody made a fuss whether you wore a short and tie or jeans."
Short and a tie......that would have got your students' attention, CB!!
Short and a tie......that would have got your students' attention, CB!!
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When I first started instructing I wore a tie, then after a while I realised that the students don't, the club owners don't, so why should I ?!
Now it depends on the season, in summer what is wrong with an open neck pilot shirt and black or dark blue trousers? In winter I wear a tie just to keep my neck warm with a pilot jumper!
Even in the PPL industry we wear a 'uniform' of some sort.
I believe that there is a need to look smart but this does NOT mean that a tie must be worn.
He's not often wrong, but BEagle's right again !!
JWF
Hmm. just read CB's comments.........
Nice crisp white blouse, black lacy bra, black short skirt with black seamed stockings and suspenders (with company logo of course!)...............now that WOULD be nice 
But hey, never mind me, what would the female instructors wear?
JWF
Now it depends on the season, in summer what is wrong with an open neck pilot shirt and black or dark blue trousers? In winter I wear a tie just to keep my neck warm with a pilot jumper!
Even in the PPL industry we wear a 'uniform' of some sort.
I believe that there is a need to look smart but this does NOT mean that a tie must be worn.
He's not often wrong, but BEagle's right again !!
JWF
Hmm. just read CB's comments.........
Nice crisp white blouse, black lacy bra, black short skirt with black seamed stockings and suspenders (with company logo of course!)...............now that WOULD be nice
But hey, never mind me, what would the female instructors wear?
JWF
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flight safty hazard
I find a tie a flight safty hazard ,if it looks good then it is to tight around the neck to be comfortable when maintaining a good lookout.
If it is lose enough to be comfortable then you look like the shirt is two sizes to big.
The tie is the first thing to come off when I sit in an aircraft.
If it is lose enough to be comfortable then you look like the shirt is two sizes to big.
The tie is the first thing to come off when I sit in an aircraft.