As a young and naive pilot ive always wondered when you qualify for bars on your epaulettes.

Is there any standard format, or is it just what the pilot feels like wearing?

ie:

PPL - 1 bar
CPL - 2 Bars
CFI/II - 3 Bars
ATPL - 4 Bars

And is there any difference between gold and silver?

I know this is a main thing in fixed wing, but how does it work in the Helo world?

Any help would be great

Safe Flying all and keep Smiling

R22

It's usually equal and opposite proportional to the size of your genital(s)....
The gold is only for Dutch people due to Austin Powers.

I always wondered why people wanted to show off the size of thier man hood, but then i thought about the ladies of the helo world! How does that work???

But on a serious note....

Epaulettes
A Tour Owners excuse to not allow you to garner Tips................
Your a Professional Whore......

Garner Tips??????

Dont know that one!!!!

A pilot once told me that is was one bar for every £10'000 spent on obatining the licences!!!!!

Most/many corporate, especially here in the N.E....Captain 4 bar, First Officer 3...colour Director of Operations choice. It may impress the waitress at the local diner on crew break, but won't get you free coffee

My company uses 2 bars for co-pilot, 3 bars for senior co-pilots and 4 bars for captains. All gold.

I think if it´s gold or silver is more a matter of the company unform dress code.

Fixed wing its:
2 Bars S/Os
3 Bars F/Os
4 Bars Captain

Rotor Wing
3 Bars F/Os
4 Bars Captain

In physics 1 bar is equal to about 14.7 lbs/sq/inch

Thats because your an R 22 Driver.......you have to tip the owner just to fly......
Garner: to acquire by effort..........If your doing tours in an R-22, its called begging.

EQUALETTES are otherwise known as wreckage handles.

After the pilot crashes simply grab hold of him by the equalettes and drag him away from the wreckage

Epaulettes generally seem to be scorned in the helo world as being pretentious. They are. However, I do believe they should be worn when flying pax because they like to think they have a professional pilot behind the controls and wearing epaulettes fosters that image. They feel happier, and the happier they are, the better tips you will get. In theory anyway.

They are also very useful when flying in places like Africa when you have to deal with petty officialdom with an overinflated attitude and a desire to fill their pockets. Some are still slightly impressed by anyone wearing visible rank and they will sometimes even accord a little respect. You can get away with more and I have marched through restricted areas, to find the above officials on their extended lunchbreaks, with a confident attitude and a "take no c**p look", and people are more hesitant to stop me. Wonderful! I have not used them much otherwise. It helps if a company has guidelines and tell you when to wear them. Most guys/gals wont wear them because they think they will look like an idiot. If the company says they must, then they can prance around with bars and feel important without feeling guilty.

There is nothing wrong with wearing bars, you have worked hard for them and you should be proud to wear them, just choose where and when you wear them. Do not wear more than you are entitled to and it looks stupid if you wear them around town.

The original question has been answered but it did not cover WHEN to wear bars.

Begging!!! Thats the clean version! If anyone gives my stick time that i dont have to pay for then hey, Begging it is!!!!

Anyone need a slave for a day??!! Will work for beer, women or stick time. All 3 could be good!

R22

R22DRIVER is correct. For the heli world it is as follows:

"PPL - 1 bar" This will the cheapest Bar in town where all the other new PPL's will hang out and discuss ways of earning more money to complete CPL.

"CPL - 2 Bars" The CPL will go to at least 2 Bars or more to tell anyone who will listen that he/she is a Commercial Helicopter pilot.

"CFI/II - 3 Bars" The CPL with some experience and an instructors rating has now moved back to the cheap Bar to impress the PPL's and save money for turbine endorsement.

"ATPL - 4 Bars" The ATPL will be found in any number of Bars (at least 4 in 1 night) reliving the glory days of his youth/past flying experiences/overseas postings/woman from said trips, and the fact that he is a helicopter pilot to anyone standing nearby.

BigMike, spoken like a true ATPL........

I'm not propping up the bar for nowt, y'know!

Cheers

Whirls

Whether to wear them? How many bars?

I suppose of you are routinely experiencing some difficulty in passing through the various checkpoints in your shorts and deckies - some airports in France for example? - then it might be prudent to wear an airline shirt, sensible trousers and, as a captain, 4 bars.

If you just want to look like a pilot to impress then wear them all the time. Some will take the p@ss, I probably would too.....

HP

Bars always seem to attract the Inane, Invalid or just plain Insane, but are always good for a pint or three!
Vfr

I always thought it was to do with flying qualifications.....
1 bar = up,
2 bars = up/down,
3 bars = up/down/left,
4 bars = up/down/left/right
If you have a co with you with 2 bars that means you can side slip aswell

Rick

Suggestion to PPls. You will look a total pillock if you wear bars at all.

In UK bars are worn by Professional pilots always, 4 for Capt and 3 for FO.

The people to really worry about are the numpties who wear medal ribbons on their civvy uniforms. Now that is seriously worrying...