Beards in the RAF
I must admit that I am not a fan of beards, but then some of my mates have them due to their religious beliefs, so it is hard to say ‘no beards’ when they get to have one due to their imaginary friends. So, it’s either all or nothing, so I think it is indefensible to say no to some and yes to others.
Here is an interesting scientific study into firefighter’s masks and the effects of beards on their performance: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3564146/
Now, what is often interesting whenever your life depends on a good seal - fire fighting, needing pressure or 100% oxygen breathing or in CBRN then it is amazing how quickly the razors come out!!! If I held the risk of Aircrew flying with beards, where even some of the masks have stamped inside them that beards will lessen their effectiveness, then there is no way, coupled to studies like the above, that I would authorise beards for Aircrew flying in aircraft with oxygen systems.
Here is an interesting scientific study into firefighter’s masks and the effects of beards on their performance: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3564146/
Now, what is often interesting whenever your life depends on a good seal - fire fighting, needing pressure or 100% oxygen breathing or in CBRN then it is amazing how quickly the razors come out!!! If I held the risk of Aircrew flying with beards, where even some of the masks have stamped inside them that beards will lessen their effectiveness, then there is no way, coupled to studies like the above, that I would authorise beards for Aircrew flying in aircraft with oxygen systems.
If the RAF is to survive the next 100 years it needs to accept the need to change.
Women CAN get pregnant, have a baby and still contribute to the service. (Shock horror they can even fly aircraft and join the RAF Regiment)
Being gay does not make you an automatic target for blackmail.
Having a beard does not instantly make you scruffy (The design of our current PCS and the insistence that a short jacket should be tucked in like a shirt does)
Not being a straight white male does not make you incapable of doing the job.
Have you seen the state of people's hair at the moment? Long and unkempt, or uneven from trying to DIY cut it.... but that is currently the law of the land. The RAF has accepted that, and do you know what? Despite a global pandemic, despite people being ill, despite not being able to go on leave to visit family, despite not meeting new born nephews, nieces and cousins, despite not being able to say goodbye to loved ones - those scruffy, unkempt men and women (white, black, straight, gay, cis, trans or bearded) we have still managed to introduce new platforms and capabilities, police the skies of the UK and the Balkans and even continue operations in the middle East.
From conversation with aircrew down at MPA last year there seemed to be a belief that the seal around the top of the nose was of more concern than the beard, but after a jet had to descend rapidly owing to oxygen issues a high rank in charge decided that beards were unsafe without having much scientific evidence either way so banned the fast fleet from growing them (albeit keeping the usual exemptions). Others in charge decided solidarity was necessary so rolled the same rule across slower aircraft.
How much is true I'm not sure but this tour there are fewer beards than there were last year when the rule had just changed, I miss the weekly beard parade with the CWO inspecting each beard for compliance...
How much is true I'm not sure but this tour there are fewer beards than there were last year when the rule had just changed, I miss the weekly beard parade with the CWO inspecting each beard for compliance...
212man
As for the mask seal, I have not had any problems so far. The jet will helpfully tell us if our mask seal is not complete and the highest I routinely fly is the mid 20’s anyway.
BV
Join the 21st century!
If the RAF is to survive the next 100 years it needs to accept the need to change.
Women CAN get pregnant, have a baby and still contribute to the service. (Shock horror they can even fly aircraft and join the RAF Regiment)
Being gay does not make you an automatic target for blackmail.
Having a beard does not instantly make you scruffy (The design of our current PCS and the insistence that a short jacket should be tucked in like a shirt does)
Not being a straight white male does not make you incapable of doing the job.
If the RAF is to survive the next 100 years it needs to accept the need to change.
Women CAN get pregnant, have a baby and still contribute to the service. (Shock horror they can even fly aircraft and join the RAF Regiment)
Being gay does not make you an automatic target for blackmail.
Having a beard does not instantly make you scruffy (The design of our current PCS and the insistence that a short jacket should be tucked in like a shirt does)
Not being a straight white male does not make you incapable of doing the job.
Like everyone in the Service, there are good and bad examples. I knew some shocking women who, on returning to work after maternity, used every trick in the book to avoid deployments. I knew militant homosexuals who used the change in policy to bash and threaten colleagues who voiced legitimate criticism of the government's pandering to the gay lobby and the public money spent on appeasing them.
The RAF can survive if it does what it did best. Be a purely meritocratic institution which never needed a PR consultant to tell it how to look and what to say.
I believe those officers that are balding are allowed to shave their head, whilst those of us who have full heads of hair are not allowed.
Many of the people I know, sporting beards, have done multiple operational tours being shot at or risking being shot down. What exactly is their wokeness?
Naval aviators have been doing the same for much longer.
Other than demonstrating manliness by being clean shaven or having things stuck up the anus, what else qualifies?
The “woke” RAF that I belong to and have for 20 years, on Ops constantly, would beg to differ.
Haraka, where and when did you serve? Just so we know what a warrior you were without a beard.
Many of the people I know, sporting beards, have done multiple operational tours being shot at or risking being shot down. What exactly is their wokeness?
Naval aviators have been doing the same for much longer.
Other than demonstrating manliness by being clean shaven or having things stuck up the anus, what else qualifies?
The “woke” RAF that I belong to and have for 20 years, on Ops constantly, would beg to differ.
Many of the people I know, sporting beards, have done multiple operational tours being shot at or risking being shot down. What exactly is their wokeness?
Naval aviators have been doing the same for much longer.
Other than demonstrating manliness by being clean shaven or having things stuck up the anus, what else qualifies?
The “woke” RAF that I belong to and have for 20 years, on Ops constantly, would beg to differ.
Thread Starter
One reason for anonymity here is to avoid revelation of contributors' Service histories.
I'll leave it at that.
I'll leave it at that.
Last edited by Haraka; 27th Mar 2021 at 11:21.
Thread Starter
Haraka Still haven't come up with a good reason not to allow beards though have you?
Do note that this thread has taken off at a tangent and ignored my implied concerns regarding the future implications of this type of decision beyond the obvious......
Thread Starter
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Ah well, we move with the times. 'Talking Armpit's' are now the in thing. Let's hope to God the RAF doesn't go down the earring (for men) route. The thought of CAS in diamante........
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Nothing new under the sun.
30 years ago a Met. Observer of mature years, solo on night shift, used to cross-dress when he arrived at 2200, did the shift as a tart, and changed to go home to his wife and family..
Until the Staish popped in for an update, as it were..