What do the stripes denote?
PPRuNe Handmaiden
Nah nah. The stripes mean as follows.
1 stripe = "can read"
2 stripes = "can read and write"
3 stripes = "can read, write and do numbers"
4 stripes = "knows someone who can read, write and do numbers"
1 stripe = "can read"
2 stripes = "can read and write"
3 stripes = "can read, write and do numbers"
4 stripes = "knows someone who can read, write and do numbers"
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Jokes aside, there's no reason why an ultralight instructor can't have stripes too. They have Junior Instructors, Senior Instructors, CFI and Pilot Examiner positions in their hierarchy. The stripes should be relevant to the type of aircraft that you fly.
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Yeah thanks XXX.
As an Ultralight CFI & PE I would still feel just a wee bit silly getting out of the Thruster and straightening out the 4 bars
Great sport spotting all the Bankstown pilots flying into our neck of the woods ... although they seem to assume no bars = no idea... 
As an Ultralight CFI & PE I would still feel just a wee bit silly getting out of the Thruster and straightening out the 4 bars
Great sport spotting all the Bankstown pilots flying into our neck of the woods
... although they seem to assume no bars = no idea...
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Wanka Bars???
Have to laugh.Was in Jandakot recently and got asked in the (pilot) cafe if i was a pilot or had anything to do with AERO--- Planes !! da!
Yes he looked impressive.
Yes he had the 3 bar salute
Yes he even had the big watch @ attitude to match
But when i asked him what does he fly.??
An instructor on a Grob doesnt command much respect does it?.
Guess it,s a matter of pride or lack of.Alot has to do with image.@ little else.
In our industry you,d be spat on if you turned up like this clown did.
I,m not demigrating instructors (they taught me all i know).
But let,s get real.
Safe flying.M
Yes he looked impressive.
Yes he had the 3 bar salute
Yes he even had the big watch @ attitude to match
But when i asked him what does he fly.??
An instructor on a Grob doesnt command much respect does it?.
Guess it,s a matter of pride or lack of.Alot has to do with image.@ little else.
In our industry you,d be spat on if you turned up like this clown did.
I,m not demigrating instructors (they taught me all i know).
But let,s get real.
Safe flying.M
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The chief pilot of Bush Pilot Airways (40 plus years back) strutted the Cairns tarmac wearing four gold stripes with two crowns, scrambled eggs on the peak of his commander's hat (proper officer's hat - not baseball cap) but spoilt the complete picture by wearing brown dirty shorts with hairy legs and bushman shoes. I forgot to add, the aircraft he flew was an Auster. I think his name was Bob Norman.
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Thanks all for both your informative, and also humourous responses regarding my query.
So it's best for me to conclude?
*Stripes should be confined to those flying commercially/professionally
*In the airlines, 4 = Captain, 3 = FO, 2 = SO, etc
Thanks!
So it's best for me to conclude?
*Stripes should be confined to those flying commercially/professionally
*In the airlines, 4 = Captain, 3 = FO, 2 = SO, etc
Thanks!
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A somewhat belated reply.
The bars stand for the number of times you've been sprung beating the meat in front of the mirror before taking the C 152 up for circuits.
The bars stand for the number of times you've been sprung beating the meat in front of the mirror before taking the C 152 up for circuits.
Stripes, bars, pips etc in the services are so one can instantly recognise the rank and qualifications of an individual in crisis situations when there is not time to ask or discuss.
In civilian life, especially flight training it is a wank (feeding the ego). You should earn your respect by what you do and know - not from the bars on your shoulder.
My 2c worth.....
In civilian life, especially flight training it is a wank (feeding the ego). You should earn your respect by what you do and know - not from the bars on your shoulder.
My 2c worth.....
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A somewhat belated reply.
The bars stand for the number of times you've been sprung beating the meat in front of the mirror before taking the C 152 up for circuits.
The bars stand for the number of times you've been sprung beating the meat in front of the mirror before taking the C 152 up for circuits.
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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Throwing Bongo vans about the PNG countryside for Douglas Airways back in 1990 had all of us with two bars. Even the CP only had two!!
T'was the same later with Simbu Aviation, though Richard Rowe (the Boss) only wore three bars. Until one day when he showed up for the 'dawn patrol' out to the Jungles (Naoro, Efogi, Kagi etc) wearing four bars!! When I commented on the change, the conversation went something like this......
Me; 'What's with the four bars Boss?'
RR; 'Oh yes, forgot to give you these.'
He threw across to me a set of three bars and told me to put them on.
RR; 'You're now the Port Moresby Senior Base Pilot so you'd better wear three bars!'
Me; 'Gee, thanks Boss! Does it come with a pay rise?'
RR; 'Don't be silly!'
I then commented that I'd progressed from being a useless two bar b*****d to being a useless three bar b*****d!!
Richards parting comment was that I'd got that part right at least!!
He was a good Man and a bloody good Boss! God rest his Soul!
T'was the same later with Simbu Aviation, though Richard Rowe (the Boss) only wore three bars. Until one day when he showed up for the 'dawn patrol' out to the Jungles (Naoro, Efogi, Kagi etc) wearing four bars!! When I commented on the change, the conversation went something like this......
Me; 'What's with the four bars Boss?'
RR; 'Oh yes, forgot to give you these.'
He threw across to me a set of three bars and told me to put them on.
RR; 'You're now the Port Moresby Senior Base Pilot so you'd better wear three bars!'
Me; 'Gee, thanks Boss! Does it come with a pay rise?'
RR; 'Don't be silly!'
I then commented that I'd progressed from being a useless two bar b*****d to being a useless three bar b*****d!!
Richards parting comment was that I'd got that part right at least!!
He was a good Man and a bloody good Boss! God rest his Soul!
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Speaking from experience there Bankstown Boy?
Ever wondered why lame's wear bar with a purple strip between them.
Story goes back to the Titanic, whos 79 engineers sstayed at their posts to maintain electrocal power and steam which meant many hundreds of extra passengers survive thanks to the heroic efforts of the engineers. Most being down in the engine room of the sinking ship. All 79 of them died at their posts.
The king then decreed that all engineers shall wear gold stripes in memory of the Titanics engineers and the purple stripe denotes that it was a decree of the King.
Story goes back to the Titanic, whos 79 engineers sstayed at their posts to maintain electrocal power and steam which meant many hundreds of extra passengers survive thanks to the heroic efforts of the engineers. Most being down in the engine room of the sinking ship. All 79 of them died at their posts.
The king then decreed that all engineers shall wear gold stripes in memory of the Titanics engineers and the purple stripe denotes that it was a decree of the King.
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I agree that bars make you look like a toser, and if you wear them away from the airport you are a tosser. In days gone by back in the late 80's and 90's (when bankstown was pumping out 10 times more pilots than there were jobs for) we always had half a dozen or more wanna be's washing planes and hanging around the office - bars and wings were a good way of identifying who actually worked there and those who were recent hires and as such were on probation.
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Mountain out of a Molehill ...
I agree that bars make you look like a toser, and if you wear them away from the airport you are a tosser.
So basically, it is deemed a sin, blasphemy & just outright silly to be in uniform as soon as you step off the airport boundary fenceline?
Oh come on for christs sake .. so we all have to quickly scurry off to find changerooms & showers & get changed into civillian gear just to please a small minority of people who think that a pilot who wears his uniform away from the airport is a "toser" ?[ i think its spelt tosser actually ] ?
If the person has earned the right to wear a uniform, he should be able to stop into a corner shop to buy milk & bread, or dart into a bank or whatever on the way home from work, without being labelled a toser as such.
On the other hand, I fully agree with other peoples comments about students being fully decked in shirts/slacks/epaulettes/wings etc, hanging around in cafes & dodgy bars swapping war stories ( tough 6 knot crosswind landings in c152s ) is completely outrageous and it spoils it for other people who have earned the right to wear the uniform with pride.
Cheers,
J.
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Each company has different meaning to what 1 stripe means for example grade 1 instructors insome companies have 3 bars as that is a good Qaulification and they worked hard to get that 2 bars grade two and so on. Student pilots bars are usually the ones that are not gold.
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I can't see a problem with it really. Maybe the flying school expects such a uniform to be worn by their students. Maybe the student is just focused on the end goal of airline flying and wearing the outfit is just part of their approach to becoming the best professional they can be.
As for the sitting in bars talking about 6 knot crosswinds, well we've all been there. No one flies like Douglas Bader from the get go. If your a hightime pilot, enjoying a beer in your thongs and singlet and you happen to catch some such conversation, just smile to yourself and reflect on those happiest of days when you too were learning to fly! (that's what I do anyway).
Wear 'em with pride!
As for the sitting in bars talking about 6 knot crosswinds, well we've all been there. No one flies like Douglas Bader from the get go. If your a hightime pilot, enjoying a beer in your thongs and singlet and you happen to catch some such conversation, just smile to yourself and reflect on those happiest of days when you too were learning to fly! (that's what I do anyway).
Wear 'em with pride!
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There is a bar on the grounds of a local (training) airfield where the bar staff where 4 bar epaulettes. A friend who is also a CFI/ATO was having a quiet one after work one evening when he noticed the local Uni flying school students in the bar. Of course, they were in uniform and wearing gold wings and their braid on the shoulder. Was comical to watch the CFI/ATO approach one and start ordering drinks. The "student" pilots were most offended as they were "real" pilots and not bar staff.
Cost of a schooner=$4.50
Cost of Uni gold bar epaulettes=$40k
Cost of entertainment for the evening=priceless
Cost of a schooner=$4.50
Cost of Uni gold bar epaulettes=$40k
Cost of entertainment for the evening=priceless