What To Wear When Flying!!!!
Join Date: Oct 2008
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I know its only a trial flight but one thing I have found is that when you are in a lesson, the pressure is on and however cold the instructor is, I am normally baking. So the leather jacket and sweatshirt comes straight off after exterior checks and the instructor gets a slap on the wrist if he goes for the heater! 
Hovering AND talking
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Isn't that just the truth PilotPieces.
Even when I was doing my commercial training this winter, I was wearing a light fleece whilst my instructor was wrapped up for an arctic expedition and then he wanted the heating on.
When you're working hard, concentrating, using all your mental capacity, you'll generate plenty of your own heat. Your instructor, on the other hand, is probably more relaxed.
Wear what you'd wear if you were going for a drive. I'd recommend some stout shoes; not trainers (too soft) and not walking boots (too hard).
Cheers
Whirls
Even when I was doing my commercial training this winter, I was wearing a light fleece whilst my instructor was wrapped up for an arctic expedition and then he wanted the heating on.When you're working hard, concentrating, using all your mental capacity, you'll generate plenty of your own heat. Your instructor, on the other hand, is probably more relaxed.
Wear what you'd wear if you were going for a drive. I'd recommend some stout shoes; not trainers (too soft) and not walking boots (too hard).
Cheers
Whirls
Moderator
I always wear some appropriate combination of cotton, wool and/or leather. Never synthetics, with one exception*. This for safey reasons with respect the very slight chance of a fire. The exception being somtimes the need for a floater suit for ovewater flight, but that's out of your scope right now.
Wear clothes you don't mind getting a little dirty, which occurs when you walk around check. And, when you solo, expect abuse to the clothing of that day!
Have fun...
Pilot DAR
Wear clothes you don't mind getting a little dirty, which occurs when you walk around check. And, when you solo, expect abuse to the clothing of that day!
Have fun...
Pilot DAR
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Me, jeans, t-shirt and fleece sweater, normally. Unless you fly something like a Cirrus, you'll find that the seals on doors are not as good as your average car. That makes the aircraft a little drafty and harder to heat uniformly. With this combo I can slide my sleeves up and down easily to get comfortable.
I bought shoes with very thin and flexible soles specifically for flying. I used trainers and my normal shoes before, but found that they transfer less of the control feel from the rudder pedals to your feet. But hey, for a trial lesson you're not going to be taught the finer points of rudder control so don't worry about that now.
The other thing I still need to find is a fleece sweater or something that has pen pockets on the sleeves.
And yes, I admit fleece may not be the best choice safety-wise.
I bought shoes with very thin and flexible soles specifically for flying. I used trainers and my normal shoes before, but found that they transfer less of the control feel from the rudder pedals to your feet. But hey, for a trial lesson you're not going to be taught the finer points of rudder control so don't worry about that now.
The other thing I still need to find is a fleece sweater or something that has pen pockets on the sleeves.
And yes, I admit fleece may not be the best choice safety-wise.
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Rather worryingly I have to drive to the airfield in my 'driving shoes', fly in my 'flying trainers' and if its ground schooling I have another type of shoe.
Think the best thing is to go for the layered approach. Generally it can get a bit nippy but I have had instructors who insist on having the heating on full, leaving me to sweat buckets!
Think the best thing is to go for the layered approach. Generally it can get a bit nippy but I have had instructors who insist on having the heating on full, leaving me to sweat buckets!
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I tend to wear stout shoes with a “walking boot” sole in summer and light hiking boots in winter. If I go down in a remote location I am far more likely to be ok if I have appropriate footwear. I appreciate this is not applicable to training, but it is worth thinking about if you tour.
Rod1
Rod1
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Rather worryingly I have to drive to the airfield in my 'driving shoes', fly in my 'flying trainers' and if its ground schooling I have another type of shoe.
Join Date: Jan 2001
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That sounds suspiciously female. Am I right or not?
Choose your clothes to be comfortable pysically and mentally. If shades and a leather jacket make you feel and fly like top gun then go ahead.
If it hot you can take clothes off its its cold more difficult to put them on.
If you are female and start taking them off you may give the instructor a heart attack or upset the balance between the two of you re cold or hot
Just relax and have fun
Pace
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need to know what I should wear?
Any sensible indoor clothing, basically. Just avoid anything that might catch in the controls, like long floppy sleeves.
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One addition: if your TL is done in a 4 seater aircraft and the school allows an extra person in the back to observe (don't call them a passenger, it gets people very wary talking about paying passengers!) then make sure they're also sensibly dressed - high heels are a definite no-no, as are skimpy clothes. Far too easy for the instructor in the front to get an unwanted view when looking round to check up on them. Been there, and it wasn't worth it 
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One needs to remember that most planes are greenhouses when the sun is shining, so one needs to wear something which one can ..... ermmmmm for want of a better expression ..... unzip!
The DA40/PA38 (no real opaque ceiling) are the worst in this respect. Even when outside temp is -15C (at altitude, say 10k-15kft) I don't need the heater on when wearing a T-shirt; this is the TB20 which has big windows but does have a ceiling.
So I would wear a t-shirt and a fleece with a zip.
The DA40/PA38 (no real opaque ceiling) are the worst in this respect. Even when outside temp is -15C (at altitude, say 10k-15kft) I don't need the heater on when wearing a T-shirt; this is the TB20 which has big windows but does have a ceiling.
So I would wear a t-shirt and a fleece with a zip.