Wearing Bars?
Join Date: Nov 2014
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as an office dweller last thing I want to do on my weekend is to wear shirts and ties.. however, I don't mind those who do. I have live and let live attitude about most things, except tracksuits and youth of today thinking it's a perfectly acceptable piece of clothing for every occasion... bwah 
schmucks
back to bars - I can see how those can be helpful psychologically when you're taking up your friends or family for the first time and they still are not sure whether to trust you or not. Perhaps it can also be beneficial for the pilot as well - when you look the part you must act the part so if one can perform a bit more professionally with bars on it's shoulders - I don't see anything wrong with that
schmucks back to bars - I can see how those can be helpful psychologically when you're taking up your friends or family for the first time and they still are not sure whether to trust you or not. Perhaps it can also be beneficial for the pilot as well - when you look the part you must act the part so if one can perform a bit more professionally with bars on it's shoulders - I don't see anything wrong with that
Join Date: Oct 1999
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Problem is, 123, that the sort who wear bars at a GA field outside those required to wear a uniform, are, in my experience, never much cop as pilots. It's almost as though they wear this stuff in compensation for that.
Those who are confident in the aeroplane, the 'good' pilots, generally don't feel the need to dress up in pretend airline pilot garb.
Those who are confident in the aeroplane, the 'good' pilots, generally don't feel the need to dress up in pretend airline pilot garb.
On a related note: It seems obvious that dressing up as an airline captain for flying a recreational plane is ridiculous, to most round here. I must allow I have never come across the phenomenon in my (modest) flying career, would it be one more UK-specific peculiarity? But I don't think so.
What I do see, occasionally, finding it equally ridiculous, is people wearing coveralls trying to look military style. One can more or less tolerate this from a warbird pilot, especially if done in style, complete with the white silken neckkerchief and all that. But for flying anything else it is just another kind of decorum. Anyone saying there's plenty of pockets in them? Cargo trousers have no less, and they do come in handy. True, though, the real stuff is made from fire-resistant cloth (Nomex, they call it?) - that is the one reason I have kept my big trap shut, as yet.
Opinions? Experiences?
What I do see, occasionally, finding it equally ridiculous, is people wearing coveralls trying to look military style. One can more or less tolerate this from a warbird pilot, especially if done in style, complete with the white silken neckkerchief and all that. But for flying anything else it is just another kind of decorum. Anyone saying there's plenty of pockets in them? Cargo trousers have no less, and they do come in handy. True, though, the real stuff is made from fire-resistant cloth (Nomex, they call it?) - that is the one reason I have kept my big trap shut, as yet.
Opinions? Experiences?
Last edited by Jan Olieslagers; 10th Feb 2016 at 17:09.
I'm a fairly regular "growbag" wearer - sometimes for professional reasons, sometimes because I just choose to. Either the full suit, or just a jacket.
Why? Looks reasonably smart in my own eyes, pockets in the right places, keeps my street clothes clean of grease and mud, and in extremis - yes Nomex is extremely flame resistant, worn correctly.
Can't say I have a problem with it, would never say that somebody *should*, save in particular environments. Test flying and particularly first flights I almost invariably do, and that's an appropriate environment as an aeroplane that's never flown before has an above average risk of stuff going wrong. Similarly in work research aircraft full of semi-certified equipment with lots of wiggly amps all over the place - I value the flame retardance and have on occasion insisted that other people wear one. Also in an open cockpit, tends to let less drafts in than other forms of clothing.
Not necessary on a couple of hours trip in a 4 seat spamcan, and looks a bit stupid in the flying club bar - but can't say it worries me to see people wearing one. Just make sure that any badges on it you earned the right to wear !
G
Why? Looks reasonably smart in my own eyes, pockets in the right places, keeps my street clothes clean of grease and mud, and in extremis - yes Nomex is extremely flame resistant, worn correctly.
Can't say I have a problem with it, would never say that somebody *should*, save in particular environments. Test flying and particularly first flights I almost invariably do, and that's an appropriate environment as an aeroplane that's never flown before has an above average risk of stuff going wrong. Similarly in work research aircraft full of semi-certified equipment with lots of wiggly amps all over the place - I value the flame retardance and have on occasion insisted that other people wear one. Also in an open cockpit, tends to let less drafts in than other forms of clothing.
Not necessary on a couple of hours trip in a 4 seat spamcan, and looks a bit stupid in the flying club bar - but can't say it worries me to see people wearing one. Just make sure that any badges on it you earned the right to wear !
G
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The advantage of uniform
I was the flight engineer on flight cargo flight out of Detroit to Memphis one night and the following morning while waiting to check in at the hotel a lady guest the the hotel approaches the Captain and asks hin to carry her bags to her room.
Fast Eddie the captain and ever the gentleman politely picks up her bags and heads for the elevator ............ A few minutes later he returns and announces that the $ 15 tip will pay for his breakfast.
I guess being dressed up like a bellboy has its advantages !
Fast Eddie the captain and ever the gentleman politely picks up her bags and heads for the elevator ............ A few minutes later he returns and announces that the $ 15 tip will pay for his breakfast.
I guess being dressed up like a bellboy has its advantages !
Wearing airline-pilot style clothes strikes me as just silly, except maybe the African reason.
But a flight-suit... I agree with all Genghis says. Lots of zippable pockets in handy places, very handy when flying aerobatics. Doesn't matter if it gets oil/grease/dirt on it, if you have to squirm around under a wing trying to find a fuel drain or whatever.
I wear mine always for aerobatics. All the acro instructors I know wear one. For flying the 182... not really necessary.
Though it did once lead to an interesting conversation. Long story, I ended up having to take public transport home (a nightmare here) after an AOG incident with my plane following a flight in the Pitts. After 4 hours I finally got to my home town, and stopped to buy an ice cream. The oldish guy who owns the place said "Oh, you're a pilot"... and proceeded to tell me all about his time as an Instructor Pilot in the Iranian Air Force. I asked, did you ever fly in combat? "Oh yes, I shoot down many Iraqi planes".
And now he runs an ice-cream shop in Mountain View. Funny thing, destiny.
But a flight-suit... I agree with all Genghis says. Lots of zippable pockets in handy places, very handy when flying aerobatics. Doesn't matter if it gets oil/grease/dirt on it, if you have to squirm around under a wing trying to find a fuel drain or whatever.
I wear mine always for aerobatics. All the acro instructors I know wear one. For flying the 182... not really necessary.
Though it did once lead to an interesting conversation. Long story, I ended up having to take public transport home (a nightmare here) after an AOG incident with my plane following a flight in the Pitts. After 4 hours I finally got to my home town, and stopped to buy an ice cream. The oldish guy who owns the place said "Oh, you're a pilot"... and proceeded to tell me all about his time as an Instructor Pilot in the Iranian Air Force. I asked, did you ever fly in combat? "Oh yes, I shoot down many Iraqi planes".
And now he runs an ice-cream shop in Mountain View. Funny thing, destiny.
An equivalent phenomenon: there is a elderly man in my hometown who is to be seen round the harbour (capable of taking boats up to about 30 feet long) in full captain's regalia and smoking a pipe.
Join Date: Oct 1999
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Grow bags are not at all the same as pretend airline captain regalia. I wore one for years flying the likes of the oily and cold and draughty Chipmunk or the Yak52, but without any un-earned badges sewn on!
But never, ever, in a spamcan! That's like wearing racing overalls to drive your Fiesta to the shops!
But never, ever, in a spamcan! That's like wearing racing overalls to drive your Fiesta to the shops!
But never, ever, in a spamcan! That's like wearing racing overalls to drive your Fiesta to the shops!
So what's a man/woman/person/sentient-being to do if they need to drive their Fiesta to the race course, or in my case fly their 182 to the place where they fly the Pitts/whatever?
As mentioned earlier, those who feel the need to look down at people for what could be perfectly sensible clothes for the situation probably have a bit of a problem themselves...
Well, yes, to be honest I don't (give a toss).
Incidentally there's another side to wearing a flight suit... San Francisco's leading fetish wear shop, Mr S, sells them, the real thing from Gibson & Barnes, not some nasty Chinese substitute. So you never know what reaction you might get...
Incidentally there's another side to wearing a flight suit... San Francisco's leading fetish wear shop, Mr S, sells them, the real thing from Gibson & Barnes, not some nasty Chinese substitute. So you never know what reaction you might get...
Worst gold bar abuse I've ever seen was the BAe PA31 ferry pilot from Warton who used to go into the mess at Boscombe Down in a blue sweater with four gold bars on his shoulder. Yes, I too mistook him for a Captain RN pilot until somebody quietly whispered in my ear to treat him like the bottom-of-the-ladder contract pilot he actually was.
I'm generally in the 'wearing bars unnecessarily is ludicrously pretentious' camp but your last sentence almost justifies it. Why treat him badly for being a contract pilot rather than a military officer?
Not even an air marshal or admiral outranks a civilian.
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Worst gold bar abuse I've ever seen was the BAe PA31 ferry pilot from Warton who used to go into the mess at Boscombe Down in a blue sweater with four gold bars on his shoulder. Yes, I too mistook him for a Captain RN pilot until somebody quietly whispered in my ear to treat him like the bottom-of-the-ladder contract pilot he actually was.
Apart from being an utter tw@t thing to do, I'm pretty certain he could have been charged for impersonating an officer.
That was decades ago...a few years back his actual name appeared on here; somebody was checking him out for boasting about a fast jet background which they suspected he did not have (they were right).
Once a walt, always a walt, I guess.
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Quote:
But never, ever, in a spamcan! That's like wearing racing overalls to drive your Fiesta to the shops!
So what's a man/woman/person/sentient-being to do if they need to drive their Fiesta to the race course, or in my case fly their 182 to the place where they fly the Pitts/whatever?
But never, ever, in a spamcan! That's like wearing racing overalls to drive your Fiesta to the shops!
So what's a man/woman/person/sentient-being to do if they need to drive their Fiesta to the race course, or in my case fly their 182 to the place where they fly the Pitts/whatever?
Dr Jeckyl - this was on a military station. In that working environment a Captain RN gets called Sir and is warranted various other formal courtesies
A civilian pilot, is called by his name and treated in a friendly and helpful manner. But he aint a senior officer within the military workplace
G
A civilian pilot, is called by his name and treated in a friendly and helpful manner. But he aint a senior officer within the military workplace
G
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Looks like I need to sew some stripes and wings on my John Deere boilersuit !
From Wikipedia
Rank/insignia Epaulettes Wings
pre-solo student no stripes no wings
post-solo student one stripe wings
private pilot license holder pursuing commercial license two stripes wings
commercial pilot license holder pursuing instructor's rating or ATPL three stripes wings
flight instructor three stripes wings
chief flight instructor or examiner four stripes wings
From Wikipedia
Rank/insignia Epaulettes Wings
pre-solo student no stripes no wings
post-solo student one stripe wings
private pilot license holder pursuing commercial license two stripes wings
commercial pilot license holder pursuing instructor's rating or ATPL three stripes wings
flight instructor three stripes wings
chief flight instructor or examiner four stripes wings