I am embarrassed to report that today I bought a set of "Tool Stripes" for use in Sudan, as recommended by our Sudan handling agent. I figured he'd know best!

I'll keep them hidden the rest of the time, promise...

Why should you? Nothing wrong with looking your smartest, or is there? Just don't put them on your snorkel.

Many years ago . about 1994,a colleague and I passed through security at a major airport. He was wearing 4 bars I just an "aircrew" raincoat without any bars at all.
They called him "sir "and completely ignored me.
We had a discussion about this . Next day I borrowed his 4 bars and added them to mine ..result 8 gold bars per shoulder, he worn the raincoat.
I expected to be greeted with "sir sir" with my colleague being completely ignored.
Result ....total shock and amazement from the security staff as they waved us through with a frown.
Don't think they would see the funny side today.

Good luck !

It's a Maul for gods sake......

I recall an RAF VC10 captain who only had one stripe; the co-pilot had 2 and a half, and got paid considerably more; but then so did the loadmaster!

Sorry Steve, I figured the Sudan agent would know better that most of you guys :ok:

1991... this "smart" looking dude is a captain, as noticable by the 4 gold stripes....

http://www.dorrie.de/reports/1990s/U...ebBalloon2.jpg

.... of a hot air balloon!! http://www.dorrie.de/images/smilies/laughing.gif

Westy

I used to fly (so I guess that made me the captain) a Maule with stripes. There were three, and they were white.

But then the plane was red, so that worked out well for a good looking paint scheme.

Sir will not be complete with just three bars in some African countries.

May I suggest he also has a pair of these in his nav bag, for when three bars and a bribe isn't quite enough:

http://www.gripflexcorporation.com/images2/pop_epu.jpg

As a PPL, I find a jacket with 4 platinum stripes essential at many UK airfields. 2 run horizontally round the jacket waist. One runs vertically up over each shoulder and down the back.

Checked in at a Mariott in Corpus Christi, Texas. No uniform, no stripes, no flight bag, no bag at all. I had to stay overnight because the 152 was weatherbound. They were exceedingly kind when I explained, and gave me a flight crew discount and a free toothbrush.

An interesting read. I was thinking along similar lines, but more dress code. Those training for their PPL or currently holding a PPL, do you find attitudes change towards you if you dress rather smart or not?

I don't think it matters a jot how you're dressed up at the average GA airfield, provided you don't have stripes on your epaulettes (unless you really are a commercial company pilot).

Well, come to think of it, I never dress smart and often find myself treated as a fool. But I'm not sure it comes from my appearance.

I have observed that the respect and treatment that a pilot receives, is more or less inversely proportional to the size, content (and to an extent shininess) of his flight bag.

Compare the pilot who just walks in with a battered kneeboard and a well-used headset, to the pilot who walks in with the biggest leather flightcase that Jeppesen makes, filled with GPSs, Icomms, PLBs, PCAS, charts for the whole of Europe and beyond, plus flight guides, three fuel testers, eight frequency reference cards, five rulers, two flight computers, three high-viz vests and a life jacket and then tells you he came all the way from an airfield 20 miles away.

Culloden

Has anybody ever called you sir?

I once flew my own aeroplane to work where she was going to have a new prop fitted. Left her at the hangar and flew off on a three day trip.
Arrived back in the UK and picked her up to fly back to our base airfield (this was before I moved and got my own strip) I have never been allowed to live down my arrival outside the flying club in full pilot get up including cap, stripes, I.D card, with briefcase and suitcase in a Rollason Condor:O

Oh dear! I'm rather a squirrel, and tend to have loads of rubbish in a big flight bag, and don't bother to take just what I need. I'd better go back to my previous habit - bringing charts and headset in a Tesco carrier bag.

The ATPL schools make their students wear uniforms "to get them used to the professional environment" but in normal GA in Europe one just looks silly.

Even down in Greece I cannot imagine it will be of any use. In some cases a passenger could pretend to be "crew" and avoid the 10-20 euro passenger tax but IME they are likely to ask to see his/her license...

In Spain, in years past, a uniform would get you tax free avgas at certain airports, and this was really worth it (a ~ 30% saving) but I don't think it works anymore. You need to produce a piece of paper with "AOC" on it at the pump for this to work. You also need to produce a VAT number, and this does apparently get checked by somebody back at the office.

IMHO, a uniform is also damn uncomfortable to wear in a warm cockpit for a long period.

I used to feel really sorry for the United Airline women pilots, their uniform was the most dowdy ever devised. Even a Burqua would have been better! Cabin crew were not very smart either. Would that they could all look as sexy as Leonard DeCaprio......or those Virgin ads!