I seem to recall instructing at a RAFVR(T) Volunteer Gliding school, and being issued with the complete "kit" comprising gloves, Grow Bag, and Flying boots. I have been grateful for the gloves on numerous occasions when hauling on a cable, and the suit when crawling under an aircraft belly to inspect the back-release. I still wear gloves when flying, whether it be in the Slingsby or a PA 28. I wear the flying suit if flying something open cockpit or ex-military such as a Chipmunk. I dont think that gold or silver bars are appropriate for single pilot ops. They are useful in a commercial environment to enable passengers or others to identify members of the crew. But each to his own I suppose. Remember too, that as far as I am aware, the flame retardant capability of Nomex is reduced severely after laundering, so it may not offer any more protection that a pair of cotton chinos. I was always told never to wear nylon or man made products, as once aflame these will burn and melt into the tissues, and to always wear cotton, which although more combustible tends not to do that. I could be wrong - the memory tends to play tricks...

Re: Shirts, Ties and Epaulettes
 

The School where I instruct at a large internatioanl airport in Kent, north of the Gatwick zone, South of the London City zone, have recently imposed a new rule that all instructors are to wear epaulettes as well as the usual white shirt and tie. I think the shirt and tie are essential for professional pilots anyway and I do think these new epaulettes are a good idea, however one of my fellow Instructors (who is not the most professional person in the world by far) goes that bit further and wears *3*, yes you read that correctly *THREE* PLATINUM coloured stripes!

Why does he do this I hear you ask, well I'm afraid only he knows! But if anyone see's him around and is able to keep a straight face to ask him, let me know what he says!

I've had a few of his students come to me and ask what other qualifications he has got that I don't have- I find it very difficult keeping a straight face when I have to tell them that I have more qualifications than him!!:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

The traders at the PFA flyin were selling them for £15.

Rod

Whirly...........

WHERE CAN I GET A PPrune T-SHIRT????????????

Have a word with InF'inRetirement - he will help :)

I remember years ago renting a PA28 at a school in Oz to take my mother and her friend on a local flight. My uniform for all such flights is my old faithfull(i.e. crappy 'Docksiders'), pair of shorts and whatever shirt comes to hand. If it's cold out add jeans...I do have a nice leather WW11 style jacket if it's really cold but I wear that anytime it's cold out. It has no patches and after 15 years of abuse it is looking satisfyingly 'worn'.

Two young chaps wearing ALL the paraphernalia engaged me in conversation...asking if I was learning to fly..."Nope on holidays from PNG where I fly F28s". "WOW how do you get a job like that?" I sorta thought they must be charter pilots with the ties, wings, epaulets etc but no they were students from one of those full time flying schools...on a 'mutual' PPL Navex!!!

When flying Tiger Moths I wear a 'growbag' for all the good reason mentioned. When I fly my Bonanza I wear whatever is appropriate for the weather, when I fly our company Falcon 200 I wear 4 silver bars and an ID card that says Captain Chuck, 'Chief Pilot'. I wear a tie only when wondering around International terminals(and it's a clip on:D)...I hate them a lot...one of my younger Captains wears his tie all the time...I rag him about it all the time...like "Take the F**King tie off...it's 35 deg C and humid as hell!!"

He and our resident young F/O want me to order wings for them to wear...they have been bugging me for a year and a half...I think I wont...just to bug them back:D I have kept my wings from the airlines that I have flown for and they're a nice momento...and that's about all.

Commercial Pilots who carry pax wear uniforms for two very good reasons...Passengers feel better if their pilots are wearing a 'proper' uniform (How would you feel boarding your BA flight if they entire crew was wearing Jeans, sneakers and a PPrune T shirt?) And when $hits are trumps and you have to take control of very scared pax in an evacuation situation how much luck are you going to have wearing said jeans etc? The pax NEED to see the chap with all the kit, a calm look on his face and an authoratative tone of voice saying "This way...hurry!"

Over the years I've seen guys wearing bone domes and nomex gloves in C206s, admitedly while bush flying in PNG, and two guys I know wore RAAF nomex gloves secretly while flying, both were tossers...one failed Wings Course and the other was an ex RAAF Test Pilot.

While it may be fair to say "let the PPLs dress up as they please" I think it is equally true to worry about the thought processes behind how they view themselves which then leads to the wearing of all the flash 'pilot shop' stuff.

Personally I rather risk fire than look like a prat...and while not wearing all the gucci kit I'm more motivated not to crash:D;)

Chuck.

:confused: All this talk of Nomex suits?? I used to have one for racing round Silverstone in, but you kind of expected to crash in that environment!

Whilst respecting every plane I get in.........I never contemplate the worst!

So what is safe to wear? I always used to make sure I was covered up but then I went flying with an instructor in Florida one hot & humid day and he was in shorts and I wished I had been!

So if there's a fire and you have shorts on .........aaagh!
If you're fully clothed, maybe the rescue party - if you are that lucky, will probably have to cut them off you - so I am still undecided:(

Back in the 80's one of Bond Helis engineers Terry Rowarth found himself having trouble getting airside while working in Spain.
He purchased what could be best described as an Argentinian band masters uniform and had no more trouble getting airside. The side benefit was that he used to get saluted on his way to work!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone who likes dressing up in bogus uniforms to which they are not entitled will be interested in this forum.

Have fun!:hmm:

I'm firmly in the 'let's laugh at the idiots with epaulettes in their spamcans' camp, but even while I was chuckling to myself (and feeling slightly superior) reading this thread I envisaged a nightmare scenario...

Picture the scene: you've recently acquired your shiny new PPL and you're contemplating the benefits of getting your IMC. It's getting close to Christmas. Meanwhile your nearest and dearest has 'discovered' that Transair catalogue you strategically left lying around in the hope that someone might buy you that GPS you've mentioned once or twice. Loved one starts flicking through the pages, sees the prices of the various GPS units on offer, thinks "sod that for a game of soldiers," before coming across that page...

Christmas day arrives and as well as socks you find that you also have some PPL wings and some lovely epaulettes to wear when you go flying. A rictus grin as you realise that you are actually going to be expected to wear them or risk a mortal insult to your well-meaning beloved.

I have seen the future and it's wearing four gold bars...

Thinks: I've got a set of epaulettes - very similar story. Maybe I should stitch them onto my cassock...

Must be a joke in there somewhere.

The Scene. Me, then your typical low time instructor, sitting in the flying club lounge on a slow day telling lies to my fellow instructors. Suddenly one jumps up and says " get a load of THAT " and points to a very bright pink LEAR 35 which has just parked out front. It must be the MARY KAY ( A lady run home based cosmetics sales company ) corporate jet. Given that the corporate color was pink, "I wonder what the pilots have to wear" mused another. His query was answered moments later when the flight crew emerged resplendant in thick tweedy grey pants, pink shirts and oversized silver bars. At this point we all burst out laughing, untill I asked the fatefull question. "Put your hand up if you would you wear that get up if it meant you would be paid to fly a beautifull late model Lear Jet?"
There was a long silence , then slowly everyone raised their arm;)

Keef,

There are churches near us who seem to be having similar discussions about the need to wear god-bothering clothes by priests.

I would be very disappointed if you did not have some little gold wings on your scarf. :E :D

One of the funniest ones I've seen, to show it is isn't just restricted to PPLs:

At Kuito in Angola, a 727 co-pilot wearing a blue baseball cap with '727 Pilot' in large gold embroidery across the front!

Shucks! Sorry, P1, it's a nice Celtic cross in gold weave, with some "stone colours" to offset. Maybe I should attach a PPRuNe badge above each cross...

Don't approve of those who take services "in mufti". Popular in many places, I know. Must be my age.

Well, at least that 727 co-pilot was flying a 727. About two years ago, I was consulted by a potential client who wanted to sue a light aircraft manufacturer for reasons I needn't bore you with. Anyway, he was wearing a baseball cap with "ALASKAN BUSH PILOT" embroidered upon it in huge letters. During the course of the interview, I learned that he didn't even have a pilot's license (and, I suspect, had never been within 1,000 miles of Alaska). :rolleyes:

Well, I wear a flightsuit purchased from an ex-army suplus shop. (You know the kind of flightsuit I mean, the green ones) and I fly a 150.

RAF Flightsuits are very comfortable to fly in - but I think someone dressing like an airline pilot in a 150 is a bit much!

WelshFlyer

Judging from the % floor area allocated to "airline" clothing in the Transair shop, I am sure they make as much out of it as a windsurf shop makes out of selling swimwear (quite a lot).

Keef - know what you mean. Vicars should smell faintly of incense, candle smoke, parishoners' sherry, musty old hymn books and 'left over' communion wine, they should be jovial members of the community and, in my view, wear dog collars. Happy clappers in casual mufti just seem.....well, not quite right.

Back to epaulettes and rank braid - if they must be worn, they should represent some sort of management agreed structure. E.g FI(R) 1 ring, FI 2 rings, FI with IRI and Night 3 rings, Examiners 4 rings, CFI 4 rings with gold tassels...... OK, maybe not the last! But I don't really see the need at a little flying club.

A CAA examiner mate popped in once on his way home from Oxford - and the nearby air cargo folk nearly had a heart attack. Because his uniform was identical to the Chief of Customs and Excise one and they were overdue for a snap inspection!

Ah yes - bliss! Rivalled only by the smell of an old aeroplane.