Stripes/Bars??
 

What do the the stripes/bars on one's uniform represent?
Some new f/o's have two, some have three. Captains wear four generally and I have heard of some airline's captains that wear five??
Thanks.

0 stripes = knows where the coffee machine is
1 stripe = knows how to order coffee
2 stripes = knows where to get papers and docs for flight
3 stripes = knows someone who gets the papers and docs
4 stripes = knows someone who can read the checklists and start engines
5 stripes or 4 stripes with a circle = knows someone who can be blamed if something goes wrong.

Sorry, couldn't resist :}

It all depends on the country (culture) and the company. In general, 4 stripes are for captain, 3 stripes for first officer, 2 stripes are not used everywhere, they indicate usually a F/O under training.

From the airlines I have worked for:

1= Ops department
2= First Officer or Second Officer
3= Senior First Officer (either through experience, or assessed as command suitable), or First Officer
4= Captain
5= Never seen them!

The BA FO's are going to love you :p

After 3 years at BA I have 2 stripes, till year 4. My mate who joined Flybe at the same time I joined BA has just got his command (4 bars).

Its all down to the company, not always a sign of knowledge/competence/ability. Even the 'newbies' to BA who may have thousands of hours ex RAF or another carrier will have 2 bars for four years.

ATB.

I think that it's pretty universal that 4 Bars = Captain, but 1,2, and 3 Bars depend largely upon the operator.

In SIA, it's as follows -

1 Bar = Second Officer, cannot operate unless a fully qualified First Officer is also present on the Flight Deck.

2 Bars = Junior First Officer, fully qualified.

3 Bars = Senior First Officer (nominally after 4 years as F/O).

In some airlines 3 Bars = Captain on a non-jet aircraft. When I once did a ferry flight of a Turbo-Prop from the U.K. to Australia, the company gave us 4 Bars on "temporary" loan, with the rationale that in most other countries nobody took any notice of anyone wearing less than 4 Bars.:}

About the 5 Bars, where can I get them? :ok:

Regards,

Old Smokey

Oh dammit point8six, I thought that the fifth bar was where the F/O paid his fines in beers for all the mistakes made.:ok:

Come to think of it, bad idea, these days I'll be buying all the beers for the F/O for all the times that he has saved my ass.:uhoh:

Regards,

Old Smokey

i never seen 5 at all
wonder what that means
captains of captains
or you wear it the day before retirement??

Does a line training captain and a type-rating examiner wear four bars too?

If so, and the captain undergoing training/assessment also wears four, how would you tell who is in command on the flight deck? Would you just have to know who is who?

I realise it's a bit of an academic question!

Captains have 4 bars.

A training captain in the RHS [ in charge] will also have 4 bars,
with the trainee captain [4 bars] in the LHS making the decisions as if they were in charge [under supervision]. Does that make sense ?

Don't ask about line checks will you !! :ok:

The one who is looking relaxed is the line training/check captain!

Flipping through a book on Oz aviation during the pre-war period last night and what stood out was all Captains (and Chief Pilots) have only three bars. Were we colonials some what backward in the sartorial stakes at the time, or was that the standard world wide, and if so, why/when the change to four?

5 bars??... wanna get me one of those! hehe i'll look it up on ebay! :E

i think wearing 5 bars will be ugly
pilots wont look anymore hot in those

ecj - thanks for clarifying.
rogerg - yes, that must be it!

Nick

Exaviator,

You bring back fond memories of the TAA and Ansett days of the Sixties (and beyond to their demise). Therein also lies a possible "origin" of the fifth bar.

Actually it was not a bar, but a symbol. Management Captains, in addition to the regulatory 4 bars had an additional symbol, in TAA's case it was a 6 pointed star, much like the Star of David. (I don't know of any connection between El Al and TAA).

Whilst we're strolling down the TAA memories lane, let's not forget two and a half bars, First Officers in command of a single pilot aircraft less than 5700 Kg / 12,500 Lb, Twin Otter, Dove etc......

Regards,

Old Smokey

Here are mine:


http://www.afeonline.com/shop/produc...PG&w=225&h=168

Talking of stripes, can anyone confirm the history of engineers stripes having purple between the gold. Story goes it is in memory of the engineers on the Titanic.

Thanks:ok: