Beards & Flying
 

Question:-

What regulations are in force regarding beards?

I know at my company they are not allowed as the flight deck oxygen mask is not able to form a proper seal..... So in the event of smoke / fumes your stuffed.

Just curious how other airlines / regulatory authorities treat this?

Good one. Had to look it up as i didn't check for a couple years. Weirdly enough only found one mention within the personal grooming section which is applicable both for cabin and flightdeck crews.

Seems to be more about appearance than any safety factor.

Beards IMHO are merely an affectation. They appear to serve
no practical purpose, other than to visually inform everyone
what one ate during one's last meal and for depositing some
scratches on the naughty bits of one's missus/girlfriend.

Co policy is neatly trimmed beards but no ZZ Tops allowed.

Just looking over at faa.gov.... It seems beards are totally banned.

Even to the point you cant be a flight ops inspector with one....


How do those of certain religions get on with this rule?

>>> Beards IMHO are merely an affectation. <<<

Try walking across a carrier deck in the winter. Ask many a hirsute Naval pilot and find out whether a mask seals OK.

Oh, six weeks was it, Slasher, just to get a bit of fuzz ?!! ;)

Why can't we fly with Michele Bachmann?

Hey PT6A,

Where do you see on FAA.gov beards are banned? Besides a bunch of reports by people named Beard, all I see are an AC that says beards will affect the amount of O2 you from a yellow dixie cup or a diluter demand mask and a case upholding the Captain's authority to bounce an ASI because he had a beard. Me, I would have told the Fed, "Here's your mask, you do this, this and this. If we really do lose the cabin, you're going to be brain dead because we'll be too busy to assist you. You still want to come along?"

All the US airlines require the flight crew to be clean shaven, I've seen a fair amount of fuzz on the cabin crew. It's mainly an image thing, they think the PAX will feel better if they're not being flown around by a bunch of Hippies.

I spent 3 or 4 years hauling cargo in a Three with with a two-three week growth. Just mowed it once a week. Saved I don't know how much time. Finally had to shave one morning in Memphis when I was going to have to ask Delta for a jumpseat home.

Flew with a full beard for 22 years both in military and civillian flying, never had a problem. Always passed the medical with nothing ever said about the beard. Yes it was kept neat and tidy but that was all.

My beard has a fear of flying !

:*

Let's not be sexist people...

Flew a few sectors with a woman that could have had the same issue here!

Come on, Slash, if we were meant to shave we would have been born without beards. You weren't? Sad.;)

As a 17 year old apprentice AME with QF, growing my first beard, I was told by a senior manager - not my boss, just one who happened to see me - "Qantas doesn't like its apprentices to have beards - get it off." Seems the management style hasn't changed.

The thing about not getting a good seal on the oxy mask is something I've found to be a myth.
It's just for appearances to the public.

And just be glad that the "professional image" types in management/branding don't think toupees look better than bald heads!

I've seen a Sikh airline pilot with a beard, and he said he wore the beard in the air force previously.

In the US, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has decreed that you cannot get a full mask seal with a beard. At least for firefighters, this meant no beards allowed. The FAA has issued AC 120-43 which, while not regulatory, confirms a loss of mask effectiveness when used over a beard.

Hawaiian (for sure) and Air Canada (pretty sure, seen a few at least) both allow beards.

From experience I can tell you that being smooth shaved allows the mask to fit more comfortably and make a better seal but having a beard certainly won't kill you.

Very often, those that make the most noise about beards are those that couldn't grow a beard if they were paid.

I had a beard with my previous airline in Europe. As far as I know there are no requirements to be beardless in Australia except if you work for Qantas, they have a rule that no beards are allowed for pilots ..... just as well really because "she who must be obeyed" gave me grief when I had one! ;)

Don't think I never had a beard Hydro - during my youth in
the NT and FNQ flogging 402s and Chieftains I was as hairy
as cousin Itt! Born mostly out of sheer laziness to shave and
the fact I wanted to look older (and therefore appear wiser) in
front of my fellow (older) pilots.

Thing is it itched and sweated a lot not to mention a lot of the
chicks just didn't dig beards (esp the scratching bit). It was
more trouble than it was worth with constantly having to trim
and mow the thing, and in the end I decided it was only for
looks and really nothing else so I shaved the damn thing off.
Immediately felt naked but in a couple of days felt refreshed
plus my score sheet rose considerably. :E

Still maintain its an affectation but prepared to give benefit
of the doubt to sporting one walking around carriers in 50kt
blizzards.

I was excused shaving whilst in the RAF, as were at least a couple of other aircrew I knew. Medical reasons for bad rashes, scars and "ingrowing" facial air. It wasn't an issue, except I was usually asked to 'disappear' if very senior officers or VIPs were around :ok:

What about tattoos and piercing on the face ?:8