epaulettes

[C-GGGQ]

Our professional status has been eroding for years...were aren't professionals anymore, just "skilled workers" (as far as the bank sees it anyways)...
There have been many pilots who have been willing to work for free, pay for training, etc, which further erodes the profession.
Now, I'm hearing all these so called "professional pilots" that want to discard the uniform??? Come on guys, what's next? Is this really what our profession needs? Let's dress like shoe salesmen? Think about it...the pay has been decreasing, we have lost respect from the employers, fellow pilots, the travelling public....can we not at least LOOK like professionals?

Airline pilots should wear the uniforms. However there is no such thing as a 150 "captain" if your aircraft doesn't require two crew, then there is no captain therefor no epauletes. I think the big beef is Instructors and especially students wearing the bars. Instructors do not need full airline uniforms (Shirt, tie, jacket, hat, Bars, Gold wings, and an ID badge). Also as I said Fighter pilots wear wings not instructors.

[JohnnyHotRocks]

Our professional status has been eroding for years...were aren't professionals anymore, just "skilled workers" (as far as the bank sees it anyways)...
There have been many pilots who have been willing to work for free, pay for training, etc, which further erodes the profession.
Now, I'm hearing all these so called "professional pilots" that want to discard the uniform??? Come on guys, what's next? Is this really what our profession needs? Let's dress like shoe salesmen? Think about it...the pay has been decreasing, we have lost respect from the employers, fellow pilots, the travelling public....can we not at least LOOK like professionals?

if your aircraft doesn't require two crew, then there is no captain therefor no epauletes.

Huh??? PC12 pilot is not a captain? Beech 18 pilot is not a captain??

[C-GGGQ]

If that PC12 is working for an airline they fly it two crew. Therefor you have a captain and a first officer. If its flown single pilot (key word pilot) Then since there aren't two people up front to differentiate from there is no need for rank, I'd say he was a pilot not a captain since he has no crew to be in command of. They call beaver and Otter pilots "Pilots" not captains, Hows that any different from your Beech 18 or your PC12. Yes the PC12 is newer shiney and has a bunch of neat toys, but not a whole lot bigger if any than an otter. Now most PC12's are flown by airlines (be they small regionals or whatnot). I did say airline pilots wear epaulets. Most airlines fly two crew as well, so they are covered under both. Airline pilots or two crew ops, sure wear the epaulets. Instructors and small bush ops, not that their jobs are less important but lets face it a suit tie and epaulets are basically unecessary and in the case of bush pilots impractical for these positions. You are always told in flight training, Dress as if you were gonna crash and be lost. How is a short sleeve dress shirt and dress shoes gonna help you in the woods over night?

[JohnnyHotRocks]

The Captain is in charge of the aircraft, regardless of how many other crew members there are...the epaulettes allow ground crew, customs/immigration officials, law enforcement, etc. to recognize this...as I mentioned, try flying in other parts of the world without a recognizable uniform...it makes a HUGE difference.

Why change a uniform that has been associated with pilots for many decades? What advantage is there to it?

I do agree with your bush pilot ops...no need for the shirt and tie, but for airline/corporate/charter...there should be a recognizable uniform....instructors...well, I guess a shirt and tie would do.

[C-GGGQ]

Thats all I'm saying, bush ops and instructors, no need for the epaulets and crap.

[scrambled_legs]

I tried to joke around with a flight instructor... sorry Captain of a C172 about his epaulettes... they take that shit seriously!!! It was like they had to see their friends die in combat, in order to achieve the stripes.

C-GGGQ did any of you tell your employer that wearing them makes you feel like a jackass? Have you told them about customers comments regarding them? Maybe you should leave this thread open on his computer next time you get a chance to sneak into his office. Either that, or ask for pain and suffering pay for humilation.

[C-GGGQ]

All the students have the same shit too. THe Wings are a graduated system, No wings at the beginning of training, Wings with one star on them once solo, two stars at PPL, 3 at Commercial, 4 at multi IFR. Mine have 8 stars so apparently I'm god or something.

[Doc]

Wow. 58 replies on the subject of silly little stripes? Now, what if there was something important to discuss? Like say, do you think the price of eggs is worth the wear and tear on a chicken's ass??

[viccoastdog]

Wow. 58 replies on the subject of silly little stripes? Now, what if there was something important to discuss? Like say, do you think the price of eggs is worth the wear and tear on a chicken's ass??

Is that where eggs come from? WTF am I going to eat for breakfast now?

[Rowdy]

I'm gonna staple some to my flight suit for kicks

[raven54]

Hey QQQ, not all bush ops are single pilot...they range from one pilot to 4 crew large a/c. Charter and Sched service. The difference from down south is there is a lot of uncontrolled airspace and a lot less retards......or more...not too sure on that one.

[FICU]

Wow. 58 replies on the subject of silly little stripes? Now, what if there was something important to discuss? Like say, do you think the price of eggs is worth the wear and tear on a chicken's ass??

Is that where eggs come from? WTF am I going to eat for breakfast now?

Just the extra healthy brown ones...

A training school had an instructor clown a number of years ago who wore a Shithawk... er Snowbird patch on one shoulder and a NASA one on the other, wore a stopwatch around his neck and left his Tom Cruise Ray ban Aviator glasses on inside the building... that clown now works for Westjet last I heard...!

[wxnut]

whats the point?....

Who Cares? If your paid to wear em, wear em...if its your choice, do as you please, if not, then stay in the bush and don't complain......

agreed.

[twotter]

Ya know, where I work, we take suits and ties from one city to another in single engine floatplanes. Now while this might not meet the standards of all you high time gurus, we do provide a professional service. One of the things required of us is that if the customer cannot see our tie, they will see our 4 bars.

So, I'm sorry that after 32 years in this industry that if me wearing 4 bars doesnt meet your standards, I will soon try to rectify that. Not..

You clowns don't have a clue about what you are talking about. Ya, its pretty funny to see some flying club person wearing stripes but who does it affect?

Maybe there are professionals out there that don't fly jets...

[C-GGGQ]

Hey QQQ, not all bush ops are single pilot...they range from one pilot to 4 crew large a/c. Charter and Sched service

Yeah I know there are some bigger aircraft out there in the bush world, but I bet you that far up north you are wearing insulated flight suits (ie First Air) rather than shirt and ties, like I said impractical for bush pilots.

Ya know, where I work, we take suits and ties from one city to another in single engine floatplanes. Now while this might not meet the standards of all you high time gurus, we do provide a professional service. One of the things required of us is that if the customer cannot see our tie, they will see our 4 bars.
So, I'm sorry that after 32 years in this industry that if me wearing 4 bars doesnt meet your standards, I will soon try to rectify that. Not..
You clowns don't have a clue about what you are talking about. Ya, its pretty funny to see some flying club person wearing stripes but who does it affect?

If you are flying buisness men on a regular basis be it charter or sched, I wouldn't so much call that a bush op. Yes you are on floats but, you carry out more of a corperate job. Never said you had to fly jets. sorry if that was taken the wrong way. I simply said they are impractical for bush ops, and look dumb on instructors (most of us instructors agree and don't wish to wear them, except for a couple that think they are gods gift to aviation). Harbour air just for example, I don't know if they fly single pilot or two crew, but they run a very professional sched service. They are based far enough south that you don't need an insulated flight suit. They wear full uniforms. Thats fine meets all my requirements: Sched service and/or passenger charters, not impractical because of location or type of loads (IE dead moose, and fish).

[Dog]

I got these new ones for teaching on the 150:

[JohnnyHotRocks]

All the students have the same @#$! too. THe Wings are a graduated system, No wings at the beginning of training, Wings with one star on them once solo, two stars at PPL, 3 at Commercial, 4 at multi IFR. Mine have 8 stars so apparently I'm god or something.

Well this explains alot...seems you are extremely experienced in various areas of aviation
If you don't like your uniform, quit and get a real job

[C-GGGQ]

hell I know I know pretty much nothing, low time class 4, no way do i know everything. I might not like the uniform but i shut up and wear whatever uniform i'm given, though i might be done at my current job for other reasons. we'll see.

[bob sacamano]

So...The ebola virus...that must suck...

[raven54]

I wear a normal flight suit in the north...with the ol bars on 'em, and bring the parka along.

[styles]

Sometimes I wish I was still that kid behind the fence just staring down that amazing airliner (or whatever type) and just wondering what it would be like to fly at FL410...

Styles

[viccoastdog]

Ya know, where I work, we take suits and ties from one city to another in single engine floatplanes. Now while this might not meet the standards of all you high time gurus, we do provide a professional service. One of the things required of us is that if the customer cannot see our tie, they will see our 4 bars.

One day a few years ago while at Harbour Air a Vancouver-based pilot got stuck overnight in Victoria. He got to stay at a downtown hotel, and since I was based in Victoria, after work we went out for a beer at the pub in his hotel. While I was parking the car he was standing outside the front door to the hotel wearing his full 'monkey suit' with the four bars and replete with the gold wings. Just as I was walking up to him he was finishing telling a couple who had come out of the hotel where the valet parking was...they had thought he was the doorman! Laughed so hard milk came out my nose!

[Meatservo]

I think that was ME! I didn't have a change of clothes. I was hoping the ladies would believe I was an officer from one of the cruise ships.

If anyone thinks this is a silly topic, check out the maintenance forum "is an AME an engineer" thread. I guess everyone is suffering from identity issues in this racket.

(p.s., anyone who thinks AMEs don't deserve to be called engineers should read "bent props and blow pots" by Rex Turpening. There are still guys like him out there and it's a shame if you don't know at least one of them.)

[2R]

Money talks ,Bullshit walks

Saville Row suit and a wad of cash will get you serviced instantly anywhere on this planet.

[scrambled_legs]

A pilot showing up to fly a C150 with epaulettes is like a legal assistant showing up to court with a judges scarlet robe, scarf and girdle and a scarlet casting-hood on. It just don't make sense!