Originally Posted by
MaxThrustPower
I get so tired of the "hat-whiners".
Jeez ... it's a part of the UNIFORM, to make us look, you know ... "uniform"??
What is the big deal, anyway?
It's long been a part of the traditional airline pilot uniform, dating back to the 1930's. I believe it still inspires confidence in our passengers. It adds to our professional appearance, even more than a leather jacket or a suit coat with stripes or a pair of wings.
If your company requires it, just get over it, or find another place to work if you hate it that much. If it's optional, think about going the extra mile and wearing it anyway, even if you might not really like it. There are as many of us who appreciate the tradition as those who want to ditch the hats.
Just the opposite of what was expressed earlier, I am much more impressed with my flying partners who CHOOSE to wear it voluntarily than with those who defer the hat.
Contrary to some opinions, my job is NOT something that just anyone can do successfully. It takes many long years of training and preparation to get to a major airline. Most of my peers and I have college degrees and could be working in respected white collar careers if we weren't pilots. And many of us are former military officers. I don't want to look like "Joe Bus Driver" who just finished a few weeks of training and has sloppily put on an ill-fitting uniform with no regard to how UN-professional it makes him appear. We are not bus drivers, even though some postings on this forum seem to want to dumb us down to that level. If we want to be recognized (and PAID) for our unique set of skills and expertise, we need to look like sharp, distinguished professionals.
Why don't we have a "like" button on here?
There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, that looks sharper and more professional than a uniform worn properly including the hat!
