Totally disagree. My belief is that airline management WANTS us to believe we are all "one and the same" so that they can keep perpetrating their schemes of lowering the bar in a very subtle way. Similar uniforms are just one of those ways.

 

Every regional pilot doesn't feel "one and the same" at payday every two weeks.

 

For clarification I am not advocating same uniforms so we can all "look the same" to the flying public, I am talking about how one pilot sees another pilot. A pilot is a pilot and we should treat each others as equals. Different uniforms promote the opposite whether you realize it or not.

 

I don't believe all airline pilots should wear the same uniform. Call me old school but a pilot's uniform should be unique to his/her airline.

 

And neither am I... I do not look upon a pilot any differently no matter what the uniform looks like. Any pilot, regardless of airline, who has jumpseated on one of my flights gets treated exactly how I would like to be treated on their airline: with a ton of respect, professionalism, and a comfy flight.

My point is that, by promoting similar uniforms, paint jobs, procedures, etc. between different airlines is airline management's M.O. in blending everything in - which, translated, includes "lowering the bar" in the long run.

We may all belong to the same brotherhood of airline pilots, but within the brotherhood exist very different agendas. When an airline tries to put pilots on the same level as F/As, mechanics, and gate agents (which they love to do,) that is a huge threat to the airline pilot profession. That is no different than dressing an airline and its regional codeshare partner - which takes outsourced flying from its mainline partner - in the same uniform: the psychological idea behind that being to blend in both groups so that it becomes "more acceptable, we're all one." That's my point, and it's destructive to the profession.

 

Very good post. I wonder if they'll succeed? When do we find out?

 

There should be some level of differentiation between mainline and express.

 

ALPA and The other unions made the distinctions by allowing the inferior pay scales. Remembering that more pilots paying dues has always been their goal.

 

What are they supposed to do? Comair took a stand and look what happened to them.

The problem is public brand recognition. The regionals have none which leads them to being interchangeable. This makes sense for the Major Airlines (see Whipsaw) and hiding any recognition of the regionals real airline helps this effect.

The only viable long term goal is to have pilots work for the airline that is painted on their planes. Dressing up regional pilots to look like mainline pilots doesn't count and doesn't help.

 

Hahahaha! You so funny! The mainline, sorry LEGACY, guys and gals I see most often look sooooo professional in their windbreaker jackets, no hats, and backpacks!

All depends on the major or legacy, but more importantly, all depends on the individual, NOT their professional station. As a regional CA, I strongly believe in maintaining the pilot's image in the public eye, and the uniform is a big part of it. For as much ribbing as they get, that's one of my favorite things about Delta: demonstrable respect for the profession. Don't wanna look like a pilot? Go scoop guacamole at Qdoba.

But your notion of lumping vast groups of people together and slapping on a label is laziness, at best, good ol' fashioned immaturity at worst.