I like the FA uni's. The pilot uni was better in all black. Guess with that cold weather jacket, Member's Only is back in business.

 

...Just another management tactic to chip away at pilots egos. Degrade the captains authority down to a lesser degree so ANYONE can push him/her in to doing whatever suits the occasion.. Pretty soon Rank will also go by the wayside. There will be two, maybe one, systems operators paid the same wage. The days of the PIC are coming to a sad end. All while WE the pilots, allow management to get away with it.....

 

Thanks Dad.

 

Keep in mind folks, the photo of the pilot uniform is most likely a professional model and obviously done with a professional photographer and lighting assistant. With all of this, of course the pilot is going to look metrosexual, gay, like an emo kid etc.. As with how the most of the real VX pilots look like in the old uniform (like regular guys wearing all black with shoulder boards and no tie), it is just a change in the shirt color. No need to get your panties all in a wad

When compared to the previous uniform, this is no big deal.......just my two cents.

 

Past airline but corporate now. I've seen it run the gamut from polo shirts to full blazers and ties all the time. The underlying principle is what attitude is being portrayed. In small flight departments they may have a more casual atmosphere as the relationship is more personal between the principle and the crew. In an airline environment the uniform is established as a "barrier" between the crew and an unfamiliar set of passengers. In essence it says, "I'm in command here." Look to me for decisions when you're evacuating the aircraft.

"Watering down" the traditional look (military, ships captain, etc) can function to equalize the masses within the organization; however, is that the image as pilots we want to portray? When I get my physical my physician wears a lab coat and tie. I prefer it that way rather than turning to the right and coughing for a guy wearing a Tommy Bahama shirt and flip flops.

 

Hadn't seen this posted yet!

“In creating the uniform designs for Virgin America, we wanted to respect the heritage of in–flight uniform design while injecting a modern twist that’s both functional and fashionable,” remarked Banana Republic Creative Director and Executive Vice President, Simon Kneen. “We referenced the time when onboard style and sophistication was of utmost importance and designed a modern interpretation that incorporates aviation details and celebrates Virgin America’s signature style.”

“The new uniforms were designed to be modern and sleek in keeping with the Virgin America brand and cabin design, but also needed to accommodate the unique work needs of teammates – such as the use of performance fabric for long travel days, stretch and extra room factored in to meet the demands of the airport and aircraft environment, and the creation of a variety of pieces for weather conditions all over the country,” said Frances Fiorillo, senior vice president for People and In–Flight Services at Virgin America. “Banana Republic worked directly with our teammates to rise to this challenge and create uniforms that are ultra chic, durable and comfortable. It was a very tall order, and if the reaction of our teammates is any measure: they more than over–delivered.”

 

YMCA LOL!! Seriously VX pilots who is running your dept?

 

All joking aside......What is important in the pilot uniform, as stated, is not only safety and security, but also recognition. When the gray evening rejected takeoff and evacuation happens at JFK, the rescue/fire personnel will need to identify the captain. Think of Sully in the Hudson. He was immediately recognizable by not only the pax but also the rescue personnel. Security....who's the Captain? Eventually there may be some international destinations. Those in charge are looking for someone that they traditionally see that has the look of a "captain". That is one reason most international carriers still wear the hat. Many issues involved with regard to outside agencies.

Went through this issue at EOS Airlines. Something somewhat similar. Long story short....we had a pilot at a snowbound airport mistaken for the Greyhound (or whatever) bus driver that was going to take the pax to JFK. Took a while to unravel, that he was NOT in fact the "savior" of the stranded pax.

It's not about ego, or I wanna look like a "real" pilot. It's about the expectations of pax, and outside agencies having a visual cue about who is "da boss". Obviously, decisions made by people that have ZERO clue about operational issues.

 

I think it's healthy that we all snicker now, because we're going to have to suppress the grin on each other's jumpseats...

I feel bad for you guys. I had a stepmother once, let's just say we hated each other, and she got me back when it came time to buy school clothes. I longed for the summer, the way you're going to long for any off day...

 

"Team member" not crew, not Capt... just a team member. Complete erosion of Captains authority: that's how I see it.