Commuter airline pilot
 

Do they know how to iron shirts? The FO had an ipod and walked on the airplane. Had a backpack. The Cap put a baseball cap on. Don't see that on majors. Flight was nice though..lol

Actually, its usually the older pilots, especially at the majors that wear baseball caps to keep their balding dome from frying and to reduce glare.



Be prepared for people to flame the hell out of you on this thread.

How does a Yankees hat keep radiation away?

why be professional when there isnt professional pay or professional management...only motivations anymore are to not yelled at or kill yourself in the plane.

Don't know, I'm not bald yet.:D

We just keep beating this horse. Because being professional has nothing to do with how much you're paid. The kid at Target still has to dress the part and he gets paid a lot worse than you do. Just take the backpack and headphones off, it's not like we're asking people to wear their hats and blazers.

Its a $hiit job, lets be honest. Why make the extra effort? dont button my top button, $creew ironing, I use the dryer for the wrinkles and I usually try to shake on my shoes at the urinal to give 'em an extra shine.

I agree....except that kid at target does probably does make more! :eek:

Yeah right. I've seen more guys at the majors wearing backpacks and even ipods in the terminal.

Then quit 'yer *****in' and go work at Target and make more money for less responsibility.

Pilots - like a bunch of *****y little girls...

Great attitude. Please find another profession.

Backpacks have got to go. And leather jackets.

how about the guys that haven't ordered new shirts in 10 or 15 years. aren't our shirts suppose to be white, (blue if you're jet blue)

I love my leather jacket and backpack oh and the led flashlights. I gave up on EFB a few years ago.

Every example of unprofessional appearance I have seen from a regional pilot, I have also seen from a major pilot. Backpacks, unpressed shirts, sunglasses being worn inside, frayed pants, wrong colored pants, brown belts and shoes that should be black, iPods, all of it. Pilots are passive-agressive people, and we rarely interact with our bosses. We show our independence by not complying with uniform standard in our own way. Likewise, we change call outs to something of the same meaning but more entertaining, we deviate from profiles without just cause, and we disregard "stupid" memos and bulletins. Its all passive-aggressive behavior, and it is encouraged by our peers. To make it worse, we rarely are seen or observed by our bosses, (CP, DO, Check Airmen, etc), and therefore we rarely face correction or discipline. We know how to do our jobs right, which is why we straighten up and fly our recurrent sims and line checks perfectly in accordance with our books, and then go on our next trip and goof around in some way. We all know better, and yet we all choose to act out. We are the reason we are unprofessional. It has nothing to do with pay (once you are off first year pay, at least. new guys can hardly afford new luggage or new uniforms or an iron). We all put on our best professional acts when we were flight instructors, or interacting with charter clients.

Perhaps the lack of a military background in most pilots hired since the mid 1980's is the cause. When a disciplined past was common among 75% of airline pilots, non-military pilots just fell in line with the majority.

Or, perhaps our companies just don't care. It is too expensive to care. Look around you at work. Remember when ramp workers actually wore a standard uniform, and tucked in their shirts? Remember when gate agents would actually make an effort to come to work looking like they came from home and not some all night bar?

Or, it could just be our culture, and not just pilots. Casual fridays, business casual attire, jeans at work, jeans at church... America is caught up in trying to be casual. There is no pride in formality. There is no pride in self image. Its all about being "hot", being the rebel, or being the slacker. We all try to get away with something for the sport of it, like 6 year olds who don't want to wear a nice shirt and tie to Christmas dinner. Proper appearance used to command respect. Now, a professional image makes others look at you as some crabby old kook. Defiance is cool. It gets you more respect from junior co-workers. It asserts your authority. When did this happen?

Southwest pilots were the cool kids who didn't wear hats and had leather jackets. They were a cross between war pilots of old, the american cowboy, and the high school bad kid. I remember pilots making fun of them. Now, many pilots want to be them. Major airline pilot groups have removed the hat from the uniform, and added the leather jacket. You are more likely to see sky caps wearing a hat than certain pilot groups. We present an image to the public, and we live that image. Our attitudes are undermining us, and unfortunately there is no one to make us do otherwise except ourselves.

How many times have you flown with the FO/CA who wears his uniform perfect, hat is pulled down slightly in the front to make him look sharp, blazer is perfectly ironed and aligned with the shirt, posture is great, and HE CAN'T FLY WORTH CRUD and has a bad attitude. I don't care what you look like. "Do I trust my family on your airplane?" is the question I ask.

I wouldn't blame it on the lack of military experience either. My company has their fair share of the above example as well.

I prefer to think of it as a solar panel for a think tank. When my people inherit the earth, you follicle'd types better prey we have mercy. :D

Look around... you will see more "older mainline" pilots wearing hats, and many many have backpacks.
The IPOD thing is stupid I agree...
But a backpack attached to your bag??? Who cares! its cheaper to buy a backpack then it is to buy a 50$ tiny dufflebag in one of these overpriced "crew stores"
and who has time to iron a shirt when your in the hotel for 6 hours and have to sleep because you have a 12+ hour day following.

Another stupid thread in the regional forum.

I'm flying with the "industry leading" lowest paid turboprop and about to be furloughed, and I would be ashamed to show up to work with a disheveled uniform. I worked to hard to get into this industry and I'm not going to let any management take away my pride.
Your uniform is a reflection of you and you attention to detail. If you think otherwise, show up to your next interview wearing what you do now and see if you get the job.
If this offends you, GOOD. Get out of this profession and let people who treat it as such have your seat!

I can honestly say that I don't bring an iPod to work, and my uniform is ironed with heavy starch before each trip. I get compliments and thank-you's from crews and pax alike because I look my best. Take pride in your job. Don't make excuses on why you shouldn't dress the part, because that is giving people a reason to pre-judge us as a whole...

Think about it...

PS. Fo-hawks look retarted when wearing a pilot's uniform. GET YOUR FREEKING HAIR CUT!!!

Whats bad is when you see a Fo-Hawk on a E170 Captain.....:rolleyes:
We are Doomed.

I think the reduced percentages of guys from the military has something to do with it, but also it's just our country as a whole. Look how people dress on a day to day basis here. Just got back from Europe and the average person is so much better dressed. European airlines don't have as many coming from the military either and I took time to notice how they carried themselves. When it came time to get on my legacy airline to come back home....well you know how this is going...

Shirts
 

I used to iron my shirt every night so it would look clean and crisp the next day. I will continue to iron my shirts before a five day trip but I've ruined too many shirts using hotel irons, and that is just something I can't afford to do. Sometimes we just don't have the tools for a pressed uniform, last thing I want it brown, yellow, whatever color stains. I'd rather stick it out with a few wrinkles and have a clean shirt when I get home. Unfortunately with my schedule this month I have four five day trips which makes me look like a slob by day four or five. I apologize, but what should I do?
I have no desire of being passive-aggressive. I show up to work, stay up on my books, and try not to **** off the captain. Unfortunately my company chooses not to provide us with quality hotel rooms. I don't need to stay at a hilton but the ability to use the iron would be nice. In fact I found a **** ring in my sink the other day. I'm just glad I don't commute because I would be seen as unprofessional. Just don't be too quick to judge because you don't know reasons for wrinkled shirts which extend past being lazy.

Great post Rightseat..by and large I agree with most of it.

I've stayed at some really sleezy hotels in this job, and no...there is no excuse, they all have irons. And yes, I've had to use a towel just to keep that black crap from getting on my shirt. The point is, we all have four or five day trips that are just non stop. But instead of getting on youtube or downloading some more songs for your ipod, take the five minutes out of what little down time you may have and iron. I really can't fathom why looking professional is so difficult for some people.

not saying thats the way i act, but thats the way i think and i know im not alone

So, military crews that wear ball caps when they fly aren't professional? And you do see that in the majors "Mr. Point the finger at the commuter guy".

I doubt it...

I agree. Showing up to an interview with another airline's uniform would indeed be bad!:D

Pilots seem so insecure. I've never heard of another group of like employees who throw the word "professional" around so much when describing themselves. Also, why are so many pilots so embarrassingly bad at grammar and spelling? How can anyone expect a person to take pride in maintaining their professional appearance when they have absolutely no apparent shame in coming across as an uneducated bumpkin? America is done, these are all symptoms of a fatal disease. I see it more and more every day and it makes me heartsick.

As for pilots wearing MP3 players in an airport; There is nothing unprofessional about a uniformed pilot listening to one while seated in a gate area or at an airport restaurant. Yes, I do this. However, I won't walk down the concourse in uniform while listening to an MP3 player. I can't explain why I draw this distinction, I just do.

For those of you that think that a pilot listening to an MP3 player in public as unprofessional, do you feel the same way about a pilot walking down the concourse while on their cell phone with a hands-free kit? Some hands-free kits have stereo headphones and visually indistinguishable from MP3 player headphones. How about talking on just the phone? This can go on and on. Do you see how this discussion is almost silly?

For such a grammar guru, this is a poorly constructed sentence.

IDK but I seen pilots at both regional and major both wearing baseball caps a matter a fact saw one capt on a airbus wearing one (aslong as worn in the cockpit only while cockpit door is closed. But ipod is definitly a no ...maybe if your sitting at the gate waiting, backpack aslong as your not wearing but just resting it on top of your rollerboard.

Never mind.. I had to delete it..

Wow, best post on APC yet. I agree completely.

I understand the point about English grammar and syntax...but clothes, baseball hats? I lived in an Air Force Bag for 9 years before beginning my airline career...that makes me unprofessional? What total cr*p! Professionalism means flying safe, and, then, on time. It's HOW YOU FLY, not how you wear a silly monkey-suit. Using an iron, instead of reading up on the 10-7 pages the night before? Are you kidding? Image over ability...no wonder things are going downhill. Give me a dishevelled professional, anytime, over a well-presented reprobate. Sam

Thank you.

Last I checked you had to have some ability to get the aircraft on the ground safely to get the job in the first place. I, personally, don't care if you wore a tutu for 9 years before you came into the airlines, but once you're here a level of grooming should be of some importance. I wouldn't know you from Adam, so I don't know how you fly, and neither do the pax so they judge you by your appearance. So when you look like crap cause you "just don't feel like it" you make ALL of us look like crap.

Isn't there a "code of conduct" you guys have to follow?

I'm Corp. and I my version of casual is pressed slacks, startched shirt, shined shoes, and no tie. ...and thats casual. No backpacks, IPODs, or any other nonsense. And we don't have a dress code, we just do it because I don't like the idea of a passenger out dressing the most important guy on the plane. Believe me, the passengers notice.

PS I LMAO and agree with the hair cut thing

Grammar police...pull it over.

You're right, a semi-colon instead of a comma would have been a better choice.:p