flight school uniform?

Peter Ha

Peter Ha

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Nov 18, 2019
Messages
226
Display Name
Display name:
Leadpan
Hey folks,
What's your opinion on wearing these white uniforms in flight schools?
https://imgur.com/xMjCw7x
Were you made to wear it? I'm part 61 student and NOT going commercial or as career. But I noticed most other students wear them. I personally don't care of these uniforms (reminds me of prep or high school uniforms :rolleyes:) If the school allowed it; I'd wore by PJ or sweat pants during my lessons. :D

What DO you wear while flying? G-flight suit? Spandax with capes? Yoga-pants?
Strange story with my CFI; he'd yell at me more when I wore bright-colored shirts... so I'd wear dark shirts afterward.

xMjCw7x
 
Last edited:
Part 61 or Part 141 has nothing to do with it. You selected a school that has a professional pilot program and a dress code. You will need to inquire if they will allow you to opt out of the uniform requirement as a non career student. I suspect they may waive the uniform requirement, but their school, their rules.
 
My opinion:

It's the flight school rules and if exceptions can be made for non-career students like you, then so be it. Personally, I find the uniforms ridiculous as well as someone wearing a flight suit and helmet flying an RV-7 but to each their own.
 
I worked as well as took lessons at a part 61 school. When I was a student, I’d wear what I felt was comfortable. Most of the time it was a t shirt and jeans. In the summer it was a t shirt and shorts. When I was a CFI for the same school we were required to wear the company issued polo along with slacks and shoes.
 
jordane93 said:
I worked as well as took lessons at a part 61 school. When I was a student, I’d wear what I felt was comfortable. Most of the time it was a t shirt and jeans. In the summer it was a t shirt and shorts. When I was a CFI for the same school we were required to wear the company issued polo along with slacks and shoes.
Click to expand...

I am just glad your school finally made you wear shoes.
 
If we were going cross-country, I wanted my students to dress as though they would have to walk home. I vividly remember giving a BFR to a kid in his dad's Seneca. He was wearing flip-flops, and we had to push the plane up a slight slope into its parking slot. It was a sight to behold.

More on point, however, one of the schools I worked for wanted instructors to wear grey trousers with a blue or maroon coat, shirt and tie. No one complained.

Bob
 
lancie00 said:
Mankini....
Click to expand...

Oh jeez, I can't unsee that!

The OP's picture didn't look like a US flight school. Does such a thing really exist here?

When I learned to fly it was blue jeans and a flannel shirt, or shorts and a t-shirt... come to think of it, the same way I dress to now (though these days I wear shoes less often :eek2:).
 
Peter Ha said:
Hey folks,
What's your opinion on wearing these white uniforms in flight schools?
xMjCw7x
Click to expand...

It's a marketing deal. By having the student wear a cheesy airline style uniform it makes them feel as if they are really getting something for all the additional money they are spending at the "academy" or whatever word they use to describe the school.
 
The two schools I have trained at never winced at me wearing a tshirt and shorts... non professional track students should probably avoid schools with applicable dress codes like that.
 
Doc Holliday said:
It's a marketing deal. By having the student wear a cheesy airline style uniform it makes them feel as if they are really getting something for all the additional money they are spending at the "academy" or whatever word they use to describe the school.
Click to expand...

The professional programs train young people to fly, act, and dress like a profession pilot. Shorts and Ts don’t get it done.
 
Clip4 said:
The professional programs train young people to fly, act, and dress like a profession pilot. Shorts and Ts don’t get it done.
Click to expand...

Many of those "professional programs" are pumped up marketing schemes to get potential students to spend ridiculous amounts of money in hopes of an airline career. Part of the marketing is having them walk around in airline type gear. Is the quality of the training better? Not really.

Part 141 operators are pretty much the same. Some just hype and market it better.

BTW, I did my training at a Part 141 (GI Bill). I didn't have to dress up in a pretend uniform. And our training was very good.
 
Wearing the white shirt, with epaulets, is a European thing, even for GA operations, by Private Pilots.
 
Dana said:
Oh jeez, I can't unsee that!

The OP's picture didn't look like a US flight school. Does such a thing really exist here?
Click to expand...

There are a few 141 schools that market pretty much exclusively to the Chinese or Indian airline hopefuls. They have recruiters overseas, agents who get the visas teed up etc.
 
C-1 PILOT said:
Wearing the white shirt, with epaulets, is a European thing, even for GA operations, by Private Pilots.
Click to expand...
Not just Europe but in most non-western countries or 3rd world places it's a social class thing. When we worked overseas most mechanics would opt for pilots shirts (not white) and kept a selection of epaulets in our tool boxes. It's amazing how a little gold on your shoulders smooths the way out when moving around an airport, especially when working late at night and need some assistance.
 
Doc Holliday said:
Many of those "professional programs" are pumped up marketing schemes to get potential students to spend ridiculous amounts of money in hopes of an airline career. Part of the marketing is having them walk around in airline type gear. Is the quality of the training better? Not really.

Part 141 operators are pretty much the same. Some just hype and market it better.

BTW, I did my training at a Part 141 (GI Bill). I didn't have to dress up in a pretend uniform. And our training was very good.
Click to expand...

Kinda got a suspicion what ever military branch you were in taught some things like grooming and dressing properly before you qualified for the GI Bill. The average young person doesn’t have that.
 
Clip4 said:
Kinda got a suspicion what ever military branch you were in taught some things like grooming and dressing properly before you qualified for the GI Bill. The average young person doesn’t have that.
Click to expand...

If a young person gets to a flight school and hasn't figured out how to dress or groom themselves, they have bigger problems. As for me, I didn't need the military to learn how to dress appropriately, I had a proper upbringing by my parents as do most people.

So did it take a flight school to teach you how to dress?
 
Timbeck2 said:
My opinion:

It's the flight school rules and if exceptions can be made for non-career students like you, then so be it. Personally, I find the uniforms ridiculous as well as someone wearing a flight suit and helmet flying an RV-7 but to each their own.
Click to expand...
actually in the 3,4 and 8 a helmet is not a bad idea. you take a bird strike in one of the bubble canopies and that plexi that is 3 inches in front of your face has only one place to go at 170kts and i did where my flight suit for all of my phase 1 flight testing.
 
Clip4 said:
Kinda got a suspicion what ever military branch you were in taught some things like grooming and dressing properly before you qualified for the GI Bill. The average young person doesn’t have that.
Click to expand...
The average young person doesn’t know how to dress and groom themselves? :dunno:

You must surround yourself with an interesting demographic for you to believe that.
 
Last edited:
Ryanb said:
Yes, I am aware what professional dress attire is, I wear it daily as part of my dress code, as well as knowing how to properly groom myself too. You’re just interviewing the wrong candidates.
Click to expand...

The saying were are training the next class of furloughed pilots accurate for the times. A quality school sees there responsibility beyond the student earning a certificate and actually preparing the student to land a job when the job market tightens.
 
A few years ago, I got a call from a very senior mgr I worked with at another company.He desperately needed a senior software person that understood how to get a product out the door. Out west, unless it’s law firm or financial, grey/blue pinstripe suit is not needed. But a nice casual suit or slacks and jacket are fine. I dressed a bit more upscale and walked into a room of children. 8 engineers all in Tshirts and jeans/shorts. Went thru the interview and privately chatted with the mgr after. Told him I had no interest in being a parent to an unruly group. He laughed and said that’s why he needed me - to teach them about schedules, deliverables, etc. Nope but thanks anyway.

When I was on the hiring side of the table, we dressed as courtesy to the interviewee.

I teach upper division software, and I always spend at least 2 class periods discussing resumes, interviews and attire. Fortunately, most of my students are in the late 20s to early 30s and understand.
 
unsafervguy said:
actually in the 3,4 and 8 a helmet is not a bad idea. you take a bird strike in one of the bubble canopies and that plexi that is 3 inches in front of your face has only one place to go at 170kts and i did where my flight suit for all of my phase 1 flight testing.
Click to expand...

Rodney Dangerfield voice on: Oh, but it looks good on you!
Rodney Dangerfield voice off:
 
People are not born knowing how to wear a uniform well, even one as basic as in the picture posted. Most kids don't even get the dress-up-for-church experience that some of us did as children. There's nothing wrong with a flight school that is oriented toward turning out career pilots getting their students used to wearing the uniform. Better that, than to turn out a bunch of pilots who are expected to look and act like professionals, but don't know how or aren't used to doing it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top