New Pilot Uniform

[daveg]

You can't honestly tell me you WANT to wear that stupid fucking hat?

[Soixante-Neuf]

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[Soixante-Neuf]

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[Stick-Shaker]

Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I didn't design it. As I recall, the tie is not the same light blue as the paint scheme.

The reason the uniform is being updated is because the uniform police are fighting a losing battle with the tunic and the hat. The current tunic is useless, hot and heavy. Its only worn because some mornings/days you need more than a shirt. But as the day heats up, the tunic is just a nuisance, and the crew bags are too small to jam it in when you have packed for a quad-day pairing... I hate the bloody thing. Any change is welcome in my opinion. But there must be a cost saving to this new uniform, otherwise I am sure that the company wouldn't be contemplating this right now..

[rudder]

The problem is not the product but the policy. Wearing the tunic should be discretionary. Whether the tunic is necessary will vary based on the climate that the crew will be operating in on the pairing. Also, having a dbl-breasted tunic requires the wearer to have it done up as leaving it open looks stupid. Still feel that the dbl-breasted looks better and is more flattering to the wider pilot

At $350 each, they are definitely expensive. Probably because they are wool instead of synthetic. Having seen many of the US uniforms up close, the current uniform is miles ahead in terms of quality.

[HavaJava]

Just to clarify the previous post, according to the FOM at present time, the tunic is optional and discretionary.

The FOM says, "Although it is not mandatory to wear the tunic year round, a review of business practices would suggest that a tunic is recommended. Whenever the tunic is worn, it must be buttoned"

However, the hat "will be worn whenever in public view, outside the aircraft"

[Glen Quagmire]

A plus about not having the hat is that we will no longer be photographed by other airlines while doing "hatless" walkarounds with the picture being sent to our management.

[daveg]

I thought about taking a pic of another Jazz guy doing a walk around on a Dash 8 without his hat on in YOW. He was just asking for it.

[yycflyguy]

Hatless walkaround could be easily defended by saying that in gusty wind it presents a FOD hazard on the ramp. SAFETY FIRST
I don't buy into the whole "It makes you look more professional" arguement but I do respect the tradition. It was mentioned on the ACPA forum that coming out of CCAA VF Solutions was gaurentee "x" amount of contract dollars (probably because a huge bill wasn't paid to them) and as pilots are cheap, no extra pants, tunics, hats were ordered over what is negotiated in the contract. Some guys don't even get their pants there!

The litmus test for any aircraft paint scheme or uniform scheme should be; would you buy a suit in that colour? Matching the tie to the Robin's Egg Blue.... que pena.

[Embraer190]

Here's my two cents about the pilot uniform:

Whatever the airline tells you to wear, you should wear it! I know there are lots of Ex-Canadian guys who want to be "rebels" and do anything they can to avoid the Air Canada attire. So be it. That's one thing they stress during pilot training; you are representing Air Canada out in public! I see guys doing all sorts of things like holding their hat or having unbuttoned tunics. I don't see why pilots can't just suck it up for the 15-20 minutes they're walking through the airport and wear their uniform properly. Then once they arrive to the flight deck they can wear whatever the heck they want. I think it's a really small price to pay for having such a sought after job, don't you?

Just my two cents...

[Four1oh]

I see uniforms the same as I see SOP's. We are paid to operate an airplane within the company SOP, and so we are paid to wear the uniform they issue us. Like it or not, that's the job.

[yycflyguy]

This coming from the dude that doesn't have to wear a hat... maybe in your next agreement you can get them too.

[daveg]

No we will never wear the hat, ball cap maybe. Our uniform material is sketchy at best, although, we have a new contract with VF Soulutions now as well so now we will have a much higher quality uniform to work with. It's really about time.

[Four1oh]

This coming from the dude that doesn't have to wear a hat... maybe in your next agreement you can get them too.

I wouldn't be thrilled to wear a hat, but if that's what the boss wants me to wear, oh well.

[Old fella]

For those of us who never worked with any airline but are members of the fare paying public – yes, your passengers, we really don’t give a fiddlers @#$! about your uniform, it’s style, cut, color, matching tie and with/without a hat and better yet if your female pilots wear matching/color coordinated bras and panties. We are not on your airplanes to take part in any fashion statements – your uniforms or lack thereof - as they all look the same to us.
Our requests are quite simple. Get us there safely, on time as best you can, don’t lose our luggage and keep the fares as reasonable as possible.

Honestly, we are not hard to please!!!!

[daveg]

For those of us who never worked with any airline but are members of the fare paying public – yes, your passengers, we really don’t give a fiddlers @#$! about your uniform, it’s style, cut, color, matching tie and with/without a hat and better yet if your female pilots wear matching/color coordinated bras and panties. We are not on your airplanes to take part in any fashion statements – your uniforms or lack thereof - as they all look the same to us.
Our requests are quite simple. Get us there safely, on time as best you can, don’t lose our luggage and keep the fares as reasonable as possible.

Honestly, we are not hard to please!!!!

Post of the year right here folks!!!!! So true.

[Four1oh]

how DO fiddlers @#$!, anyway?

[Stick-Shaker]

how DO fiddlers @#$!, anyway?

...On the Roof?

[Lost in Saigon]

your uniforms or lack thereof - as they all look the same to us.

With that statement, you obviously know who the pilots are because of what they wear.

Those of us who count ourselves as professionals don't want to change the uniform so that we blend in with the rest of the "Suits".

[moe]

a teal sash would really set off our ensemble.

[Tiny Voices]

F
Our requests are quite simple. Get us there safely, on time as best you can, don’t lose our luggage and keep the fares as reasonable as possible.

No deal!

[Old fella]

F
Our requests are quite simple. Get us there safely, on time as best you can, don’t lose our luggage and keep the fares as reasonable as possible.

No deal!

Guess the free coffee and beer at five bucks a tin is on the bubble as well............

[WJ700]

A plus about not having the hat is that we will no longer be photographed by other airlines while doing "hatless" walkarounds with the picture being sent to our management.

That guy was taken out back and beaten by both Management and WJPA. No one speaks to him anymore and he's now living a lonely life in exile.

In all seriousness, I have no idea who it was, but I've heard he's been talked to. Total loser and that opinion of him is shared by his co-workers.

I'd love to know the name if anyone can PM it.

[tonysoprano]

Truth is, this low class WJ pilot went through the trouble of taking the picture only to embarras himself and his group (if there is any truth to this story to begin with). I suspect AC management would just shake their heads and throw the picture in the garbage. Most pilots wear the hat because of their proffessionalism, not because they are afraid of the hat police. If and when we lose the hat, nothing will change. We will simply comply, proffessionalism in tact.

[Rebel]

Talk about a tempest in a teapot there is few uniform wear testers checking out material types/looks, which we have always done.