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Plane Answers: Crew rest seats and identifying pilot uniforms
Welcome to Gadling's feature, Plane Answers, where our resident airline pilot, Kent Wien, answers your questions about everything from takeoff to touchdown and beyond. Have a question of your own? Ask away!Ignacio asks:
Say you're on a Boston-Paris trip. The flight is totally loaded up, so there are no free seats, neither First nor Tourist class. When it comes to rest-time, what do you pilots do? Is it possible for a scheduled flight to have no seats available?
The policy varies by airlines, but the FAA requires that a seat be provided somewhere in the back for the third pilot on flights over 8 hours. Whether that seat is in coach or business class is something that's determined by contract negotiations. At my company, we're lucky to have a seat in business, often with the seat next to us blocked as well.
Jocelyn asks:
Regarding airline pilot uniforms;
1. What is the difference between the different colored epaulets airline pilots wear on their uniforms. Some wear white and some wear gold, that I have seen.
2. Is 3 stripes for a co-pilot and 4 stripes represents a captain?
3. Is there a 1 or 2 stripe epaulet and if so what is that rank or what do they do?
4. Does the hat have to match the epaulets i.e., gold band and gold leafs on the brim of his hat if he wears gold epaulets?
5. What is the gold or white band and why the gold or white leafs on the brim of his cap?
I never imagined there could be five questions relating to epaulets and uniforms, but I'm thrilled with the unique query.
Individual airlines can choose, often with their employees' input, the color and style of uniform. The more modern pilot uniforms have moved to thinner stripes on the jacket sleeve for example.
Four stripes on either the shirt epaulets or the jacket sleeve are reserved for the captain, and three stripes for the co-pilot. Years ago we had mechanics who were licensed as professional flight engineers on the 707, 727 and DC-10 at my airline and those non-pilots sported two-stripes on their sleeves. There was no retirement age for these professional flight engineers, so you would occasionally see an FE in his 70's flying the DC-10 before they were (both) retired.
Later, when qualified pilots were hired to work as flight engineers, they were given three stripes when sitting at the sideways seat.
Captains can also be identified by the 'scrambled eggs' on the brim of their hats and some airlines have slightly different design on the captain wings, occasionally adding a star, for example. The color of the epaulets, scrambled eggs and trim is again decided by the airline, but silver and gold are the most common examples.
I've seen thin single or double stripes used on the sleeves that are now reserved for flight attendant uniforms.
Do you have a question about something related to the pointy end of an airplane? Ask Kent and maybe he'll use it for the next Plane Answers. Check out his other blog, Cockpit Chronicles and travel along with him at work. Twitter @veryjr
3. Is there a 1 or 2 stripe epaulet and if so what is that rank or what do they do?
4. Does the hat have to match the epaulets i.e., gold band and gold leafs on the brim of his hat if he wears gold epaulets?
5. What is the gold or white band and why the gold or white leafs on the brim of his cap?
I never imagined there could be five questions relating to epaulets and uniforms, but I'm thrilled with the unique query.
Individual airlines can choose, often with their employees' input, the color and style of uniform. The more modern pilot uniforms have moved to thinner stripes on the jacket sleeve for example.
Four stripes on either the shirt epaulets or the jacket sleeve are reserved for the captain, and three stripes for the co-pilot. Years ago we had mechanics who were licensed as professional flight engineers on the 707, 727 and DC-10 at my airline and those non-pilots sported two-stripes on their sleeves. There was no retirement age for these professional flight engineers, so you would occasionally see an FE in his 70's flying the DC-10 before they were (both) retired.
Later, when qualified pilots were hired to work as flight engineers, they were given three stripes when sitting at the sideways seat.
Captains can also be identified by the 'scrambled eggs' on the brim of their hats and some airlines have slightly different design on the captain wings, occasionally adding a star, for example. The color of the epaulets, scrambled eggs and trim is again decided by the airline, but silver and gold are the most common examples.
I've seen thin single or double stripes used on the sleeves that are now reserved for flight attendant uniforms.
Do you have a question about something related to the pointy end of an airplane? Ask Kent and maybe he'll use it for the next Plane Answers. Check out his other blog, Cockpit Chronicles and travel along with him at work. Twitter @veryjr
Filed under: Plane Answers
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chris Paterson Mar 29th 2010 5:10PM
Some airlines, like Virgin Atlantic, use two stripes for FO and three for SFO it seems. Interesting how everyone has their own system!
Ross Mar 29th 2010 6:45PM
I was about to make essentially the same comment as Chris. To my knowledge, on BA it's the same as Virgin: two stripes for FO and three for senior first officer (i.e. one with the full ATPL but who isn't captain - typically one who hasn't yet made it to the top of the seniority ladder to get a command position). I suspect this is a British tradition.
I've never come across a single-stripe, except for that one time a friend managed to be in the right place holding the right licence at the right time and effectively got to ride right-seat to make up the paperwork for a flight (I forget on what aircraft; it wasn't heavy).
There is at least one uniform supplier who offers a joke five-stripe epaulette :-)
Ignacio Mar 31st 2010 3:14AM
Thank you for answering my query!!
Kirsti Apr 1st 2010 4:42AM
We recently took a flight from San Francisco to Boston, on Virgin America. My husband and I were thrilled with all of the very new technology and luxe appointments...but, not so much with the sub-standard (paid for) food and the completely indifferent attitude of the male attendands on each flight.
Peter Apr 3rd 2010 6:50AM
To add to the confusion... My airline, Cathay Pacific... We use 1 bar for Second Officer (cruise relief pilot, also known as the most junior pilot in the company)... 2 bars for Junior First Officer... 3 bars for Senior First Officer... 4 bars for Captain... We also used to have 2 gold plus a purple bar for flight engineer but since we retired all our classic 747, they are no longer seen on the airplane but you can still spot them around the airport working as full time engineer for the airline wearing that epaulets! So every airline do indeed do things quite differently!
Kent Wien Apr 3rd 2010 6:52AM
Thanks Peter. That's good info!