Why cant airline pilots have Beards?
Many airlines prohibit pilots from having beards because facial hair can reduce the effectiveness of the oxygen mask during an emergency. The mask must fit tightly to the pilot’s face, and facial hair can prevent it from making a proper seal. This can also allow contaminants to leak into the mask, which could be dangerous in an emergency.
In 1987, the FAA published an Advisory Circular (AC 120-43) that stated that facial hair can reduce the efficiency of the oxygen mask. However, some argue that not all facial hair will interfere with masks.
In case of emergency ( like low cabin pressure, i. e. Lack of oxygen inside the aircraft), they’ll have to wear an oxygen mask to prevent getting unconscious. And if the pilot has a long beard, he’ll have a problem wearing the oxygen mask and can’t breathe properly.
I don’t know about the rest of the world or industry, but at my airline, beards are prohibited, and mustaches must not go beyond the lips. They tell us it’s because the oxygen mask will not seal entirely with a lot of facial hair.
I’ve seen lots of airline pilots from around the world who have beards, so I question their reasoning. It could be that it’s easier to police our appearance without dealing with beards.
I worked for the now-defunct TWA in the UK as a security interviewer, and we had to shave every day (ugh). If you came to work unshaven, you were given an amenity kit and told to shave. Growing a moustache or beard had to be done on your “own” time, as in when you had a holiday, and then it had to be kept trimmed and groomed.
Why are commercial pilots prohibited from having mustaches?
From what I’ve read online, it looks like the issue of facial hair for pilots has been a topic of discussion in the aviation industry for many years. One reason cited by some sources is that facial hair, particularly a full beard or mustache, can interfere with the seal of a pilot’s oxygen mask.
According to an article on the website of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), “the presence of facial hair under the mask seal can allow contaminants to leak into the mask and reduce the effectiveness of the mask.” This could be especially dangerous in the event of an emergency where the oxygen supply is critical.
Additionally, the FAA’s regulations require pilots to be clean-shaven “unless the person has a shaving waiver on file with the responsible Flight Standards office.” This rule is meant to ensure that pilots can properly wear their oxygen masks and maintain a good seal during flights.
This rule is in place to ensure the safety of pilots and passengers alike. The FAA has strict regulations regarding the training, certification, and conduct of commercial pilots. It’s reasonable to assume that the prohibition on facial hair is just one of many measures aimed at reducing risks and ensuring the highest levels of safety in the aviation industry.
Of course, it’s worth noting that the rules around facial hair for pilots may vary depending on the specific airline or country. For example, I’ve heard that some airlines allow pilots to have neatly trimmed mustaches or beards as long as they are kept short and well-groomed. So, while the FAA’s regulations are designed to promote safety, other organizations may have different policies in place.
Why are commercial pilots prohibited from having mustaches?
You can see pilots with lush mustaches and beards only in movies. In reality, pilots are strictly prohibited from leaving stubble larger than 1 cm. The ban is because facial hair prevents oxygen masks from sticking to the face, putting everyone on board in mortal danger.
Why don’t pilots have beards?
I have always maintained a beard since I finished my A levels (3 years back). Still have one. I have no issues with fitting the Oxygen mask, and it actually fits quite tight. Over 95% of pilots in our airline do have a beard. It is more of a customary/ religious thing over here. Everyone, including people in the military, is allowed to keep a beard. I never let it go out of control, though. It gets trimmed once every week.
Why can’t male officers have beards?
When I was still on the job, a significant factor was being able to get a tight seal on a gas mask. We had to test the officers every year with their masks on, and the equipment was susceptible. These masks were not necessarily for riot control situations (although they could have been used for that).
They were more for chemical and biological terrorist threats (the anthrax cases were happening then), and the seals had to be just right. Facial hair would have compromised the seals. Other reasons stated by others (professional appearance, erc.) also came into it.
Are pilots allowed to have a beard at Indigo or any other airline in India?
Let us begin
1)IndiGo
Yes, they can.
2)Jet Airways
Yes, a bit.
3)Go Air
Yes, A BIT TOO MUCH!
4)SpiceJet
Cool.
5)Air Asia
Now that’s a proper mustache.
6)Emirates
Al Habibi.
7)Qatar Airways
Proper beard!
8)Ryanair
Oh, those golden locks.
9)Air India
A little creepy.
10)Me
Puberty had kind of a soft landing on me! Just a little note: this photo was taken back in January.
There are rules regarding beards. Although having them or not depends on airline rules, most of the airlines all around the world allow it.
There are grooming specifications on how the beard should look. Everyone wants their pilots to look as professional as possible. The simple rule of thumb is a formal and good-looking beard. Nothing like Bob Marley allowed.
Why are commercial pilots prohibited from having mustaches?
Why do you think that? There’s no regulation prohibiting that. There may be an airline where mustaches are restricted due to some ridiculous presentation policy, but that’s not prohibited for commercial pilots. In fact, let me introduce you to Chesley Sullenberg and his copilot, Jeff Skiles:airline pilots have Beards
If you know of a country whose regulations have banned mustaches or beards, let me know because I don’t.
By the way, the FAA has an Advisory circular warning of the drawbacks of facial hair when using oxygen masks. However, an advisory circular is not a regulation nor mandatory; it’s just advice.
Sure: If you wear an oxygen mask, it prevents a good seal with your face, and your microphone is in your mask, so a poor seal could also influence communication. Also, look up the current regs for what is allowed and not allowed according to your job.
Big sideburns and longer head hair were no problem for us in the “Panther Pack at war in 1968. But at other bases, such as Dan Nang, facial hair and sideburns were taboo. Also, even “stubble” is a bitch in an “oily, sweaty mask.”
By reg, pilots have to shave every day. There were times when some of us had to shave twice a day because of daytime and nighttime duties or get-togethers. Udorn Thani, a Thai base, was like the “wild west” in the late 1960s; all our crew cuts became longer, parted hair with long sideburns. There were a couple of short mustaches and “big-Jon’s big stash.” Ha! Ha!
Are there any reasons why commercial airline pilots are not allowed to wear mustaches and beards, even though military aviators can do so without issue?
Well, I don’t know for a fact that military aviators are allowed to wear mustaches and beards without issue. When I was in the Air Force, they were not allowed to have beards but were allowed to have mustaches that were a specific size and neatly trimmed, which may have changed.
There are circumstances where commercial pilots do have mustaches and beards, but it is usually because of a medical condition. The reason for this is safety. One of the main things in an emergency is the necessity of putting on an oxygen mask.
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A beard and mustache will be detrimental to obtaining a proper seal when you are using an oxygen mask and could prevent the pilot from performing correctly in an emergency. It is as simple as that.
Anyone using a respirator, oxygen mask, or similar device would ensure a better fit if they were clean-shaven.
As an example of Artificial (allegedly) Intelligence, you don’t breathe or grow whiskers. So this is not blatantly obvious to you… Can’t you do us a favor and enter sleep mode?
Why don’t pilots have beards?
I was a relatively young (clean-shaven) Captain, and one day, my even younger boy First Officer and I were walking through the passenger holding area when the young First Officer perked up on hearing some comments from passengers in a foreign language, which he clearly understood, as we passed by.
On reaching the aircraft, he shared with me what the passengers in the Terminal had commented. They had said as we passed by, “These fellows look so young, like boys, can they fly the aircraft ?”
Oooh la la………I went back, had a good think about it, and like the Titanic’s Captain, grew a company-specified beard, which I have kept to this day….and never heard a comment like that anymore.
Seriously, all comments above on reasons to have an adequately trimmed beard for the safety of Oxygen mask use are valid and applicable. Some Carriers ban it outright.
On another strange Note, I once went for a preliminary inquiry about employment with a well-known Green ( hint) Taiwan Airlines when I was flatly told that I had to shave off my beard if I wished to join. I asked if there was a particular reason for this. airline pilots have Beards
I was told that only the Company’s Chairman and CEO, who had been a Maritime Captain before starting this Airline, was permitted to have a beard in the entire Company.
Your question is based on a false premise. Airline pilots can wear beards. Many of them do (mostly at non-US-based airlines). There are no FAA regulations prohibiting the wearing of beards. However, most US-based airlines have company policies prohibiting the wearing of beards.
Professional appearance is one of the reasons cited for such restrictions. The airlines also want to promote a uniform appearance similar to the US military (primarily the Navy). The reason most often cited is out of safety concern when using the in-cockpit, positive-pressure oxygen masks.
Similar to other activities using oxygen masks requiring a good seal (firefighters and hazmat personnel being good examples), beards have been shown to prevent the formation of a good seal between the mask and the face. Airlines have cited FAA Advisory Circular 120-43 – The Influence of Beards on Oxygen Mask Efficiency on this issue.
Is a beard allowed in a cabin crew?
No, not at all; youu should beclean-shavend and proper groom. You will find it in every airline’s criteria for cabin crew. Well, you are asking a very basic one, so you need to be better aware of other criteria, too. So here I have given you a few.
- No beard.
- No visible tattoos.
- No scars on neck, hands, and face. Unless it can’t be covered with makeup, it’s going to be a problem.
- No piercing (on any visible part of the body).
- Clean nails. (not too long).
- Proper haircut, obviously long hair us not permitted for male cabin crew. (Turbans for male sikh cabin crew are allowed for some airlines, though it depends).
- Minimal accessories. Like your engagement ring or watch are permitted.
- Teeth must be aligned. (No crooked teeth, No braces, No yellow teeth, No front teeth gap).
Do Royal Flying Doctor Service pilots wear beards?
When I started flying in the ’60s, my company (and other companies) prohibited beards on the assumption that a beard does not allow the oxygen mask to seal correctly, allowing the oxygen to escape. Also, it will be in-reached with oxygen and ready to ignite when a flame is nearby.
The first aid training manual called to wipe ladies’ makeup off before administering oxygen as the oils and creams will ignite in the presence of oxygen and a flame. Nowadays, somebody has proven that they were exaggerating the issue.airline pilots have Beards
Can US pilots grow beards?
Most of the men, and unfortunately some of the women, are physically able to. However, this invokes a Clintonesque answer – “It depends on what you mean by “pilot,” and it depends on what you mean by “can.” Let’s address “can” first…
Are they physically capable of it? Sure. Most are men who have been through puberty, and with the exception of those working for commuter airlines, most are well-paid enough not to suffer from malnutrition, so physically growing a beard is no problem.
The question thus becomes, “will they be allowed to?” and the answer to that is “depends who they work for.” At my airline, as with most, the answer is an emphatic HELL NO. It is printed right on the quick donning oxygen mask: “WILL NOT SEAL WITH BEARDS,” so no, you won’t be wearing a beard if you plan to fly for them. Ditto for the US Navy; we were not allowed beard.
However, I believe there were religious waivers and waivers for medical conditions in some aircraft types. However, don’t hold me to that because it’s “scuttlebutt,” not fact. I hear thy existed, but I never saw one with my own eyes. Most of us had mustaches, but I never saw a beard.
In the general aviation world, it shouldn’t matter in low and slow stuff – flight instruction, helicopters, ag, bush, seaplanes, etc. In fast and high like biz jets, probably not – again, the oxygen masks.
This brings us to “what is a pilot.” Not all pilots work for airlines or even fly for a living. Most pilots in the US are rich boys with a $ 150-an-hour hobby. If they want to grow a beard, dye it chartreuse, and fly in a pink tutu, nobody is going to stop them so long as their credit card is authorized. Likewise, nobody is going to stop Earl, the Bush Pilot of Earls Flying Service and Hunting Outfitters, from growing a beard the Ayatollah Khomeini would envy.
In the US, on the civilian side, there are sport, recreational, private, commercial, and airline transport pilots. Of these, the only ones held to any appearance or grooming standard are some but not all commercial pilots and pretty much ALL airline pilots.
Right on up through private pilots – these are private citizens who fly but do not work in aviation. It’s their hobby, not their job, so nobody can tell them they can’t have beards. On the commercial side, where you may have a boss, it depends on company policy.
It shouldn’t be for a crop duster, a fire dog, an alarm logger, or the off-air flying traffic reporter around. It’s a big issue for a company that does high-end charters, and it’s almost certainly an issue for an airline. As for student pilots, that depends on the type of school.
If it is some part 141 airline-centric academy where there are uniforms and so forth, you will be held to airline standards; if it is a more laid-back place or part 61, nobody cares. Hell, I made a lot of $$$ doing Part 61 instruction in a clothing-optional community.
Students paid a premium to fly nude. Whatever floated their boats, their money was green. One time, I also taught a drag queen under part 61. Not a transwoman, but an actual drag queen. This dude took flying lessons in a dress and a blonde Farrah Fawcett wig. Again, the $$$ was green.
In 1964, if you were a commercial pilot, would the airline have allowed you to grow a beard? And flight attendants — is it true that they would be fired if too old or too heavy and had to step on the scale? (I am writing a story set in that year)
No beards or mustaches allowed. Flight attendants were weighed regularly, and if they exceeded their weight limit, they were put on leave, without pay, until they lost the weight. You would be fired if you got married or pregnant. Lots of FAs used their flight benefits to fly somewhere abortion was legal rather than lose their job.
Once you turned 32, you were done. If you wanted to keep working for the airline, you had to find another job in the company. “Stewardesses” were selling sex appeal. Wedding rings, maternity clothes, and frown lines ruined the image. airline pilots have Beards
Can American-based airline pilots have neatly trimmed beards?
Should there be a drop in air pressure in the aircraft or there is smoke in the cockpit pilots are required to don oxygen masks. A beard would interfere with the proper seal of the mask to the face.
Are commercial airline pilots allowed to have beards or mustaches? What about private pilots, are they allowed as well?
No grooming standards I know of for Private Pilots in the US. Most American Part 121 airlines do not allow beards due to thinking that Oxygen masks do not seal well over a beard. I do not know enough about the facts of that issue to comment.
However I noticed the Royal Navy seemed to allow pilots in aircraft that are usually flown wearing oxygen masks (like Harriers in years past) to have beards. Also, it is not unusual to see pilots working for the equivalent of Part 121 carriers in other countries having beads.
I had a mustache for my entire flying career. Never had any problem with any company I flew for about having a mustache. Never had a beard.
Two simple reasons. First, when I don’t shave for a few days, it seems to me that the odds of me actually growing a decent beard are slightly less than me winning a billion dollars playing the lottery. The other reason is I really do not want to get my wife in trouble for murder.
Are air pilots allowed to have a good-sized beard, or are there some rules?
By “go air pilot,” do you mean general aviation as opposed to commercial aviation? Commercial pilots must be clean-shaven, although mustaches are allowed. The reason for this is that the emergency oxygen face mask must seal on the face for it to work correctly. Now, if you are flying in general aviation and do not go over 10,000′ where an oxygen mask is required, you can have as much facial hair as you want.
Can pilots have facial hair?
It depends on what they are flying. If they are supposed to use such, then a perfect seal is desired between the rubber of the mask and their face. Facial hair wouldn’t help.
I have never seen any Air Force pilot without a perfectly clean shave; on the contrary, with commercial airline pilots! I have heard the same story from divers who use this:
Can a pilot get a tattoo on their body?
No, the weight of the ink would require extra fuel for the plane. Seriously, it depends on the airline. Some cultures and some religions shun tattoos, and passengers would be upset, so pilots can’t get tattoos. Others don’t care. Probably any tattoo that would be distracting (face or scalp tattoos) would be prohibited, and tattoos that don’t show would not. But it would depend on the airline and the places it serves.