₦airaland Forum

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE STRIPES IN A PLANE PILOT’S UNIFORM?

Being a widespread means of transport, Aviation has its beginnings closely linked to the military environment. From the second decade of the twentieth century, aircrafts began to be used as courier between armies to become, during the war, one of the deadliest weapons, aerial bombardments. 

With the end of World War I, in 1919, a purely civilian use for planes was proposed and as the first commercial pilots came from the army, this is the reason they used military uniforms.

ORIGIN OF THE STRIPES IN THE AVIATION PILOT’S UNIFORM
There are many versions about the origin of the stripes in the uniforms of civilian pilots but the most popular is based on the book “Pan Am: An Aviation Legend”, by author Barnaby Conrad III.

According to this, it was not until the 1930s when the Pan Am, one of the first commercial airlines, decided that its pilots should wear uniforms to inspire confidence and professionalism and chose as a model the one navy officers wore. Following Pan Am’s criteria, other companies introduced uniforms into their crews, becoming a very popular use in the 1950s that has stayed until nowadays.

These uniforms have evolved over time but retain essential elements such as the military cut jacket, the cap with visor and, of course, the stripes on their shoulders. Although distinctions may vary depending on the airline, in general, the bars or stripes represent the rank of each cabin crew member. Placed on the shirt shoulders and  jacket sleeves of their uniforms, the stripes mean:


DO STUDENTS PILOT WEAR STRIPES IN THEIR UNIFORMS?

Many aviation schools grant their students, who have obtained their licenses or private pilot certificates and instrument Flight qualification, one or even two bars according to the internal criteria of each center.

WHAT DISTINCTION A COMMERCIAL PLANE PILOT SHOWS IN HIS/HER UNIFORM?

Commercial aircraft pilots will wear in their uniforms the stripes that the company for which they operate establishes according to their rank.

WHAT DISTINCTION A PRIVATE PILOT SHOWS IN HIS/HER UNIFORM?

Stripes are a symbol airlines use to distinguish the rank of their pilot crews. For a private pilot, since he/she is the only pilot responsible for the operation on board, this mark is optional.

SILVER AND GOLD STRIPES

Sometimes we can see plane pilots with silver stripes instead of gold ones. In fact, there is nothing legislated about aviation uniforms so it will depend on each company’s criteria. However, although gold is the most common colour some companies as, for example, Air Norwegian, use silver for their pilots’ uniform stripes.

In the past, some companies, in particular Iberia, placed bars on their male passenger cabin crews who would wear one or two silver bars on their jackets sleeves depending on whether they were steward or chief steward.

Wainey:
This useful information na for people weh get time to know who deh fly them.

Those of us weh no know where airport deh, we have no business with the information, our night bus and "good is good" motors still deh come to our aid

Babbyad:
You will be on plane before the year runs out! 😊

Racoon:
Hehehe! I used to see these golden stripes on the shoulders of a Nigerian Airways Beoing 747 jumbo jet pilot back then in the 1980s at Ikeja Airport and kept wondering if they are the straight lines on the tarmac, but over the years I understood. You earn your stripes up the aviation ladder.

Wainey:
Thanks boss.
But plane no deh even trigger me sef.

My poverty don get to the level weh be say enjoyment deh like foreign language language to us

We are looking for legit money, enjoyment go come later, we no deh rush am.

slaawomirr:
Damnnn niggar

Grab my weed to learn