pilots with beards?

[Sickbag]

A good sign or bad?

[ZeroAltitude]

In level flight, a good sign.
While the plane is tumbling toward the ground out of control, a bad sign.

[Dmmoore]

In commercial jets, beards are a no - no. The O2 mask will not seal and work correctly. A neatly trimmed moustache is acceptable.

[sindeewell]

Thank you Don. I was actually going to point that out as I had read it somewhere during my research of aviation safety.

[Sickbag]

This isn't helping.
I once flew into Cusco , one of the most challenging commercial airports in the world, with a pilot who looked like Captain Haddock.I took his face hair to be a sign of maturity and reassurance but now your telling me I was only moments away from a whiskery death?

[ZeroAltitude]

This isn't helping.
I once flew into Cusco , one of the most challenging commercial airports in the world, with a pilot who looked like Captain Haddock.I took his face hair to be a sign of maturity and reassurance but now your telling me I was only moments away from a whiskery death?

I once did a glacier flight in Switzerland in a PA-18.
The pilot's face was hardly recognizable behind his beard that was about 10 inches long.
What he said was equally unrecognizable as he didn't speak any language other than Berndüütsch.

[Dmmoore]

Non pressurized aircraft operated below 12000 feet do not require oxygen masks. Only commercial jet liner pilots.

[ZeroAltitude]

Non pressurized aircraft operated below 12000 feet do not require oxygen masks. Only commercial jet liner pilots.

I'm not sure we stayed below 12000 all the time
Awesome experience (but not because of the pilot's beard)

[Sickbag]

Non pressurized aircraft operated below 12000 feet do not require oxygen masks. Only commercial jet liner pilots.

I doubt you could get to Cusco without going to 12,000 feet even if you walked.The town itself is at 11000 feet and is situated in a valley.
The fully bearded pilot was flying me and a hundred or so others on a 737 or Airbus equivalent.

[sindeewell]

Non pressurized aircraft operated below 12000 feet do not require oxygen masks. Only commercial jet liner pilots.

I doubt you could get to Cusco without going to 12,000 feet even if you walked.The town itself is at 11000 feet and is situated in a valley.
The fully bearded pilot was flying me and a hundred or so others on a 737 or Airbus equivalent.

Sickbag, I wish to ask a few questions pertaining to your fear.
Were you at all frightened during this flight?
Did the pilot perform his duties/tasks properly?
Was there something other than the fact that the pilot wore a full beard to cause you concern?
What is it exactly that worried you about a pilot with a beard?

My hypothesis - (in other words - my opinion): Major destinations in North America, Europe & Asia adhere to the 'no beard' rule but in areas where aviation has less stringent regulations, there is more tolerance.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong...I am by far, no where's near being an authority on the matter of pilot regulations.

[Sickbag]

The fully bearded pilot was flying me and a hundred or so others on a 737 or Airbus equivalent.

Sickbag, I wish to ask a few questions pertaining to your fear.
Were you at all frightened during this flight?

Did the pilot perform his duties/tasks properly?
Was there something other than the fact that the pilot wore a full beard to cause you concern?
What is it exactly that worried you about a pilot with a beard?

I think you misunderstand me,I liked the beard, I found it reassuring,I think more pilots should wear beards to reassure fearful fliers.

What caused me a slight concern was when I went to take the return flight to Lima I discovered the airline had run out of serviceable aircraft to fly and had suspended all flights countrywide.

[sindeewell]

The fully bearded pilot was flying me and a hundred or so others on a 737 or Airbus equivalent.

Sickbag, I wish to ask a few questions pertaining to your fear.
Were you at all frightened during this flight?

Did the pilot perform his duties/tasks properly?
Was there something other than the fact that the pilot wore a full beard to cause you concern?
What is it exactly that worried you about a pilot with a beard?

I think you misunderstand me,I liked the beard, I found it reassuring,I think more pilots should wear beards to reassure fearful fliers.

What caused me a slight concern was when I went to take the return flight to Lima I discovered the airline had run out of serviceable aircraft to fly and had suspended all flights countrywide.[/quote]

Indeed - missed that part. I would find that VERY disconcerting to find that there were no serviceable aircraft within the airline...and that the flights were cancelled. That would scare the crap out of me...and at that point, I would care if the pilot looked like Chubaka.

[Sickbag]

[

Indeed - missed that part. I would find that VERY disconcerting to find that there were no serviceable aircraft within the airline...and that the flights were cancelled. That would scare the crap out of me...and at that point, I would care if the pilot looked like Chubaka.

Maybe pilots could wear false beards to reassure their passengers that they are mature and dependable and then remove them in the cockpit to conform to regulations?

[tds]

Maybe pilots could wear false beards to reassure their passengers that they are mature and dependable and then remove them in the cockpit to conform to regulations?

Possibly some kind of 'quick-release' beard arrangement could be devised, using a pin and cable system similar to that found on the doors of some aerobatic aircraft. In the event of cabin pressure loss, the crew would jettison beards immediately prior to donning emergency O2. I suppose there might be a risk of control jams due to unrestrained beards in the cockpit - perhaps further investigation is required before I email the FAA.

There is also the thorny question of female crewmembers. Should each airline be given discretion to determine their own procedures in this respect?

[ZeroAltitude]

I found my bearded pilot here:
http://www.swissaviation.ch/aktuell/19990910/port.htm
(sorry, only in German).
I like the part where it says that on sunny days on the glacier, he hardly has time to eat and sometimes eats his potato salad during the flight, explaining the surrounding landscape to his sole passenger in the Piper, pointing with his fork.

[Sickbag]

Maybe pilots could wear false beards to reassure their passengers that they are mature and dependable and then remove them in the cockpit to conform to regulations?

Possibly some kind of 'quick-release' beard arrangement could be devised, using a pin and cable system similar to that found on the doors of some aerobatic aircraft. In the event of cabin pressure loss, the crew would jettison beards immediately prior to donning emergency O2. I suppose there might be a risk of control jams due to unrestrained beards in the cockpit - perhaps further investigation is required before I email the FAA.

There is also the thorny question of female crewmembers. Should each airline be given discretion to determine their own procedures in this respect?

Good ideas, and how about if the oxygen masks had hirsute appendages around the face seal, that way even in an emergency there would be continuity of the beard illusion.

[Sickbag]

I found my bearded pilot here:
http://www.swissaviation.ch/aktuell/19990910/port.htm
(sorry, only in German).
I like the part where it says that on sunny days on the glacier, he hardly has time to eat and sometimes eats his potato salad during the flight, explaining the surrounding landscape to his sole passenger in the Piper, pointing with his fork.

He has a beard,smokes a pipe in the cockpit and is Swiss.
Could there ever be a more reassuring pilot?

[flyboy2548m]

Non pressurized aircraft operated below 12000 feet do not require oxygen masks. Only commercial jet liner pilots.

So, a Gulfstream V, which, as you may have heard, flies higher than any jetliner except for the Concorde doesn't require O2 masks, what with it not being a "commercial jetliner"?

[Verbal]

Maybe pilots could wear false beards to reassure their passengers that they are mature and dependable and then remove them in the cockpit to conform to regulations?

Speaking of which, I once flew in the jumpseat on a couple of United revenue flights (pre-9/11, of course). As soon as the pilots were in the cockpit, they removed their hats and ties. The ties were clip-ons, no less.

[tds]

I wonder if Ed is going to be pissed when he sees this thread necromancing. I realise in this case it was the 'freshest' thread in the forum, but it's still smelling pretty bad.

[IntheShade]

One day I am going to grow a beard like ZZ Top

[Sickbag]

One day I am going to grow a beard like ZZ Top

Like Frank Beard's?

[AndyToop]

One day I am going to grow a beard like ZZ Top

If you can grow a beard like that in one day I will be mightilly impressed

[sindeewell]

I love ZZ Top....cool guys and an even cooler car!