Proper wear of flight cap

[Tim Day]

I recently had someone tell me the flight cap is worn with the top closed (making a single ridge fore and aft) for males, and open for females. I was dubious, having not seen that in 20 years of wearing similar headgear in the Navy, but allowed that this could be an unwritten Air Force tradition. Several google searches and conversations with former Zoomies later, I figured I'd ask here.

Has anyone heard of this? 

[RogueLeader]

I've never seen it.  My unit has a lot of AD  Air Force.

[lordmonar]

Nope......someone is selling you a line Tim.

[NIN]

I understood that the unwritten rule was you wore it with the top open if you are a fighter jock.

The fishtail was another matter entirely

[Eclipse]

Proper wear:


How else would you wear it?

The fishtail was another matter entirely

Is that where the back looks like you slept in it?

[Papabird]

I remember that from my time in AFJROTC in the late 80's.  However, when I got to the USAF in the early 90's, that wasn't called out like it was in JROTC.

Per AFI 36-2903: 
6.2.4.1. (Male and Female) The flight cap will be worn slightly to the wearer's right with vertical creases of the cap in line with the center of the forehead and in a straight line with the nose. The cap extends approximately 1 inch from the eyebrows in the front and the opening of cap is to the rear.

No difference in wear between the sexes.

However, I do always wear it that way and I don't wear the female flight cap. 

[Al Sayre]

I understood that the unwritten rule was you wore it with the top open if you are a fighter jock.

The fishtail was another matter entirely

I heard the same thing, and was given the reason that it's because the top opens when the hat is too tight.  Usually due to a swollen head

[Eclipse]

Are these the same hat?



Is it because, presumably, a female member has hair to tuck in?

Never noticed this before.

[arajca]

There is a female flight cap that is worn with the peak open. The female flight cap has a curved profile as opposed to the rectangular profile of the male flight cap.

[Tim Day]

I've noticed the difference in the pictures, but as there is no accompanying textual description of the gap, didn't consider it prescriptive. AFI 36-2903 states nothing regarding degree of gap either. No Air Force personnel I've spoken with indicate one way or the other. I'm beginning to suspect the circumstances of a photo shoot have dictated someone's understanding of the proper wear of the cap.

[Al Sayre]

Not the same hat.  From the side, the female hat is cut much shorter in overall height and tapers to the back whereas the male hat is basically rectangular when they are laid flat.

[Papabird]

I've noticed the difference in the pictures, but as there is no accompanying textual description of the gap, didn't consider it prescriptive. AFI 36-2903 states nothing regarding degree of gap either. No Air Force personnel I've spoken with indicate one way or the other. I'm beginning to suspect the circumstances of a photo shoot have dictated someone's understanding of the proper wear of the cap.

I have heard that males should have the top of their flight cap closed since before the female flight cap even existed, let alone that picture.  It is not based on that picture is my point.

[Eclipse]

AAFES catalog shows enlisted female cap open, but when you look at them flat they are much more curved as mentioned
above.

[lordmonar]

Oh my bad.....I thought the question was about females wear the male flight cap.

Yes...the female flight cap.....worn by females is open.   When females wear the male flight cap....it is closed.

[Tim Day]

Oh my bad.....I thought the question was about females wear the male flight cap.

Yes...the female flight cap.....worn by females is open.   When females wear the male flight cap....it is closed.

Well, what do you know about that... ok, given that there's no verbiage in either AFI 36-2903 or CAPM 39-1 regarding "closed" or "open" what is the degree of closed or openness you look for during inspections? That is, let's say the member's flight cap is worn such that it meets all the criteria listed: worn slightly to the wearer's right, vertical creases of the cap in line with the center of the forehead and in a straight line with the nose, cap extends approximately 1 inch from the eyebrows in the front, opening of cap is to the rear.

Do you merely eyeball the open/closed state or is there some AF gouge?

[lordmonar]

I use my eye ball.....if it is male....and it is too open....hat is too small.  If it the female hat and it is too closed.....the hat it too big, or not being worn correctly over the hair.

As for the USAF pilot crush.....yes they do wear that here on Nellis......I don't let my cadets do it.

[ProdigalJim]

Oh my bad.....I thought the question was about females wear the male flight cap.

Yes...the female flight cap.....worn by females is open.   When females wear the male flight cap....it is closed.

Well, what do you know about that... ok, given that there's no verbiage in either AFI 36-2903 or CAPM 39-1 regarding "closed" or "open" what is the degree of closed or openness you look for during inspections? That is, let's say the member's flight cap is worn such that it meets all the criteria listed: worn slightly to the wearer's right, vertical creases of the cap in line with the center of the forehead and in a straight line with the nose, cap extends approximately 1 inch from the eyebrows in the front, opening of cap is to the rear.

Do you merely eyeball the open/closed state or is there some AF gouge?

Jeeze, Tim, are you leave today or something? 

[Tim Day]

Jeeze, Tim, are you leave today or something? 

Snow day sir! I actually did go in, but it was very dead. So now I'm undergoing a little professional development.

Thanks to lordmonar and Al Sayre I think I've made another step in looking less like a Naval Aviator pretending to be a CAP Officer. I've already fixed the habitual "fin" or what was referenced here as a "fish tail" or "Pilot Crush" (which I don't let our cadets do either). Fingers still twitch every time I put the cap on. Today I've learned that the AF cares about the gap at the top of the cap, just not enough to write it down.

[NIN]

My "fighter jock flight cap wear" example always came from the Thunderbirds team photos going back, well, forever.

Examples:
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSIEovkPAnXLMeIBw0M9Wgma8Yq7OODYSGEkA44xwNxFkrzJkbziQ





and the most obvious one:

[NIN]

Then you have these guys:

But you can count on the Jarhead on the team to keep it real: