Wearing the flight suit to weekly meetings...

[jb512]

I've seen both sides of the argument here and as far as I've read, the decision is up to the CC, and it can only be worn to and from with necessary stops in-between.

[thefischNX01]

IMO, if you're aircrew and you're active I think it should be allowed.  Everybody says it's 

But it is hard to maintain a pressed and clean appearance in it, so i understand the argument that it should be banned from the weekly meeting. 

[RiverAux]

Tough one -- I think it is just as appropriate as a BDU for a meeting -- one is the working uniform for ground teams and the other is the working uniform for the aircrews. I prefer it to the golf shirts which are coming to dominate my squadron.   

[jb512]

Tough one -- I think it is just as appropriate as a BDU for a meeting -- one is the working uniform for ground teams and the other is the working uniform for the aircrews. I prefer it to the golf shirts which are coming to dominate my squadron.   

That's kinda what I was thinking.

[MIKE]

Against, unless you will be flying to/from or during meeting as part of duties.  Not appropriate for just hanging out in because you are flight crew.

[CadetProgramGuy]

In my opinion, flightsuits are for flying activities, not for meetings.  However comma, if you aer planning on flying before or after your meeting, then by all means wear the suit.

While I am on this topic, I believe that the Golf Shirt is not an appropriate meeting uniform either.

[BillB]

If it's so appropriate, why does 39-1 limit its wear to flying activities?

[mikeylikey]

It was allowed in my SQD for aircrews for weekly meetings if they were doing anything flight related.  Since we had a number of aircrew members, we broke the membership up into ground team and flight "team" sections.  Flight section was led by an air ops officer and ground section was led by a ground ops officer.  WE all got together at the beginning and end of the meeting but rarely saw the groups together any other time.  No reason for aircrews not to wear the duty uniform that is prescribed, and everyone else on the ground to wear BDU's.  Not saying it was right, but was military and practical.

[RiverAux]

Where in 39-1 does it prohibit wearing flight suits at meetings or alternatively specifically only allow them to be worn while flying?  Not being sarcastic, just looking for a citation.

As long as 39-1 2.1(b) says

c. The battle dress uniform (camouflage fatigue uniform) is worn when it is impractical or inappropriate to wear the service uniforms.

and the BDU is worn by cadets at 3/4 of their meetings, I think it would be hard to say that flight suits couldn't be worn.  After all, cadets aren't doing anything at most meetings that couldn't be done in service uniforms. 

[JohnKachenmeister]

I know the regulation says its only for flying.  But when you're a pilot, being a cool pilot trumps regulations.

[CadetProgramGuy]

I know the regulation says its only for flying.  But when you're a pilot, being a cool pilot trumps regulations.

^^^Darn good Point. when I used to wear my Blie Flight suit, i was mistaken for the State Patrol's Pilots.......

[Trung Si Ma]

I know the regulation says its only for flying.  But when you're a pilot, being a cool pilot trumps regulations.

And the USAF lets their aircrew where the bag even if they're not going anywhere near an aircraft.

[MIKE]

Not always. See AFI 36-2903.

[Trung Si Ma]

I don't have a copy of the AFI, but there are no USAF a/c on Fort Sill and ALL of the USAF field grades wears bags everyday.  Since they are the official, hand picked, USAF reps to the land component fire support school, I must believe that they aren't all violating the applicable regs.

Funny, I didn't see any a/c at the five sided zoo on the Potomac two weeks ago either - but there sure were a lot of field grades and GO's running around in bags.  Is that AFI enforced?

[Stonewall]

I know the regulation says its only for flying.  But when you're a pilot, being a cool pilot trumps regulations.

Kach, I don't even know you but I like you.   I'd love to be in a squadron with you...

On topic...

I've be at squadrons where they meet at the airfield and flying was practically a part of nightly meetings.  We'd often offer O-Flights prior to meetings, before it got dark.  At that same squadron, even when flying wasn't taking place, it always had potential to.  So if there is a possibility for a mission, and you're aircrew, why not?  It's happened more than once.  It's kind of like being a high speed GTM and not having your BDUs and gear in your car on a blues night.

I've also met at a squadron that wasn't anywhere close to an airfield or our planes.  Those guys wanted to wear flight suits and I said no.  If they were teaching AE and were an aircrew member, cool.  If not, uniform of the day.  Then I had the tough guys that said, if I can't wear my flightsuit I'll show up in civvies.  I said, no, you won't show up at all.  

Another deal is when the seniors (aircrew) meet seperately from the cadets.  They can wear what they want, but I'd rather them be in flight suits than shorts.

[RiverAux]

I really would like to see the exact citation that says flight suits may only be worn while flying....  again, not saying it doesn't exist - just haven't found it myself.

[JohnKachenmeister]

"Flying activities" to me includes "Thinking about flying."

[capchiro]

What opinions do we have regarding cadets wearing flight suits on orientation flighs and/or on aerospace education nights?  Does it make a difference if they have any type of CAP recognized wings??     

[MIKE]

Depends how you define Flight Crews Only.

[Stonewall]

What opinions do we have regarding cadets wearing flight suits on orientation flighs and/or on aerospace education nights?  Does it make a difference if they have any type of CAP recognized wings??     

As a cadet, I had a flight suit that I got for free from my neighbor, a Navy pilot.  Personally, I don't have a problem with cadets wearing a flight suit on o-flights, but that's it.  The last thing I want is some parent buying their cadet a $100 flight suit, or even worse, a $25 flight suit that defeats the purpose.

As for squadron meetings, I'm against cadets wearing flight suits.  It's no different than a cadet wearing a beret to a squadron meeting, it ain't the same.  Not to mention, most cadets wouldn't qualify to be "air crew", until they're 18.