Wearing the flight suit to weekly meetings...

[JohnKachenmeister]

If a cadet had enough on the ball to earn a pilot's license and get his wings while still a cadet and less than 18, I say he should be allowed to join the "Cool pilot's club."  Even with his own coffee cup with the squadron logo and a sexy nickname.

[CadetProgramGuy]

Midway Six has it right.....They have a Pilot naming Ceremony.....

[ddelaney103]

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

Cite reference, please.

I just rolled back and forth through CAPM 39-1 a couple of times and I can see no reference concerning flight suit wear other than the stuff about not on AF flights and

Flight Crew members wearing the green Air Force flight suit may make only essential stops en route to and from the duty performance site. If a stop is essential, members must meet the proper standards of neatness, cleanliness, and military image.

Your meeting location is your "duty performance site."  This is like the AF - I work in an office where the pilots and missileers wear bags all the time, even though the chance of flash fires in the cube farm is low.

Granted, I may have missed the reference - the blood flowing from my eyes did make it hard to see sometimes. ;^)

[Hawk200]

You know, if the flightsuits aren't authorized at meetings, then the blue jumpsuit shouldn't be either. It looks like one to the unitiated.

BTW, how often was Pineda seen wearing a flightsuit when he wasn't actually flying? He sponsored the restriction, didn't he?

[jb512]

This has been pretty interesting.  Some like it and some don't but no one has posted a reg against it.  Looks like it is ok to authorize.

[O-Rex]

CAP offers a variety of costumes with many flavors to choose from: Aux on, Civil Air Patrol, Inc., and "oops, I forgot to shave!"

With so many options to choose from, members should have no problem wearing the right one for the right purpose.

When I've visited units as a Group and as a Wing Staff Member, I usually find out what the locals are wearing, and blend in.

. . . . .but I've never worn the "bag" to a meeting.

[RiverAux]

The only thing I can come up with is 39-1 Table 1.1 Note 1:

NOTES:
1. The National Commander and other commanders may specify the wear of a particular uniform type for the purpose of achieving a uniform appearance at squadron, group, wing, region, and national functions. However, all commanders must be mindful of the objective of attaining a neatly uniformed appearance at a minimum of personal expense to the individual member and will consequently refrain from imposing unreasonable uniform requirements.

which would allow local "bans" on flight suits at meetings if the commander wanted. 

[IceNine]

There is a fundamental factor here that has been lost somewhere in transition.  Uniform... (everybody absorb and think about that word)...  Ok moving on showing up to a meeting in anything other than the UOD is unacceptable.  There are alternatives to all AF style uniforms so there is not excuse that "I don't meet regs".  There are obvious exceptions If you parked your Airplane outside the meeting hanger ok wear your zoom bag,  If you are teaching a uniform class and it is pertinant to show the bag wear it.  Other than that UOD...Period

[wingnut]

We require the Flight suit when flying Microsoft Flight Simulator, It goes along wih the realism. If the pilot crashes I have a can of Hair spray and a Lighter, best darn crash simulation in CAP.


PS: I can also sniff out those FAKE cotton Bags.

Captain Wingnut

Well I am off on a 4 day archer mission, and will be working the landing of the Space shuttle next week for CAP. You all eat your hearts out

[SJFedor]

BTW, how often was Pineda seen wearing a flightsuit when he wasn't actually flying? He sponsored the restriction, didn't he?

Pineda has done many things that don't make sense. For some reason he wears wings, yet is not a rated CAP pilot or Mission Observer. Check his ops quals.

[Major Carrales]

BTW, how often was Pineda seen wearing a flightsuit when he wasn't actually flying? He sponsored the restriction, didn't he?

Pineda has done many things that don't make sense. For some reason he wears wings, yet is not a rated CAP pilot or Mission Observer. Check his ops quals.

I heard...

One doesn't have to currently be rated to wear the wings, only have done so in the past.  Thus, if I earned a Mission Observer Rating in 1998, and lapsed those quals.  I can wear the wings.

Does one have to remove badges from your uniform should you lapse?  Once a "WINGED" CAP Pilot...always one?

[Stonewall]

I heard...

One doesn't have to currently be rated to wear the wings, only have done so in the past.  Thus, if I earned a Mission Observer Rating in 1998, and lapsed those quals.  I can wear the wings.

Does one have to remove badges from your uniform should you lapse?  Once a "WINGED" CAP Pilot...always one?

Yeah, that's my understanding as well.  I haven't flown a mission, training or real, in like 5 years.  No interest in doing so either.  Just not my cup of tea.  But I still have a set of observer wings sewn to a set of BDUs.  To me, it's no different than an AF pilot turned desk jockey.  Once you've earned them you always wear them.  I see no harm in it.

[Major Carrales]

Yeah, that's my understanding as well.  I haven't flown a mission, training or real, in like 5 years.  No interest in doing so either.  Just not my cup of tea.  But I still have a set of observer wings sewn to a set of BDUs.  To me, it's no different than an AF pilot turned desk jockey.  Once you've earned them you always wear them.  I see no harm in it.

I was looking in regs to support this, however, I could not find it.  MIKE, a little help please. 

[Stonewall]

Yeah, that's my understanding as well.  I haven't flown a mission, training or real, in like 5 years.  No interest in doing so either.  Just not my cup of tea.  But I still have a set of observer wings sewn to a set of BDUs.  To me, it's no different than an AF pilot turned desk jockey.  Once you've earned them you always wear them.  I see no harm in it.

I was looking in regs to support this, however, I could not find it.  MIKE, a little help please. 

I just looked at 35-6 and 39-1.  There are only regulations what is required to earn/wear the badge and how to wear it.  It says nothing about removing badges if your qualifications expire.

[Major Carrales]

I just looked at 35-6 and 39-1.  There are only regulations what is required to earn/wear the badge and how to wear it.  It says nothing about removing badges if your qualifications expire.

The phrasing of the Senior and Master ratings seem to be phrased as...

Have been an active flying CAP mission observer for 3 years (this service need not be continuous).

The "have been," would cover that.  But, that is moot since everyone knows CAPM 39-1 is the "sole source for wear instructions and authorized items for various uniform combinations as prescribed within."  RESISTANCE IS FUTILE...oops, I mean... "COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PUBLICATION IS MANDATORY"

[JayT]

You know, if the flightsuits aren't authorized at meetings, then the blue jumpsuit shouldn't be either. It looks like one to the unitiated.

BTW, how often was Pineda seen wearing a flightsuit when he wasn't actually flying? He sponsored the restriction, didn't he?

Blue and Green flight suits are PPE. The Blue jumpsuit is a utility uniform.

[RiverAux]

There is a fundamental factor here that has been lost somewhere in transition.  Uniform... (everybody absorb and think about that word)...  Ok moving on showing up to a meeting in anything other than the UOD is unacceptable.  There are alternatives to all AF style uniforms so there is not excuse that "I don't meet regs".  There are obvious exceptions If you parked your Airplane outside the meeting hanger ok wear your zoom bag,  If you are teaching a uniform class and it is pertinant to show the bag wear it.  Other than that UOD...Period

Not sure what your point is.  You're assuming that squadrons HAVE actually designated a uniform of the day for meetings and that it ISN"T the flight suit. 

From what I've seen in past threads it seems that most senior squadrons and senior sides of most composite squadrons don't actually designate an official UOD. 

[JohnKachenmeister]

BTW, how often was Pineda seen wearing a flightsuit when he wasn't actually flying? He sponsored the restriction, didn't he?

Pineda has done many things that don't make sense. For some reason he wears wings, yet is not a rated CAP pilot or Mission Observer. Check his ops quals.

I heard...

One doesn't have to currently be rated to wear the wings, only have done so in the past.  Thus, if I earned a Mission Observer Rating in 1998, and lapsed those quals.  I can wear the wings.

Does one have to remove badges from your uniform should you lapse?  Once a "WINGED" CAP Pilot...always one?

Yes.

Once you are awarded wings, it is a permanent award.  We have folk who lost their medicals years ago, but are still entitled to wear pilot wings.

Otherwise, you would have to tear the wings off your BDU's annually if you missed the 1-year date of your form 5 check, and sew them back on a week later when you get it in.

Wings are a permanent award.  Even if you never fly again after your first form 5. 

[Hawk200]

You know, if the flightsuits aren't authorized at meetings, then the blue jumpsuit shouldn't be either. It looks like one to the unitiated.

BTW, how often was Pineda seen wearing a flightsuit when he wasn't actually flying? He sponsored the restriction, didn't he?

Blue and Green flight suits are PPE. The Blue jumpsuit is a utility uniform.

CAP doesn't define anything as PPE, flightsuits are categorized as uniforms, that's all. And, utility uniform or not, it looks almost exactly like the flightsuit to many who don't know, even authorizing the same insignia.

We don't really have a legitimate use for one anyway, not with other uniforms available that accomplish the same purpose.

[Dragoon]

Virtually everywhere I've been, flight suits have been worn right along BDUs as daily garrison wear.

Of course, I've also seen USAF commanders mandate BDUs for certain occasions (like ceremonies).

I think CAP needs to update its policy to match what USAF is doing these days.  If folks are wearing BDUS AND the activity doesn't involve fieldwork AND you are rated aircrew AND it's not some special BDU only occasion...flight suits should be fine.

I've found that seniors in flight suits (green or blue) is much more of a recruiting draw to potential aviation minded seniors than any other uniform.