ATC Attire

Tonight I'm wearing a green hoodie, NATCA convention T shirt, jeans and a pair of green Tiger Onitsuka shoes, exactly like I went to work in at 11am. The contractual language is "Appropriate for the conduct of government business." Whatever that means in a career where you're pretty much sequestered from public view. Others choose to dress more business casual. Some take it a step further and wear the clothes they cut the grass in. I can't imagine a professional pilot walking in, noticing I'm wearing jeans and his only takeaway is "Next time I hear that guy, I'm doing the opposite of what he says!"

Tshirts, jeans, shorts, flip flops, sweats, none of it is prohibited. I work with someone who when in the TRACON will wear a snuggie 6 months out of the year when vectoring. If I, someone you'll never meet, wore a suit you never saw, for a public that doesn't know what a TRACON is, I'm not sure what the advantage is. Kinda like a freight dog hauling boxes not wearing a complete airline pilot uni. I'm pretty sure the boxes don't care if the pilot is wearing shorts. As for me, he can wear ass less chaps and if he sounds like he has a grasp of what he's doing, great!

Edit to add two things.

We wore business casual during the white book imposed contract from '06 to '09. Hopefully I'll never do that again. At my facility we all wore orange on Wednesdays, referred to the TRACON as Home Depot and said things like "Man, the plumbing isle was busy today." in protest.

The other thing is supervisors wear ties. Phrases such as so and so put on a tie have distinct meaning. I've worked with supes who were phenomenal human beings as well as stellar controllers, but by and large a line controller with pride in their work doesn't want to be one or look like one.
 
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We wore business casual during the white book imposed contract from '06 to '09. Hopefully I'll never do that again. At my facility we all wore orange on Wednesdays, referred to the TRACON as Home Depot and said things like "Man, the plumbing isle was busy today." in protest.
LOL!

A manager I rarely work with asked me to wear collard shirts. Everytime I do a morning shift with him, I wear one of about 8 former Outback Steakhouse uniforms a friend gave me when they switched uniforms. They vary in colors(olive, red, baby blue), range from size medium to XXL, and apparently make me look like a serial killer.
 
We have had all kinds of shirts made up here. One says,"Keep calm and vector on." The latest is one that says, "overtime" on the front and "it's my RDO and I'm stuck here" on the back to vent about mandatory six day workweeks.
 
We wore business casual during the white book imposed contract from '06 to '09. Hopefully I'll never do that again. At my facility we all wore orange on Wednesdays, referred to the TRACON as Home Depot and said things like "Man, the plumbing isle was busy today." in protest.

The other thing is supervisors wear ties. Phrases such as so and so put on a tie have distinct meaning. I've worked with supes who were phenomenal human beings as well as stellar controllers, but by and large a line controller with pride in their work doesn't want to be one or look like one.

Doesn't really sound like any kind of protest to me, more like you're having some fun and laughing about the situation.

Wearing ties as a supervisor isn't mandatory, it depends on the facility manager. If someone wants to move on and be a supervisor, I don't see anything wrong with that. Some people get bored and want to try new things.
 
I flew a business jet yesterday in blue jeans. Today I flew the same jet in blue jeans AND Nikes!!!!!! When it gets warm again you will likely find me in the same Nikes but with shorts!!!! The horror! Initiate heart attack in 3…2…1...

You do realize the above is the leading cause of why planes crash, and hence why you're dangerous?

Something for you to think about.





:D
 
Newb controller here. I got a talking to about a week in at my facility to stop wearing shirts with collars. Its pretty lax where I am at. Just took some getting used to on my part.
 
Why would anyone care what another person is wearing? Especially if you'll never actually lay eyes on them. Jealousy?
 
Tower: Airplane123 join left downwind for runway 5
Airplane123: Are you wearing leather pants?
Tower:....
Airplane123: Then no.

Tower: Airplane 123, taxi into position and hold.
Airplane 123: Are you wearing ass less chaps and holding a whip?
Tower: No
Airplane 123: I can cut you some slack on the whip, but you've got to have the ass less chaps.

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I did a tour of MSY tower a few years ago and the only guy up there went by 'Porkchop' and wore a Pink Floyd T-Shirt, basketball shorts and sandals. The best part was that he shaved the right side of his head and face but not the left. Pretty awesome.
 
I don't see what the big problem is , I mean controllers aren't professionals like pilots are.........right ?

LOVE
OG

P.S. my best vectoring was when I wasn't wearing any pants.................its so freeing!!!!!
 
P.S. my best vectoring was when I wasn't wearing any pants.................its so freeing!!!!!

"Airplane 123, turn right to 180, climb and maintain 8,000 and if you're cool like me, you'll do it without pants!"
 
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