CFI Who Wears Shorts

Checkride? I always wore khaki pants, and a nice button up or polo shirt.

As a CFI you have a couple options. You can wear nice slacks and dress shirt, and look professional in the FBO, but then look ridiculous when you get out of the plane covered in sweat stains, or you could just wear clean shorts and a clean polo\tshirt like most people do. You're not going for Mr. Airline Pilot in a skyhawk while instructing. You can still look professional and be comfortable in shorts and a tee.
 
Gah! The heat index is 104°F today and will probably top 110°F in Texas.

I can't imagine wearing anything other than shorts during a day of pattern work and ground reference manuevers. By 11AM the khakis and polo shirt would be a wilted, sopping mess.
 
Champcar said:
I never wore shorts or sandals as a student in Arizona. The way I looked at it is if I had an accident the last thing I wanted to do was work my way out of a shredded bear can with exposed legs. Same idea with sandals, if I needed to put the airplane down in the middle of no where and do some hiking better have some shoes on.

Crazy right?
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I agree with wearing shoes. Pants over shorts, though? Nah. Lots of people who talk about the "safety" of wearing pants over shorts end up wearing polyester, which is a great way to burn yourself badly if you end up on fire.
 
swisspilot said:
My Uniform:

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for some reason, I was expecting lederhosen
 
What a bunch of pansies! I was required to wear either a uniform or a shirt & tie with dress pants when I was flight instructing in the grueling heat of south Florida. I survived. Wasn't always fun in the middle of summer, but flying around a 1900 in that heat wasn't that much better, either.

Shorts aren't appropriate for a work environment. Pure cotton chinos (Dockers) breathe well and will keep you looking professional without sweating too much. The "uniform" that AllATPs has their instructors wear is perfect. Khakis and short-sleeve button-up shirt. If you're dying of heat exhaustion in that, then you're a wuss.
 
Yeah, I'm going to listen to what "prozac pilot" has to say. What a fool. I got through the first few sentences, and just couldn't read anymore. I think he needs to up his meds.
 
dasleben said:
I agree with wearing shoes. Pants over shorts, though? Nah. Lots of people who talk about the "safety" of wearing pants over shorts end up wearing polyester, which is a great way to burn yourself badly if you end up on fire.
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Very true. Anything polyester is very bad in a crash. That's why I try to find trousers that match the uniform color but are 100% wool. Wool won't melt and stick to your skin like polyester will. The only problem is the shirt. I've never been able to find a 100% cotton pilot shirt. I'm to the point of thinking of having them custom made.
 
Always dress at least business casual for a checkride but for a CFI ride, especially at the FSDO, I would strongly recommend a tie; you want to be at least as well dressed as your examiner and the odds are good that they will be wearing one. For work, if you don't have a flight school that dictates what you wear: khakis and a polo. If the temps are above 90 I see no problem with shorts.
 
ATN_Pilot said:
Very true. Anything polyester is very bad in a crash. That's why I try to find trousers that match the uniform color but are 100% wool. Wool won't melt and stick to your skin like polyester will. The only problem is the shirt. I've never been able to find a 100% cotton pilot shirt. I'm to the point of thinking of having them custom made.
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Wool is awesome in the summer, it also dries faster if you get caught in an afternoon T-storm on the ramp.

You will not find 100% cotton pilot shirts because they wrinkle too much and they won`t last as long, the Landerwood are the closest I have found to 100% cotton http://www.landerwoodshirts.com/

When I went to Indonesia you were able to get your pilot shirt made custom just outside the pilots medical facility, they were 100% cotton and cheap, 20$, many pilots had to buy several since wearing and washing them daily was harsh on them.
 
That store is awesome, if you happen to be in KMIA, there is an other place down the road too, Cargo and Panam ramp side, tons of pilot uniform stuff. My girlfriends company got their uniform custom made there, nice customer service too.

Most South American pilots shop for their uniforms there. I found some cheap wool pants made in USA at a cop store on the way to North Perry Aiport (north MIA), not far from the baseball stadium. I felt a bit weird, I was like the only one in there that didn`t deposited a gun at the entrance :eek:, went there to get some Bates shoes and found those uniform pants, they also have wool socks..
 
Checkrides always wore dress pants, dress shirt and tie. Except one because it was on Christmas eve so I showed up as buddy the elf

Instucting shorts and polo
 
As an instructor: shorts and a company polo (as weather dictated).

For checkrides: slacks, collared shirt, tie. First thing my examiner always said (in Florida), "Thanks for dressing the part, now lose the tie and unbutton the collar."
 
My CFI usually wears some shorts and a T-shirt or a polo shirt. I don't have a problem with it. When I get my CFI and instruct around here at these small airports (South/central Alabama) I will probably wear the same thing during the summer. I can see the reason for instructors that instruct at a large flight school wearing maybe something like khakis and a polo shirt, but wearing a full "airline pilot suit" with epaulets and everything on their shoulders is just crazy.
 
UH60andU206 said:
Took my instrument ride in a full Amish outfit. Beard, hat with cutouts for the headset, and all. Figured why not have a little fun. Examiner thought it was a riot. Glad I didn't bomb. Brainstorming now for what my costume will be for the commercial.

Brett
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