Hey, people....this is almost becoming a bashing session, aimed at anyone who smokes, drinks, goes to the club or doesn't wear a uniform while flight instructing.
What about the guy/gal that doesn't want to ever fly for an airline, and they just want to flight instruct. If that person is flight instructing in coastal North Carolina, in 90 degree heat, in a 152 in the bumps....I say let them where shorts and sandals! Is thatr really going to make a difference? If they're not looking to find a job at an airline, it shouldn't hurt them. Besides, just about everybody in coastal NC (or SC, or GA, of FL...) is wearing shorts and sandals in August.
Smoking? Well, I think that in recent years, people are becoming Californicized ( I have a right to say that...I was born, raised, and LOVE California, and I can't wait to get back to the place I spent 22 years...) - meaning that they have the "I don't smoke, so everyone who smokes is an a**hole" mentality. Now, I'm not a smoker, but I'm sure I have a habit or two that may drive other people crazy. And I agree 100% that if you're going to have to sit in a cockpit with someone for 14 hours a day, you need to ensure that it's...um, well....pleasant to be around you. But we all know that you can't always smell smoke on a person ALL the time, instantly....sometimes you need to be pretty close. We're really digging here, in the name of Professionalism.
Drinking? Man, I'll barely touch it. If you don't wanna drink, don't drink. Don't knock grown men and women who are old enough to legally and responsibly enjoy a drink or 5...whatever your limit is. Enough said.
Lastly, I don't know where people started on the "going to the club..." thing. If you wanna have no life, go ahead and be a looser. Myself, I like to have a good time, and I'm not an old man yet!!!