Pilots and Tattoos

I've bee to about 5 airline interviews and I have never been asked if I have a tattoo. I have one on my arm. It starts at the shoulder and runs 2/3rds the way to the elbow. I have never had any problems wearing a short sleeve shirt. Just have them covered at the interview and you will be fine.

You should be fine with a short sleeve shirt and a watch, once you hit the line as well. Unless you plan on walking around the terminal with your arms above your head, no passenger will really notice it.

Someone mentioned about the FA's not having tattoos. In my experience pilots are allowed a lot more leeway(??) than the flight attendants in almost every aspect.
 
Two tats I would consider. One, a ring tat where my wedding band goes (yeah yeah yeah I know it's a jinx or something), and two a list of initials, tail numbers, and dates on my shoulder blade of friends who've died flying airplanes.
 
GypsyPilot said:
I'm in my mid-30s and just don't get it. No tats, no piercings, not interested. Quite honestly, I think tats have become totally mainstream, and make most tatted up people look like they're following the crowd. People like me ARE the rebellious ones now.
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Especially in Seattle nowadays. I feel like everyone and their mothers have half-sleeves, and Don Draper haircuts; they all look the same!
 
907 said:
Especially in Seattle nowadays. I feel like everyone and their mothers have half-sleeves, and Don Draper haircuts; they all look the same!
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Im ok with that compared to the men's short shorts trend that is going on right now. Shorts arent too common in Seattle though. Here in Vegas its all of the above, but with short shorts. I have to admit I have the Don Draper hair cut minus the ultra shine, grease look.
 
907 said:
Especially in Seattle nowadays. I feel like everyone and their mothers have half-sleeves, and Don Draper haircuts; they all look the same!
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Yeah, we have that in Denver too. Lots of hipsters, and they are total conformists. It's pretty funny!
 
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As a 40-something physician, I feel a need to make an editorial comment about trends (tattoos in this case): A trend is no longer worth following, nor is it "cool" any longer when grandmas are doing it. Since I perform back injections and a few other procedures, I can assure you that grandma is definitely wearing tattoos these days.

Another thing: when you are older, greyer and slightly more senile, you will look really lame with the faded dolphin-turned-whale tattoo on your belly/butt/tramp stamp area while the CNA assigned to wipe your butt snickers quietly to themselves about your ridiculous tattoo.
 
ozone said:
As a 40-something physician, I feel a need to make an editorial comment about trends (tattoos in this case): A trend is no longer worth following, nor is it "cool" any longer when grandmas are doing it. Since I perform back injections and a few other procedures, I can assure you that grandma is definitely wearing tattoos these days.

Another thing: when you are older, greyer and slightly more senile, you will look really lame with the faded dolphin-turned-whale tattoo on your belly/butt/tramp stamp area while the CNA assigned to wipe your butt snickers quietly to themselves about your ridiculous tattoo.
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I don't doubt it Doc! I really need to figure out a way to invest in the tattoo removal industry - I have no doubt it will be absolutely booming in the next 5-10 years.
 
Cherokee_Cruiser said:
Can't help but notice most of these posts above start off with "a pilot (at a medium / large regional) has...."

I wonder at what point in a person's life they start regretting that full arm tattoo. Sounds like a good idea in your teens and 20s, but......
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I'm in my 50's and I am Samoan, (tattoos are a big part of our culture), I have full sleeves and I'm working on shorts that stop right below the knees. Got my first at 18 and still going. I'm not a working pilot yet and starting at my age I will never make it to a top tier 121 carrier but I have worked in hospitality and for a few companies that forbid visible ink and it's never been a problem, a long sleeve shirt and pants cover them up. I've never had a potential employer ask me to remove my shirt, (and trust me, none of us wants to be subjected to that) for an interview. I do live in Hawaii so the summers can be a little warm but it's totally doable.
 
My problem with one would be that if I got one, you're damned right I'd want you to see it. Why the hell would I endure the pain of getting one just to cover it up?
 
tonyw said:
My problem with one would be that if I got one, you're damned right I'd want you to see it. Why the hell would I endure the pain of getting one just to cover it up?
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That's one reason I've never understood the artwork people get on their back. I got a piece done on my shoulder/upper arm last year. It wraps around my arm a little bit, but at least I can see the whole thing without looking in a mirror. That said, it does stay covered most of the time.
 
I've always wanted a tattoo, but for the life of me, I haven't been able to think of anything I'd like enough to leave on my body for the rest of my life. I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago, I can't fathom making an aesthetic choice now and still liking it as much in another decade.

But I think, and this is purely assumption, that people who get tattoos have to keep convincing themselves and the world that they don't regret their choices.
 
GypsyPilot said:
I don't doubt it Doc! I really need to figure out a way to invest in the tattoo removal industry - I have no doubt it will be absolutely booming in the next 5-10 years.
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My research indicates that the best way is to open up your own shop. You can get a top quality laser for under $10k, and you can even get ones that double as a hair removal laser to do both in the same shop to open up both revenue streams. I figure I could probably get one going for under $35k all-in, including the cost of getting the employee trained who will do the removal.
 
I have a few Tattoos, all are on my legs, easily visible in shorts, and covered by pants of course. works great!
 
I find it amusing that anyone cares what sort of ink-products someone else has injected in to their skin.

Like everything else, it'll be cool, then uncool, then cool again, etc etc ad infinitum. Ask the Vikings, or some salty old China-Sailor, or, hey, yeah, the Samoans about what a tattoo says about a person. It'll probably be different from what you or I think. It's like spending your time worrying about how someone else wears their hat...do you earnestly have no better way to spend your time?
 
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