AW Pilot Uniform

[PropPiedmont]

I can see why its mostly the newer generation of pilots that hate hats. after all the hats represent the old airline way of life, when pilots carried respect with them, when you actually wanted to wear the hat as a badge of honor (for lack of a better word) as a previous poster has said. When people looked up to pilots in the airports with admiration.(I did anyway) Now many of the newer pilots have no respect for the profession or what it used to stand for. Management certainly has no respect for any of us, nor do many of the pax. Pilots are now almost embarrased to wear the uniform that was once the source of so much pride.
I am certainly not for running around in a uniform on days off, but how do you feel when you have to stop for gas on the way to or from work? Do you strip off all identifying marks? Why? The job has changed, and most of it is for the worse. It would be very nice to bring this profession back from the levels it has sunken to.

I'm not ashamed to be an airline pilot. I have no military connection and soon the majority of management pilots will not either. The hat we wear has military roots. It was brought over with all the retired pilots from the service when the airlines began. The airlines SOPs were originally drafted from military (gov't) guidelines.

That generation is about to pass. It's time for new uniform policies. If I had a background in the armed forces I'm sure I would gladly wear my hat. I just don't see self respect as the difference between wearing it or not.

I choose to wear short sleeve shirts most often too. Does that mean that I have no respect for the job either? Or does it mean that I just feel more comfortable in short sleeves?