While we’re here, I’d like to add that ATP seems to “get it.” If you’ve got a guy busting his tail, is respectful, made it through all of his commercial ratings & is working on CFI stuff, and is giving the school a good name by passing his checkrides and being a good representation of the program, do you think they’re going to waste a bunch of time threatening him over his neatly trimmed beard that was grown during a gap in training?
Of course not. That seems like a common sense kind of approach to a pretty minuscule, easily fixable issue in the grand scheme of things.
My start date with ATP was the first time in a decade I was without a beard. I saw a guy on a Facebook career mentorship page who appeared to be an Orthodox Jew perhaps? Super long beard that he had grown for quite some time. He was hired by an airline and had to shave it off, and he posted a before & after pic. Incredible transformation.
My TC manager sends people home to shave stubble or takes a piece of tape and tapes a dull razor to their shirt as a reminder. Hasn’t happened to me yet… I miss my facial hair but flying is more fun
HA! No I’m not fascinated with facial hair. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve spent more time reading and re-reading everything on ATP’s site and these forums for the past many weeks — more than any other website ever. ATP’s dress code is fine, but the idea of being forced to shave every morning isn’t something to look forward to so when I saw his photo that looked like he hadn’t shaved all week, I thought that was more tolerable and maybe the ATP culture isn’t as strict as described on their website. I wasn’t aware that he had been away from ATP for a month.
If “the idea of being forced to shave every morning isn’t something to look forward to” is that bad you might want to re-think this whole pilot thing. I’ve seen MANY pilots pulled into the Chief Pilot’s office for too much Day 2 stuble. ATP was created to prepare pilots for the airlines. Proper grooming is part of it. While my airline allows my goatee, the rest of my face is baby bottom smooth.
Glad my 9 years in the Navy has prepared me for ATP. “High and Tight” and clean shave all day every day. Same issue with facial hair in the Navy due to donning oxygen mask for firefighting on the ship. Plus Grizzly Adams makes a poor representation of a professional business such as a airline. It also presents uniformity.
However when on leave in the military you rarely find a single guy with a clean shaven face until he is back on duty, lol.
Just dropping by to update everyone and let you know I passed my MEI initial today on the first attempt! The DPE shortage is very real, and due to a couple of scheduling conflicts, I am finished with my MEI after 6 weeks. It has been an incredible experience. I will give a much more comprehensive update once I’m done with my add ons, but I want to encourage anyone reading this that hard work pays off.
“Believe in yourself, and have dedication and pride and never quit, and you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards.” - Paul W.“Bear” Bryant
I’m hoping to be able to finish up my add ons within the next month or so. Holidays are coming up, so I’m anticipating a possible delay for that.
If I have the opportunity to instruct in Denver for ATP, I would really love to do that. Otherwise, I will likely explore other opportunities. I’m trying to keep an open mind about it all.
LOL, I have to second that. A pilot AND a beard? That would just be too unfair of an advantage! Glad you’re done with your MEI. I am expecting a Feb. 18 CFI class date. If all goes well…
Attaboy! You’re smoking this program. Your success will be widely referenced around here for quite some time. Preparation and hard work matter. I’ve got the CFII to take in a few days, and then I’ll be completely done. Whew!
Thanks buddy! I just got news that I will get slightly delayed (1 week) with my CFI start date but I will be in the inaugural class of CFI school at the DAB location. The rumors were all true!
