4th Level

I could swear I saw one of your guys wearing what appeared to be a lightweight uniform jacket. It looks like a great alternative to the leather which is more of a liability than an asset. I would love to get something like that here at SWA, and would like any info you have on it - vendor etc.
Pic's would be awesome too....

Thanks in advance

Pelican

That is called our "transition" jacket ie season transitions. It is a great concept and don't have our vendor information for you but wouldn't suggest it anyway...the jacket doesn't breathe and you end up sweating to death in it. A lot of guys just buy cheap costco, northface, or even our company logo jacket that look close enough and get away with it. It is a nice option when you're in fairbanks one night and Maui the next. The leather jackets look great but are a pain in the arse. Just make sure you do some research and find something that breathes!!! Also...I heard our president of flight ops HATES them (former delta guy) and wants to get rid of them all together...probably prefers the double breasted look over the northface look, I dunno.

AltoCumulus

My only beef with the "official" jacket is the cost. $100+ for a $50 jacket. Other than that I love the jacket. It's supposed to be transitional but I use it all winter long too...and I'm Anchorage based so it's been especially awesome when you got a Bethel and KOA during the same 4 day trip. A lot of guys bring these big huge jackets but they are a pain to use it only during two mintes of walk-around on one turn. I layer with our "transition" jacket on top.

Thrill

Jacket by Grundens

WGJ200

Much prefer it over a leather jacket or the blazer.

here: Weather Gage Jacket Black

4th Level

Thanks for the info guys. Like many, I've taken to the "incognito lightweight jacket" when waiting for the van, walking out of the terminal etc. Unfortunately, the powers that be have decided that riding in a crew van with a plain windbreaker on somehow looks unprofessional (how can you look unprofessional if they can't tell your profession?). So that's why I'm trying to get some info (preferably a pic) of what your transition jacket looks like to show them. Thanks again.

mike734

I too like the incognito look. I don't wear anything that looks like a uniform until I leave the crew room and then immediately remove my tie for the whole flight. After the last flight I put on the plain jacket and make my way home. As far as anyone else (management) I'm a deadheading crew, off duty and none of their business.

DakBroadbent

I sympathize with the desire to blend in, at times ("So...How long have you been a PILOT? What's your route?" How do they ALL know the same list of questions? It's a conspiracy...)
BUT! I think we, as a profession, make a mistake when we voluntarily erase our own 'brand,' particularly during the Rise Of The Drones (watch the Daily Show episode featuring the author, and look for her mention of UPS and FedEx...). The general public is as clueless as ever about what we do (other than that they may want to encourage their kids to apply elsewhere, in many cases), so all they see of us is the, thankfully, rare news coverage of 'another' drunk pilot. I think we should wear our uniforms at work for the same reason we would wear them on the picket line: visible presence. Oh, and subtract the earbuds and backpack. ...Dons asbestos suit and backs rapidly from the room...

AltoCumulus

I don't think being seen in crew vans will help much with that.

What I think WOULD help with that is getting off the company line the companies are on about "how safe flying is" etc. etc.

What our message should be is "flying is dangerous...damn near suicide but for the exprienced profesionals at the pointy end of the jet!"

Alaska just had a 1 in a Billion flame out of an engine at cruise half way between SEA and ANC...what do we (the pilot profesion) do...hah, it's not a big deal, we train for this stuff all the time, any crew would have been able to handle it, it was at cruise...blah blah blah.

Once it was obvious it wasn't a "pilot induceded" flameout (within 24 hours in this case) ALPA should have immediatelly flight-pay-lossed the two pilots and put them on a tour of the morning shows, oprah. It should have been immediatelly pointed out how bad things COULD have easily went. How treacharous the weather/terrain conditions are in SE Alaska...etc. etc. Thank god there was 30,000+ 737 hours with 2,000+ operations on this very route for this crew.

When we ask for a raise the reaction from the public should be..."for god sake, give them what they want"...not the current "why do they get paid so much money, all they do is push the 'g' 'o' button.

The pubic has no idea what we do...and that is our fault. You never hear complaints about how much brain surgeons make.

DakBroadbent

I agree, AC. And no, I didn't mean in the crew van!