Are pilots really not allowed to wear bushy beards?!
Pilots are those role models in the sky that children often model into stars. And also the adults who sit exemplary in our airplane seats. They are often seen parading around the airport, but you are likely to see few pilots with bushy beards or. any beard at all.
Why aren't pilots allowed to have beards?
There are two reasons why most airlines do not allow beards for pilots. At the time, most pilots started their careers with commercial airlines after retiring from the Navy or air force. And while there are flight academies these days, a number of airlines still follow military dress and grooming rules. This means short hair and no facial hair, with exceptions being rare in the Army and Navy segments of the US military.
Airlines in the US can otherwise set their own rules regarding pilot beards. But most major airlines do not allow their pilots to wear beards. Not even goatees, although some allow a neatly trimmed mustache that doesn't reach below the corners of the mouth. Sideburns are also allowed, but they must be trimmed to the middle of the ear and not too bushy. Similar rules also apply to cabin crew, i.e. flight attendants.
Another reason for this is security. In addition to military practices, airlines also rely on a 1987 FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) advisory relating facial hair to the safety of oxygen masks. In the event of an emergency on board, when the oxygen masks are activated, it is up to the crew to land the plane safely. Oxygen masks must be put on quickly and correctly to remain conscious and composed in an emergency. Beards could be a hindrance in this. The FAA report states that beards reduce the effectiveness of oxygen masks.
And how about today?
Ever since then, technological developments and improvements in air traffic communications have made air traffic significantly safer. Today, most airlines have equipped their cockpits with masks that can be quickly put on and cover the entire face. This, in turn, makes fitting the mask easier and faster and is less susceptible to leaks and incorrect fitting of the mask.
