Airline Personnel Gear Key Terms

Learn the terms to help you properly dress your airline personnel

By Raechel L. Conover

Airline personnel must dress in uniform and meet certain criteria that helps them stand out from the passengers in flights. When selecting your airline personnel uniforms, know what you are requiring for their uniforms to make them look professional and be comfortable.

Understand the difference between a regular shirt and a pilot shirt. It is also important to know what shoulder tabs, epaulets, wings, flight socks and base layers are to help you outfit your airline personnel appropriately.

Pilot shirt

Pilot shirts are specially designed to meet the specific needs of airline pilots. They are made to be comfortable and durable, while maintaining their fresh look after hours of travel. They are made with special features such as shoulder tabs, epaulets, flap pockets and pencil slots all made with a stretchy material so pilots can reach for the controls to operate the plane.
Try: Landerwood Corporation explains why pilot shirts must be comfortable and stretchy to allow your pilots to operate the controls.

Epaulets

Epaulets worn on a pilots shirt are part of the uniform and worn to show rank. They are also called epaulettes, a shoulder bar or a pilots stripes.
Try: A Cut Above Uniforms has a great explanation of what epaulets are, how they are used to complete the pilots uniform and how they represent rank.

Piloti shoes

Piloti shoes were developed for racecar drivers, but their ability to give their wearer precise control over the pedals of any vehicle has made them a hit with pilots as well. The shoes provide excellent comfort and the added safety feature of being fire retardant, which is extremely important for all airline personnel.
Try: Read all about Piloti shoes at Steen Aero Lab.

Wings

Pilot and flightcrew wings are an essential part of any airline personnel's uniform. These small pins are worn to differentiate between the crew and the passengers and are used to symbolize security.
Try: Johnson's has an explanation of what pilot and flightcrew wings stand for on an airline personnel's uniform, along with photographs.

Flight socks

Flight socks are cooler, and more comfortable than regular cotton socks. Many also offer a compression feature to improve circulation and reduce the chance of blood clots in the elevated pressure. Flight socks are also called compression hosiery.
Try: The Flight Attendant Shop offers an explanation of flight socks and different options to choose from with pictures.

Base layer

A base layer describes a specific type of shirt that can help to regulate an individual's body temperature when worn underneath other clothing. Airline personnel wear base layer under garments to keep them comfortable when sitting on the runway or flying through the air.
Try: Elbeco offers a base layer for uniforms and explains the perks of wearing base layer clothing.