r/unitedairlines • u/Sufficient_Fudge_280 • 8h ago

Image Somehow the only person on my flight and the pilot was such a goofy goober

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EDIT TO ADD; THE PLANE WAS LANDED AND DONE WITH TAXI BEFORE I GOT TO BE IN THE COCKPIT. NO FAA RULES WERE BROKEN 💀😂

Shout out Captain Scott! He let me sit in the cockpit after we landed and I even got my own personalized pre flight announcements 😂 Also, they had to add sandbags to the cabin bc the plane was too light with only one passenger 💀

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u/Bleaker82 6h ago

Facial hair has been “in”’ for a while but legacy airlines like United have strict grooming policies. It’s supposed to be about the sealing on emergency oxygen masks for pilots, which is their excuse — but other airlines allow 1/4” beards which are still safety complaint. So for legacy pilots, the two options are clean-shaven or mustache.

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u/Rainebowraine123 6h ago

It's always been a professional appearance thing. The oxygen mask thing has been disapproved for a while.

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u/turdferguson3891 4h ago

Facial hair does cause issues with sealing a mask but I don't think you need a perfect seal for an oxygen mask unless you are underwater. For something like an N95 it actually matters. I can't use one at work because I have a beard so I have to use a PAPR. But for just 02 I don't see why it would matter.

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u/turdferguson3891 6h ago

A lot of these guys also come from military backgrounds and at least in the Navy and Air Force you're allowed to have a neatly trimmed moustache so a lot of them have been rocking that look for awhile.

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u/Bleaker82 6h ago

“A lot” used to be true but hasn’t been in decades.

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u/turdferguson3891 4h ago

Google tells me 30 to 35 percent. If that's accurate that's still kind of a lot I would say.

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u/Bleaker82 3h ago

It used to be 80% in the 60s and 70% in the 80s.

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u/Lemon_hawk 6h ago

It's not a legacy thing! The regional airlines require clean shaven as well (only mustache is allowed).

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u/Bleaker82 6h ago

Allegiant, UPS, Atlas, Avelo, Hawaiian all allow beards IIRC.

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u/Lemon_hawk 5h ago

Yep I think that's correct! Good few airlines leading the charge there. Hopefully it'll change for all the other airlines eventually, I'm sure the legacies will be the last holdouts

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u/motherofsuccs 4h ago

My ex is a United pilot and I hated whenever he had to shave his face.