Airline pilot uniforms

At this time, military issued pilots very practical and comfortable flight crew clothing, which consisted of leather bomber jackets with oversized front pockets to allow easy access to charts, scarves to keep their necks protected from cockpit drafts, khaki trousers, either black shoes or boots, and soft leather helmets with pockets for intercom or radio headsets.

Such attire was quickly adopted or, more frequently, transferred to the civil aviation sector by ex-military pilots who, during peace time, worked in air mail and cargo transport, flying light open cockpit aircraft.

[2] Following the development of advanced and integrated cockpit systems since the late 1980s, airline pilots are mainly operating their respective aircraft on a dual-pilot basis.

[3] Systems integration, and subsequent reduction in workload, have largely eliminated the need on passenger aircraft for additional crew members (also known as "ACM"), such as flight engineer, navigator, or radio operator.

For US-based carriers, a captain generally has a star enclosed in a laurel wreath on top, similar to a command pilot in the United States Air Force (USAF).

In some airlines, senior captains who hold a certain number of flight hours or years of service in the company, a display a star above the four stripes.