Can a pilot have a beard?

In most large commercial airlines, pilots are allowed to have facial hair, as are the flight attendants. However, this facial hair does need to be kept tidy (neatly trimmed) or stylish (longer beard styles) and shouldn't make the aviation pilot look less professional.



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There are exceptions to this rule, but for the most part, if you want to be an airline pilot, you'll need to be clean-shaven. So why the restriction? Well, it all has to do with safety. Beards can interfere with the proper seal of a pilot's oxygen mask.

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Plus, the idea that an oxygen mask might not fit a bearded pilot as well as a clean-shaven one persists. The FAA published an Advisory Circular (AC 120-43) in 1987 that states, ” Bearded crewmembers should be aware that oxygen mask efficiency is reduced by the presence of facial hair.”

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Some countries and airlines require pilots to submit to breath tests as part of reporting for work, while other countries use hair samples for drug testing in addition to urine.

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You can't read a novel, but you could read a manual about procedures or about the airplane, ... You can't read a newspaper. You can't use a laptop. That's strictly prohibited. But generally speaking, pilots engage in causal chats between themselves and flight attendants (when they visit the cockpit)1.

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Can FBI agents carry guns on planes? Yes. Without compromising security particulars, all federal law enforcement officers and agents can fly armed. They need to compete a specific training program and follow strict requirements related to pre-flight security steps.

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The FAA encourages pilots to seek help if they have a mental health condition since most, if treated, do not disqualify a pilot from flying.

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Pilots can and sometimes do smoke in the cockpits of business jets. These can be as large as airliners (see BBJ), but usually aren't. Even when a country and/or airline ban smoking in the flight deck, some pilots will ignore the ban and still light up. This was quite common with Asian carriers in the past.

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While cigarette smoking is not prohibited by the FAA, it has several hazardous side effects and many health conditions caused by smoking are medically disqualifying. A smoker typically carries a carbon monoxide blood level of about five percent.

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