A curious reason why there are no pilots with a beard

Very unusual to see pilots with beards on airplanes. You may not have noticed, but do it from now on. There are very few of them and this is connected not so much with an aesthetic issue, but with a safety issue.

In fact, there are airlines that strictly prohibit their pilots from having a beard. Some admit, at best, goatee or mustache very well trimmed. Others don’t even do that. Not even reserve pilots can have it in case they have to take over the controls in emergency.

It’s because oxygen masks that are used in such situations must remain very well sealed to affect breathing as little as possible. Having facial hair right where it meets the face can cause leaks, which may not be fatal to passengers, but can put the entire passenger and crew at risk in the case of pilots with beards.

The danger of bearded pilots

In 1987 Federal Aviation Administration The US has published a report analyzing the effectiveness of using emergency oxygen masks on bearded pilots.

Thus, it was clear that the more hair on the face, the worse the fixation of the masks, which means their effectiveness decreases. In fact, this study and others like it were also taken into account at the beginning of the pandemic. COVID-19when we all had to wear masks for almost everything.

People with beards had less fixation, so they were less protected and, in addition, less protective of others. In the case of pilots with beards, the problem is this: lack of protection for others. Specifically for passengers.

When should these masks be used?

There may be several situations when masks are necessary, but most often this happens when airplane pressurization.

It is known that as altitude increases, pressure decreases and that if air pressure drops, then although the concentration of oxygen remains the same, the number of molecules available with each breath decreases. Therefore, it is necessary to seal aircraft cabins. If due to some failure they become depressurized, the pressure becomes corresponding to the flight altitude, so oxygen masks are needed for breathing. This applies tI love the passengers as much as the crew.. Therefore there should be no pilots with beards.

Passengers are not like pilots with beards

How much oxygen is lost depends on several factors, from the activity performed to the type of mask used. Anyway, in that study they tested several types, with different levels of physical activity, and in any case, the beard was crucial.

Over time, additional studies of this type were conducted and reached similar conclusions. For example, it has been proven that airplane passengers with beards can lose from 16% to 67% oxygen when putting on a mask.

If this happens to passengers, then most likely their lives are not in danger. However, they may get hurt some kind of fainting. In your case, this is not dangerous, but if the pilot loses consciousness, everyone on board the plane will be in danger. This is why it is not recommended to have pilots with a beard. This largely depends on how careless the company is, but if you do finally decide to wear one, it’s important to shave it properly and make sure that if you need a mask, it can be attached to your face properly. In this case, the problem is much more than just a matter of aesthetics.