Aviation explained
What do the stripes on a pilot’s uniform mean?
By the AvTags team · Updated
In short
- Stripes show a pilot’s rank. On most airlines four stripes is the captain, three is the first officer, two is a second officer and one is a cadet or trainee.
- The captain is in command of the aircraft and responsible for everyone on board. The first officer is the co-pilot and flies as much as the captain does.
- There is no worldwide rule. Some airlines give first officers two stripes and keep three for senior first officers.
- The stripes copy naval rank insignia. Early airlines borrowed the look, and the rank name “captain”, from ships.
Pilot stripes and ranks at a glance
Pilots wear their stripes on the cuffs of their jacket and on epaulettes, the slides on the shoulders of their shirt. The number of stripes is the same in both places. This is the most common pattern:
- Four stripes: Captain. The pilot in command. They have the final say on every decision about the flight and sit in the left-hand seat on most aircraft.
- Three stripes: First Officer (or Senior First Officer). The second in command, often called the co-pilot. Captains and first officers usually take turns flying each leg.
- Two stripes: Second Officer (or a junior First Officer). On long-haul flights a second officer often joins as a relief pilot so the crew can rest. Historically, flight engineers also wore two or three stripes.
- One stripe: Cadet or trainee. Worn by some airlines for pilots still in training or newly joined.
Ranks vary by airline. A three-stripe pilot on one airline may wear two at another, so the stripes tell you a pilot’s rank within their own airline, not their experience in hours.
What do the four stripes on a captain stand for?
You will often read that a captain’s four stripes stand for professionalism, knowledge, skill and responsibility. It is a popular explanation and a nice way to remember them, but it is a story that grew up around the stripes, not an official definition. Each stripe really just counts up the rank.
What four stripes do mean in practice is command. The captain is legally responsible for the safety of the aircraft, passengers and crew, and signs for the aircraft before every flight. Earning the fourth stripe usually takes years as a first officer, a set number of flying hours and a command course.
Where do pilot stripes come from?
Airline uniforms are modelled on naval officers’ uniforms. When passenger airlines grew in the 1920s and 30s, flying boats and airliners were run much like ships, with a captain in command and officers below. Airlines borrowed the dark jackets, peaked caps, gold braid and rank names to give passengers confidence.
The stripes match naval cuff rings. In the Royal Navy, four gold rings mark a Captain and three mark a Commander, which is why an airline captain wears four and a first officer three. The Royal Air Force uses similar rings, where four mark a Group Captain.
Gold or silver, sleeves or shoulders
- Colour. Most airlines use gold braid. Some use silver or a colour that matches their brand. The colour carries no extra meaning about rank.
- Sleeves. Jackets carry the stripes as rings around the cuff.
- Shoulders. Shirts and jumpers carry epaulettes, which slide onto the shoulder straps. They are easy to swap, so the same shirt works after a promotion.
- Wings. The metal wings worn above the pocket show that someone is a qualified pilot. They are separate from the stripes.
- Cap. Captains at some airlines have gold decoration on the peak of their cap, sometimes called “scrambled egg”, that first officers do not.
Do cabin crew wear stripes?
Usually not in the same way. Cabin crew uniforms are designed separately, and senior cabin crew are more often marked by a different colour of scarf, tie, badge or waistcoat. Where an airline does use stripes for cabin crew, they follow the airline’s own scheme, not the pilot ranks. For gift ideas for crew, see our cabin crew gift guide.
Stripes as a gift
Getting the next stripe is a big moment in a pilot’s career: a first airline job, the move to first officer, and above all the step up to captain. A four-stripe captain tag is a small, fun way to mark a command upgrade, and it suits anyone who dreams of getting there. More ideas are in our gifts for pilots and student pilot gifts guides.
Questions, answered
What do 4 stripes on a pilot mean?
Four stripes mean the pilot is a captain, the pilot in command of the aircraft. The captain has the final say on every decision about the flight.
What do 3 stripes on a pilot mean?
Three stripes usually mark a first officer, the second in command or co-pilot. Some airlines use three stripes only for senior first officers and give other first officers two.
What do 2 stripes on a pilot mean?
Two stripes usually mark a second officer, often a relief pilot on long-haul flights, or a junior first officer at some airlines.
What are pilot stripes called?
They are rank stripes, also called bars or braid. The shoulder versions are epaulettes, and the ones on the jacket cuff are sleeve stripes or rings.
Do the four stripes stand for something?
A popular explanation says professionalism, knowledge, skill and responsibility. It is a nice story, but officially each stripe just marks the next rank up.
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13 × 3 cm woven tags, sent from the UK by Royal Mail.
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