I believe the weasel words are that the clothing that must worn for safety reasons is “MTP or other similarly suitable clothing providing similar protection” so technically not all MTP but effectively PPE.
Do the weasel words say what the other clothing needs to protect against? (saving me go burrowing for documentation that I don’t have to hand)
Surely the operators should be wearing Hi Vis rather than MTP unless they are in a tactical environment, which they won’t be?
The RPAS OM indeed says hi vis must be worn as part of the PPE. Again, no mention of MTP or uniform.
I’m assuming there MUST be a reason that MTP has to be worn for a drone, but unfortunately I am failing completely to think what it is.
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From a MOP view, seeing an ‘army’ (as most MOP MTP = army) person flying a big drone won’t end in a police call. However, seeing a CI not in uniform in the same situation might? Ergo, uniform and tabard required.
Again, a guess, but if it’s not directly safety related, this is all I can think it is.
Can we move all the MTP = PPe = drone requirement to a relevant RPAS thread?? 
If something is needed as PPE for RPAS, where are the test trial results? 
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Going from memory so also saving me burrowing through the documents & apologies if the world has moved on.
Used to be protection on forearms for when on the ground or changing positions, suitable protection from the elements & high heat resistant so doesn’t melt if an ejected cartridge lodges into a fold. Also non interference with rifle handling or hearing protection.
MTP automatically ticks all these boxes but other clothing suppliers maybe available 
As a CI i deliberately didn’t wear DPM but i did wear practical equivalent civvies.
Thankfully not done by us for this particular reason. It was done by the RAF Regt. We have just taken on their sage advice, as have the RAF Police.
It’s not in the OM as this predominantly deals with air risk. It’s in the ground risk assessment for a drone that we have that will only be flown by CFAVs trained to do so. Part of our ‘applied use’ of our drones. Something that hopefully will become clear when we start our communications of all the plans in the next few weeks or so. Including a town hall.
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As a CI, I have chosen to chuck a pair of coveralls on when I have done things in the field with our Sqn. If I attended an activity where SNCOs and officers wore greens, I’d be happy to wear coveralls. I mean, if we are meant to get cadets to wear coveralls when doing anything that may get dusty or mucky, what’s stopping me?
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Coveralls tend to be worn by range wardens and the like, in my experience, so there’s precedent for this.
Would work nicely with a CI rank* slide
- “it’s not a rank!”
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CI label slide?
We used to wear slides without ranks on when I was an ACF instructor (WOs and NCOs still sewed rank on the right arm at the time) and I think we called them epaulet slides.
Ah but they couldn’t call it that today as the ACF no longer have epaulettes (since it’s on the chest not the shoulder).
I think technically, the correct name for the ‘epaulettes’ is shoulder straps. Epaulettes are something more specific.
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Epaulettes usually refer to the embroidered, braided, and sometimes chained rank insignia worn by Officers in the army, along with the flag and air officers of the RN & RAF
Are they not ‘shoulder boards’?
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This can be discussed elsewhere