It's Movemeber again — sure November, but also Movember — and that means you're likely to see more mustachioed faces than at other times of the year. The November mustache craze has gotten so crazy, it's even spread to passenger jets.
But before you shake your head ruefully and blame hipsters for planes going for the facial hair look, you should know that it's for a good cause (and not just because some hipster bought an airline and wanted his planes to look like Gilded Age boxers, too). By wearing a mustache all month, Movember participants hope to raise money and awareness about prostate and testicular cancer, and men's health issues in general.
The CEOs of several airlines decided that they could raise more money with bigger mustaches, so there are currently four passenger jets wearing facial hair: British Airways' A319 sports a neat butler/British Army sergeant 'stache; the one on Qantas' 737-800 is a bit fuller, with lightly twirled tips (Hercule Poirot would be proud); WestJet's Next-Gen 737, aka Mo Boe, has a full-on handlebar that has probably already caused Sam Elliot's eyes to narrow into jealous little slits; and finally, Virgin America's #FlytheBeard A320 wears a thick beard that has nothing to do with Movember, but everything to do with San Francisco Giants player Brian Wilson. Whatever. The plane has more facial hair than the other three combined and could probably kick their asses.
Know anyone growing a 'stache for Movember? If you didn't, you now know three big, shiny aluminum someones who are. You probably wouldn't feel terrible if you threw one of them a few bucks. Well, unless you're just an inveterate man hater.
Photo credit: British Airways; WestJet