A-1 Jacket / A1 Flying Jacket - The ultimate Golden Era flying accessory!

[Dr H]

Some of the correspondence to the leather evaluated for the A-1 is reproduced in Gary Eastman's A-2 Handbook, where mention is made of capeskin if I recall.

The period photos of A-1 jackets do not have the characteristic pebbled graining of goat, but they do resemble (in grain and heft) the capeskin jackets posted on here in relation to civilian flight jackets produced in the 1940s by McGregor Sportswear.

 

[Jim B.]

The goatskin that is used to make capeskin is a particular breed and has a very fine grain. I found many pics online of capeskin jackets from the 30's on those vintage blogs that have close-up macro pics of detail and the grain looks just like goat but in miniature. The sheep grain looks similar but it is different.
I am just curious, I am not implying that the sheep is inferior. I just wonder when the definition of capeskin started to include the hairsheep. Maybe the goat capeskin is scarce now?

 

[Seb Lucas]

I didn't think you were saying it was inferior. Although goat is much tougher.

I think the point is that A1's were made of sheepskin even if goat was specified. Sheepskin isn't as strong which is why there are so few surviving A1's out there.

The question is why did they end up being made of sheepskin - were there significant changes to the capeskin manufacturing business, for instance? And was the sheep eventually used actually from South Africa?

My understanding is that A1's were originally olive in colour but I'm not sure how many of those survived.

 

[Doctor Damage]

I don't know if these are A-1 jackets or antecedents, but I'm sure the photo will be interesting.

 

[2jakes]

For your consideration:

Flying Fleet (1929)

Viewing this film, I get the impression that these jackets were soft like wearing a sweater.
The grain of the leather is mostly smooth & although it’s in B&W, the leather color varies
from dark to tan, perhaps olive.

I took these shots from the monitor so the quality is not that great,
but thought it was interesting nevertheless.

 

[AdeeC]

Greats shots. Thanks. Lots of variation. Impossible to determine a definitve style.

 

[Capesofwrath]

I don't know if these are A-1 jackets or antecedents, but I'm sure the photo will be interesting.

They seem be the USN 37J1 jackets which came before the A1. Even so there is some variation with the one on the left having pockets set inside the shell rather than patch pockets.

I expect that many pilots bought or had their own jackets made and as long as they were pretty similar it was allowed.

 

[2jakes]

They seem be the USN 37J1 jackets which came before the A1. Even so there is some variation with the one on the left having pockets set inside the shell rather than patch pockets.

I expect that many pilots bought or had their own jackets made and as long as they were pretty similar it was allowed.

I did a blow up of the photo on the left & it appears this chap has tucked
the flaps in or perhaps had them removed.
Note the center button .

This is just my 2¢ & in no way can say that what I presented is correct.
Just saying .

 

[Capesofwrath]

I did a blow up of the photo on the left & it appears this chap has tucked
the flaps in or perhaps had them removed.
Note the center button .

This is just my 2¢ & in no way can say that what I presented is correct.
Just saying .

Yes, I assumed the flap was tucked in. But his isn’t a patch, or cargo pocket. It’s inside not outside the jacket shell. Some jackets in the other pictures look like they might be the same. So they might be earlier jackets, or maybe they are private purchase as I surmised before?

 

[2jakes]

Greats shots. Thanks. Lots of variation. Impossible to determine a definitve style.

Flying Fleet (1929) TCM tonight.
Shows the Type A-1 worn by cadets in this silent movie.

 

[TPD166]

I came across something in a different thread, but thought it would be more appropriate to mention here in the A-1 thread. Today I was viewing some A-2 photos from a link on a different jacket thread (http://www.goodwearleather.com/photos/vintage_photos) and one of the jackets in a crew photo caught my eye - I put on my glasses and enlarged it as big as I could get it and I am still not sure, but it sure looks like the second guy from the right is wearing a jacket with buttons??

I would have guessed an A-1, but that looks like a leather collar (although I recently saw a 1929 photo of Carl Spaatz wearing an A-1 with what appeared to be a leather collar). Here is the Spaatz photo.

 

[TPD166]

I recently purchased one of the much-maligned Landings Leather A-1 jackets. While I would not consider it a top-end jacket (it’s not even at the top end of my closet), it’s not a bad jacket and has become one of my favorites.

The leather is very soft and comfortable and it fits me better than any of my other leather jackets. What I did not like was the buttons – plain, brown, cheap plastic, and almost too big for button holes. I just had my tailor replace all of the buttons with smaller horn buttons and it made a big difference (at least for me). Not only do I like the new look, but it comes on and off much quicker not having to fight the original bigger buttons.

For $129 (plus a few dollars for new buttons), this jacket is hard to beat to knock around in every day. I will probably move on to higher quality A-1 in the future, but this is a pretty good placeholder for now.


Old button comparison.

 

[nick123]

Killer jacket. The budget ones are at times the best jackets to own! Looks the part.

 

[TPD166]

I will be stalking for the DHL delivery driver in a couple of days - I was notified that my new jacket has been shipped. I had Pop's Leather make me one of their A-1 jackets, with some modifications. I asked for snaps at the bottom instead of buttons and a matching knit 37J1 style collar (Pop's A-1 has a leather collar). I have seen their jackets before and know the quality will be top-notch, but I am nervous about the modifications and sizing made from my measurements.

http://www.popsleather.com/prod_v2.php3?prod=49

 

[belopsky]

Here's my Headwind A1

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCaOYvUR8oE/?taken-by=belopsky

 

[TPD166]

Mine arrived a day early last week:

http://thefedoralounge.com/threads/new-a-1-37j1-jacket-from-pops-leather.85428/#post-2058965

I will be stalking for the DHL delivery driver in a couple of days - I was notified that my new jacket has been shipped. I had Pop's Leather make me one of their A-1 jackets, with some modifications. I asked for snaps at the bottom instead of buttons and a matching knit 37J1 style collar (Pop's A-1 has a leather collar). I have seen their jackets before and know the quality will be top-notch, but I am nervous about the modifications and sizing made from my measurements.

http://www.popsleather.com/prod_v2.php3?prod=49

 

[Lonewolf051]

 

[Lonewolf051]

View attachment 67259 View attachment 67260

I just had an Aero A-1 made for me, I went with the Italian Horse hide in seal brown with Carmel knits and stitching, I think it looks fantastic!

 

[Lonewolf051]

 

[willyto]

For some reason it appears to be rotated in my screen, I'll help you with that:

The fit is just fantastic on you.