CORRECT FIT FLIGHT JACKETS

[BobJ]

This vintage pic shows a comfortable fit, and looks to have flown many missions:

View attachment 43993

It does indeed. And, the look in that young man's eyes, and his skull showing through his face, bear witness that he has been through more than he wants to talk about. And that it has aged him out of the innocence of his youth.

War is evil rising out of the bottomless pit.

 

[Monsoon]

Ok, that answers for the US NAVY issued G1s. Does the US AIR FORCE issue any leather or is it the nylon style flight jackets only ? Anybody know ? I left the AF in 80 and was aircrew and was only given the nylon jacket but I got to keep it after I left the service. Any ex AF here ? Is the A2 jacket only a personal purchase today and is it legal to wear on duty ?

Yep, AF issues leather flight jackets, usually when someone is qualified on their particular aircraft. I got mine after my initial check ride.

Nylon (Nomex) is still issued too. A lot of guys save their leather jackets when they're wearing blues, or when they're not flying that day. Some guys wear them all the time for everything (except combat).

 

[willyto]

Yep, AF issues leather flight jackets, usually when someone is qualified on their particular aircraft. I got mine after my initial check ride.

Nylon (Nomex) is still issued too. A lot of guys save their leather jackets when they're wearing blues, or when they're not flying that day. Some guys wear them all the time for everything (except combat).

Why not in combat? Is there a reason for that?

 

[Cocker]

Too cumbersome and not needed in modern, well-heated and pressurized cockpits?

 

[BlueTrain]

Possibly because leather isn't very flameproof but more likely because the rules say something else.

 

[Monsoon]

Why not in combat? Is there a reason for that?

Like what BlueTrain said; fire hazard. Better to wear nomex. At least that's what we were always led to believe. Plus, I'd rather drag along my nomex than my leather jacket. Less likely to be stolen plus I can wad up my nomex and stuff it in my backpack a lot easier.

 

[BlueTrain]

I am shocked! You mean to say that people still steal (swipe, as they used to say) things from one another?

 

[bn1966]

I left an old CWU (repro) lying around at work the other day & someone nicked it!!!! Was one of the Korean made civvy Alphas too....

 

[Colonel Adam]

Ok, that answers for the US NAVY issued G1s. Does the US AIR FORCE issue any leather or is it the nylon style flight jackets only ? Anybody know ? I left the AF in 80 and was aircrew and was only given the nylon jacket but I got to keep it after I left the service. Any ex AF here ? Is the A2 jacket only a personal purchase today and is it legal to wear on duty ?

I think they started allowing the leather A2 again around '90. And I'm almost positive it has to be seal brown --the darker color. A black leather or embroidered wings/name patch on the left, command patch on the right--that's all.