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Famous People in Flight Jackets

Doctor Damage

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thor

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Don't fighter pilots have similar regs regarding that? or are they allowed to do as they please?

If you look closely at the photos you can see wear on the shoulders and cuffs, plus the knits are torn in a few places. It's definitely a jacket which has some miles on the clock.
In WWII, RAF fighter pilots left the top button of their tunics unbuttoned to signify their status. Also there is the oft-mentioned red silk lining of an A-2 jacket for USAAF fighter aces. I think fighter pilots always distinguished themselves, one way or another.
 

Deacon211

One Too Many
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Hehe, yeah fighter guys always tend to be (and are unofficially allowed to be) a little flamboyant. Hence such things like wearing your polo shirt under your flight suit that was popular in the '80s.

Spec Ops guys I think tend to be even more "outside the box" in what they wear (Oakleys, bandanas, non-spec boots, etc). I think the "Top Dogs", self declared or otherwise always exhibit a bit more flair. I'm thinking old cavalry units, the Persian's "Immortals", etc


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Treetopflyer

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Hehe, yeah fighter guys always tend to be (and are unofficially allowed to be) a little flamboyant. Hence such things like wearing your polo shirt under your flight suit that was popular in the '80s.

Spec Ops guys I think tend to be even more "outside the box" in what they wear (Oakleys, bandanas, non-spec boots, etc). I think the "Top Dogs", self declared or otherwise always exhibit a bit more flair. I'm thinking old cavalry units, the Persian's "Immortals", etc


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Yep, fighter guys have the same regs, they just don't always follow them. You are correct, the SPEC OPS guys do their own thing. No one ever really questions them because a lot of people don't really know what they do. So if they are wearing non-issued/non-regulation gear, people tend to think they must need that gear for what they are doing. Besides, those guys always get the latest and greatest gear that the rest of the Fleet doesn't get issued.
 

Doctor Damage

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^ Not to get off topic, but I remember watching a PBS show on the SEALs and they wore civilian jeans in Viet Nam, claiming they were the most suitable pants for swamp and jungle. I suspect a good part of it was just to be different, though.
 

Doctor Damage

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(click for larger)


There's not a single piece of consistent footwear in that photo, plus the Gordon Gekko haircut on the guy in the G1 jacket is presumably not regulation. Do all pilots look so tired and bored in briefings like these guys and gals do? It looks like an 8:00 AM class in university - nobody wants to be up that early, let alone required to use their brains!
 

thor

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They have one of Amelia's original leather jackets (along with many, many other historic aviation items) at the San Diego Air & Space museum. It's a great place to see lots of different types of aircraft as well as an actual Mercury space capsule.
 

Ralph_Phillips

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Texas & Australia
They have one of Amelia's original leather jackets (along with many, many other historic aviation items) at the San Diego Air & Space museum. It's a great place to see lots of different types of aircraft as well as an actual Mercury space capsule.

In Texas, people have stuff like this laying on the side of the road...

2012-04-18-232258_IMG_0577_1.jpg
 

Treetopflyer

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Scott Bakula from the first episode of Quantum Leap. I think it's supposed to be an A-2, since he is an AF pilot in that episode. That series did have a lot of good examples of G-1s. The other main character is Al, he was a Naval aviator.
 

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