The Martin Lane CO G-1 Flight Jacket

[Chris Tubman]

Sometimes amazing what is still out there.
I’ve just bought this 1968 Martin Lane G-1 flight jacket and it appears to be absolutely new and unworn.
The only things that I can find to fault are a couple of small moth nips in the knits, no doubt easily repaired by my local seamstress.
The pocket buttons and zip are still tight and the goatskin and mouton collar are immaculate.
And this jacket cost me £85 from a vintage clothing shop.
Best of all it fits me (please excuse the spots in the fit photograph, I should probably have cleaned my mirror).
Now, who would like to loan me an F4 Phantom for an hour?

 

[Worf]

I'm ex-Army so I've no G-1's in my closet but that jacket looks downright amazing! What a score and what a win for you! Congrats!

Worf

 

[Chris Tubman]

I'm ex-Army so I've no G-1's in my closet but that jacket looks downright amazing! What a score and what a win for you! Congrats!

Worf

Cheers!

The RAF were foolish enough to let me fly one of their 1950’s gliders when I was twelve years old (a Slingsby T21) but the instructor and myself lived to tell the tale, despite a minor forced landing.
I then discovered that I didn’t like getting shouted at by men with stripes on their sleeves so I decided I’d be happier as a rebel without a cause..

 

[El Marro]

What a score man!!
and being a C series that is absolutely, no doubt, a real mouton collar!
I can see someone paying you $500 to $600 for that jacket but if I were you, I would just wear it and enjoy it.

 

[Chris Tubman]

What a score man!!
and being a C series that is absolutely, no doubt, a real mouton collar!
I can see someone paying you $500 to $600 for that jacket but if I were you, I would just wear it and enjoy it.

Yes, it’s a tough decision whether to wear it or not but it would be a pity to just hang it in a closet for another fifty eight years.
I used to own a more modern G1 made by Orchard M/C and that one was cowhide with a synthetic collar, it was fine for wearing on my motorcycle but it started to look pretty beat up after a few years.
I’ll probably just keep the Martin Lane for special occasions and I have plenty of other jackets that would be better on the bike.

 

[El Marro]

I agree about the motorcycle, but aside from that I would wear that jacket without a second thought. In my opinion it is in the sweet spot of rare and unusual without being too special to wear.

 

[Chris Tubman]

I agree about the motorcycle, but aside from that I would wear that jacket without a second thought. In my opinion it is in the sweet spot of rare and unusual without being too special to wear.

Aye, I’ll go with that then.
I’m hoping to go flying later this year in a 1930’s De Havilland Tiger Moth that is based on a WW2 airfield near my home, good chance to put that old jacket to it’s intended use.

 

[Peacoat]

Martin Lane was an excellent contractor. You did well.

I could probably find you an old F-4, but you would crash it. They had their quirks that the pilots had to be aware of.

 

[Chris Tubman]

Martin Lane was an excellent contractor. You did well.

I could probably find you an old F-4, but you would crash it. They had their quirks that the pilots had to be aware of.

I think I’ll take your advice about the F-4.
My only flying experience was with the Slingsby T.21 glider and it had a “never exceed speed” of 110mph and would stall at 32mph.
Fun in a loop though watching the world out of an open cockpit.
A Tiger Moth should be exciting enough for me now and perhaps the sensible step up instead of a Phantom.
The G-1 has now had a little leather conditioner and seems happier for it.

 

[Peacoat]

If you did a loop in an F-4, you should be ok. Watch out for the aileron roll though, as the F-4 was subject to unrecoverable spins during that maneuver.

 

[Chris Tubman]

If you did a loop in an F-4, you should be ok. Watch out for the aileron roll though, as the F-4 was subject to unrecoverable spins during that maneuver.

Thanks for the advice, not sure if I like the sound of “unrecoverable spins”.
I might put off buying this F-4 for now (and it needs another 1.25 million dollars to get it finished).
I was once used as a target by an F-4 pilot, I was happily driving along without a care in the world on a big yellow 10 ton dumper truck and suddenly, without any warning, there was a huge noise and an F-4 just above my head and climbing away.
Very funny haha.
On the bright side, I wouldn’t have known a thing about it if he’d been targeting me for real.