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Dark brown flight boots? When did that happen?
- Thread starter mad dog
- Start date
Here is the army list of approved aviation boots…none of the USAF boots make the cut but probably because of the color.
usaarl.health.mil
USAARL: Footwear Approved for Aviation Use
This appears to be true for Kiwi shoe polish based on the SC Johnson safety datasheet. However, in this video, a firefighter holds a lighter to his boot with polish applied to make it shine (around the 1:30 mark), so it doesn't seem especially flammable. That being said, I rarely polish mine these days.
They're super popular in the summertime here!
The Merrell snowboot versions are the flavor for the winter.
It's very nice that the AF decided to let anyone wear boots that a) fit their feet, and b) fit the climate they're used in, as long as they are the right color.
Would totally rock these. Wish the maritime community (non ships company) could rock these instead of the Bellevilles.
The Rocky boots on there are supposedly NAVAIR-approved now. My squadron has one crew chief (WTI Sgt type) who wears them. I recently got myself a pair. Massive improvement over the Belleville 330STs, though I still probably wouldn't wear them to the boat since they're not steel toe.Here is the army list of approved aviation boots…none of the USAF boots make the cut but probably because of the color.
USAARL: Footwear Approved for Aviation Use
Used to have an NI/CRM-I in the squadron who wore the Danner Reckonings which are definitely not authorized for flight (at least not by the Navy/Marine Corps). He was brought up by one of the pilots who crashed the V-22 in Yemen back in 2017 who preached something to the effect of, "If you ball up a plane, I'd argue you need to be wearing something you're comfortable running in for a hot minute."
Between that and seeing Air Force pilots wearing even more minimalist boots than those (like Salomon Quests), I may or may not have done the same on at least a few flights.
Memories...
Went on a E2 drug interdiction det to Rosey Roads back in the day (Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico for you children) and we all got a little rambunctious at the O Club, various folks ended up in the fountain in front of the club, including me in my flight livery.
Nomex dries fast, but my boots were still sopping wet the next day, so I took a pair of white go-fasters (sneakers for non AOCS brethren) with me in the helmet bag and put them on once in the plane, letting the boots dry out in flight. Forgot about them, as it was far more comfortable with the sneakers on, until I was doing my post-flight walkaround and got a nice WTF from the Chief.
Went on a E2 drug interdiction det to Rosey Roads back in the day (Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico for you children) and we all got a little rambunctious at the O Club, various folks ended up in the fountain in front of the club, including me in my flight livery.
Nomex dries fast, but my boots were still sopping wet the next day, so I took a pair of white go-fasters (sneakers for non AOCS brethren) with me in the helmet bag and put them on once in the plane, letting the boots dry out in flight. Forgot about them, as it was far more comfortable with the sneakers on, until I was doing my post-flight walkaround and got a nice WTF from the Chief.
Why do they insist on installing water features within staggering distance of the Club? There is ample evidence it is a hazard.
Not a water hazard story, but........'78 time frame - CVW-8 full airwing det to Rosey. Little car rental place just outside the main gate provided rentals to all the squadrons to get around the sprawling base. Problem was, almost all the rentals were red Datsuns. Everyone just left the keys above the visor when the cars were parked since different people were always driving at different times. We just remembered which cars were assigned to our squadron by the license plates. The last night at the club was huge, as usual. When we went to get in our car to head to the BOQ, it was gone, nowhere to be found. The next morning we found it. The E-2 guys had taken it to head back but missed one of the curves and rolled it down the hill. Drunk people flopping around inside a rolling car don't get as injured as sober ones who stiffen up and brace for impact. Very minor injuries were incurred by the occupants and all were able to depart back to Norfolk that day. But their officer's mess had a rather large bill to pay to the rental place.
Rocky makes those same boots with steel toes. I highly recommend them.
Just get the Red Wings.
Unfortunately no one in the squadron wears em, and not trying to be the JO to buy them and get chewed out.
