Do your feet a favor and go buy a pair of Red Wing 2408. I've been wearing them for 3 years and kick myself for not ditching the terrible Bellevilles much earlier.REVIVAL
Has anyone been issued the updated Belleville 339 ST brown flight boot? Better, worse, or same?
Asking to see if it’s worth bothering to order that specific boot for replacement instead of the ol’ brown 330.
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Quite the revival! I read through the thread…including the angst over SNAs wearing brown shoes…and thought it would be really cool to have an HT student show up for a flight dressed like this…Do your feet a favor and go buy a pair of Red Wing 2408. I've been wearing them for 3 years and kick myself for not ditching the terrible Bellevilles much earlier.
I used a razor blade to remove the Red Wing label cleanly. They have held up much longer than my Bellevilles ever did, and they look closer to official issue than the other Red Wing model most folks wear.
I removed the insole to get as close to a minimalist feel as possible. Sooooo much better than the foot strangulation of Bellevilles. Did I mention how much better they are than the 330s?View attachment 37794
*caveat: definitely not a FOD-free boot.
If it was good enough for Igor...Quite the revival! I read through the thread…including the angst over SNAs wearing brown shoes…and thought it would be really cool to have an HT student show up for a flight dressed like this…
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AF reserve?We just had our reserve muster at work - and the number of Reserve O-4 and O-5's sporting these with a flight suit was impressive!
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Affirm.AF reserve?
Mr. Piasecki was the classier of the helo pioneers IMHOQuite the revival! I read through the thread…including the angst over SNAs wearing brown shoes…and thought it would be really cool to have an HT student show up for a flight dressed like this…
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That’s just because you are a tandem rotor guy.
After Boeing puchased Piasecki/Vertol Helicopters, PIasecki Aircraft remained in Philadelphia. the sons of "Mr. Pi" were classmates of mine at Boston University - and I knew them well and were friends through my undergrad years. Later at HC-6 I was on a XC in the Philly area and I made it a point to fly a '46 to the parking lot of Piasecki Aircraft and visited with my old friend Fred Piasecki who was the chief of engineering at the time and of course Mr. Pi was still there (1991 ish). I violated every squadron and wing SOP but I swore my crew to secrecy. It was great! Mr. Pi's secretary took a picture of us together in front of the aircraft - but I never saw the resulting photo.That’s just because you are a tandem rotor guy.
Awesome. So worth it!After Boeing puchased Piasecki/Vertol Helicopters, PIasecki Aircraft remained in Philadelphia. the sons of "Mr. Pi" were classmates of mine at Boston University - and I knew them well and were friends through my undergrad years. Later at HC-6 I was on a XC in the Philly area and I made it a point to fly a '46 to the parking lot of Piasecki Aircraft and visited with my old friend Fred Piasecki who was the chief of engineering at the time and of course Mr. Pi was still there (1991 ish). I violated every squadron and wing SOP but I swore my crew to secrecy. It was great! Mr. Pi's secretary took a picture of us together in front of the aircraft - but I never saw the resulting photo.
I have the same model. They take a while to break in and you’ll want to use some thicker socks IMO. There’s no fabric liner or anything but it’s definitely a huge improvement to the issue Belleville crap.Do your feet a favor and go buy a pair of Red Wing 2408. I've been wearing them for 3 years and kick myself for not ditching the terrible Bellevilles much earlier.
I used a razor blade to remove the Red Wing label cleanly. They have held up much longer than my Bellevilles ever did, and they look closer to official issue than the other Red Wing model most folks wear.
I removed the insole to get as close to a minimalist feel as possible. Sooooo much better than the foot strangulation of Bellevilles. Did I mention how much better they are than the 330s?View attachment 37794
*caveat: definitely not a FOD-free boot.