The Great Flight Jacket Thread (wearing/buying Leather, NOMEX, WEP jackets/patches)

[Renegade One]

• Gibson & Barnes: Goatskin/mouton, standard sizing. Unknown origin, no options, $478.

Made on-site in El Cajon in their 35,000 square foot factory by 115 employees. It would only cost you a phone call to inquire if they could make a G1 with warmer pockets, custom lining, etc., since each jacket is made "on order".

 

[nittany03]

I got the John-Travolta-Saturday-Night-Fever-esque collar trimmed by a tailor. Doable if you’re going to have a leather shop sew the patches on anyway.

Dunno if I’d be throwing money at the Turkish economy these days, though.

 

[Pags]

This thread has been super helpful. I just ordered my Tipsy Gypsy patch, which may be a while, and in the meantime have been looking to pick up a nicer G1. I was the not-so-smart SNA who didn't take the advice at gear issue and went same size as my flight suit. True to their word, I do look a bit Tommy Boy in my issued leather: API students take heed.


I'm going to summarize the leather info from this and other threads so that a future dude doesn't have to comb through ~90 pages:

• Pop's Leather: Goatskin/mouton, custom sizing, liners, pockets, collar, bloodchit, + many more. Made in Turkey, big ole 70s style collar. $410 and up.
• DarkHorse Leather: Calfskin/?collar material?, custom or standard sizing, custom liners, pockets, bloodchit. Made in Korea, ordered via email. ~$300 and up.
• Oxford Leather Shop: ?/?. Made in Korea, $235 listed, no info on website, not sure if they're still in business.
• flightjacket.com: Goatskin/mouton, standard sizing, warmer pockets, USN stamp on collar. USA made. $574 base, add $175 and more for any custom leather, liner, blood chit, etc.
• Cockpit USA: Goatskin/mouton, standard sizing, warmer pockets, USA made. $530 with no options, not much info in this thread but good enough for the museum.
• Gibson & Barnes: Goatskin/mouton, standard sizing. Unknown origin, no options, $478.

I would grab Pop's jacket in a second if it wasn't for that weirdly large collar. As much as it would be nice to have custom sizing and liner, a bloodchit, and wool-lined hand warmers, I'm leaning towards the basic flightjacket.com jacket. It has the nicer materials, with enough of the nice-to-have extras to make it worth it, plus I'm sure a bloodchit and liner could go in later. Did I miss any other options/does anyone have recommendations one way or the other?

Good summary! There are other options out there but they are higher end:

USN Type M422a goatskin jacket - Aero Leathers, UK

Original pre-war spec US Navy Type M422a goatskin flight jacket, just like the ones supplied to the legendary Flying Tigers - Aero Leathers, Scotland, UK.

www.aeroleatherclothing.com

 

[Pakol]

Made on-site in El Cajon in their 35,000 square foot factory by 115 employees. It would only cost you a phone call to inquire if they could make a G1 with warmer pockets, custom lining, etc., since each jacket is made "on order".

Excellent info, thank you. As an American made jacket with the higher quality materials and made-to-order options under $500 to start, G&B could very well be the best of the bunch.

 

[Waveoff]

Made on-site in El Cajon in their 35,000 square foot factory by 115 employees. It would only cost you a phone call to inquire if they could make a G1 with warmer pockets, custom lining, etc., since each jacket is made "on order".

I don't know where you got that from, because I called and asked them directly last winter and the G-1s are made in Mexico now.

Edit: I did just send them a message, so we shall see what the up to date info is. I'm hoping to be proved wrong.

 

[Waveoff]

This thread has been super helpful. I just ordered my Tipsy Gypsy patch, which may be a while, and in the meantime have been looking to pick up a nicer G1. I was the not-so-smart SNA who didn't take the advice at gear issue and went same size as my flight suit. True to their word, I do look a bit Tommy Boy in my issued leather: API students take heed.


I'm going to summarize the leather info from this and other threads so that a future dude doesn't have to comb through ~90 pages:

• Pop's Leather: Goatskin/mouton, custom sizing, liners, pockets, collar, bloodchit, + many more. Made in Turkey, big ole 70s style collar. $410 and up.
• DarkHorse Leather: Calfskin/?collar material?, custom or standard sizing, custom liners, pockets, bloodchit. Made in Korea, ordered via email. ~$300 and up.
• Oxford Leather Shop: ?/?. Made in Korea, $235 listed, no info on website, not sure if they're still in business.
• flightjacket.com: Goatskin/mouton, standard sizing, warmer pockets, USN stamp on collar. USA made. $574 base, add $175 and more for any custom leather, liner, blood chit, etc.
• Cockpit USA: Goatskin/mouton, standard sizing, warmer pockets, USA made. $530 with no options, not much info in this thread but good enough for the museum.
• Gibson & Barnes: Goatskin/mouton, standard sizing. Unknown origin, no options, $478.

I would grab Pop's jacket in a second if it wasn't for that weirdly large collar. As much as it would be nice to have custom sizing and liner, a bloodchit, and wool-lined hand warmers, I'm leaning towards the basic flightjacket.com jacket. It has the nicer materials, with enough of the nice-to-have extras to make it worth it, plus I'm sure a bloodchit and liner could go in later. Did I miss any other options/does anyone have recommendations one way or the other?

If you are pedantic about the little things like me, the Cockpit USA doesn't have that stitched horizontal line at the bottom of the zipper like the current issue jackets, and the pocket shape is off. But, its easily available and I've heard the hide quality is decent (also comes in tall if like me, youre shaped like slenderman).

 

[Griz882]

I don't know where you got that from, because I called and asked them directly last winter and the G-1s are made in Mexico now.

Edit: I did just send them a message, so we shall see what the up to date info is. I'm hoping to be proved wrong.

Splitting hairs...there isn’t but ten or fifteen miles difference between El Cajon and Mexico.

 

[Renegade One]

I don't know where you got that from, because I called and asked them directly last winter and the G-1s are made in Mexico now.

Edit: I did just send them a message, so we shall see what the up to date info is. I'm hoping to be proved wrong.

In my own defense, I got it off their website. Thanks for the correction. I still like G&B for lots of stuff...including jackets.

 

[Waveoff]

In my own defense, I got it off their website. Thanks for the correction. I still like G&B for lots of stuff...including jackets.

Gotcha. I do wish they had more transparancy. I got suspicious when I saw on their tags, it didn't say made in usa. Their helmet bags are also made in the mexico plant now, should you want another one/replacement.

 

[Waveoff]

Just got an email reply.

Thank you for your inquiry. We do still operate in El Cajon however our leather jackets are manufactured in our second facility in Mexico. The same patterns and materials are used and the facility is ran by the same factory manager who operated our El Cajon location for nearly 2 decades.

The G-1 does come with a interior pocket on the left side and we do offer minor customizations and patches can be added with a limit of 5. With any customization the jacket would be non-exchangeable and non-refundable.

 

[AUav8r]

Just went to check out Pop's website, they are closed for COVID and have no prediction on when they'll be open again

 

[wink]

stitched horizontal line at the bottom of the zipper like the current issue jackets,

There is no such stitching on my 1979 issue G1. Do they still have the vertical tiny hole punched "USN" on the draft flap behind the zipper?

 

[wink]

In my own defense, I got it off their website. Thanks for the correction. I still like G&B for lots of stuff...including jackets.

My American Airlines issue leather flight jacket is G&B. Super nice. Has a large embroidered throw back 1930s AA logo on the liner and name and employee number stitched onto the inside breast pocket. I'd like to remove the velcro pile for the name tag but am afraid of how visible the needle holes will be.

 

[Pags]

My American Airlines issue leather flight jacket is G&B. Super nice. Has a large embroidered throw back 1930s AA logo on the liner and name and employee number stitched onto the inside breast pocket. I'd like to remove the velcro pile for the name tag but am afraid of how visible the needle holes will be.

My .02: get someone to make you a "been there done that" nametag with your AA and NFO wings on it. Should be big enough to go over the holes left by Velcro and would make the jacket unique to you.

 

[insanebikerboy]

Authentic Flight Jackets & Aviation Apparel for men, women, and kids

Cockpit USA offers authentic, Made in USA military jackets, apparel, and accessories for adventure seekers and free thinkers. Shop our handcrafted outerwear today!

cockpitusa.com

My squadron buys all the A-2 jackets they issue to aircrew from these guys. The quality is pretty impressive, and it’s warm and comfortable. Looking at the links on the G-1, it looks like they have a pretty good selection on those jackets too. Highly recommend.