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

[A4sForever]

Nametag and flag.

Ditto ... the biggest mistake I made was putting patches on my original leather 'cause I didn't know any better and wanted to "one of the guys" and "be cool". So I had to get another leather just to assuage my hurt feelings ...

Put your "been there" patches on the modern day equivalent of the green nylon jacket.

Game over.

 

[FlyBoyd]

When would you say one rates wearing the leather jacket? Anytime in the program? Complete waiting to wing? Once winged? Looking for thoughts...

Dude, wear it! If someone gives you shit about it send them to me.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Flight Suits LTD out in El Cajon , Calif. Still makes the WEP jacket - (that A4's talks so fondly of).

Their stuff is the bomb - they make the jacket on the original patterns from the 50's and 60's.

http://www.flightsuits.com/jackets_g8wep.html

and at under $150 it's a sweet bargain

 

[NozeMan]

The question of "when to wear the jacket" gets funnier and funnier. The other day a squadronmate saw me in my leather jacket and asked me if it was ok for "us" (replacements) to wear them.

It gave me a chuckle to get asked that by a dude wearing wings.

 

[A4sForever]

Flight Suits LTD out in El Cajon , Calif. Still makes the WEP jacket - (that A4's talks so fondly of).

There stuff is the bomb - they make the jacket on the original patterns from the 50's and 60's.

http://www.flightsuits.com/jackets_g8wep.html

and at under $150 it's a sweet bargain

Hmmmmmmm .... this looks like 'da bomb!!!

I'd buy one ...

 

[zipmartin]

Back in the '80's, I had the dis-pleasure of attending Legal School at Newport, RI for five weeks in October and November. The base CO at the time prohibited the wearing of piss-cutters and leather flight jackets. I managed to make it through the full five weeks wearing both items without getting caught by the black shoe gestapo. My flight jacket had no patches at all. I received many disapproving looks from the black shoes on base and was mentioned in class one day as being in direct violation of the prescribed uniform of the day, but I was willing to take the chance, and ended up getting away with it. Maybe that was part of the reason I retired as an O-4.

 

[brownshoe]

Hey wait a minute… Isn’t Skeeterman an expert on vintage leather jackets? Maybe, he would chime in here. I’m sure having been a Navy pilot serving in Korea and Nam, he might have some input.

Steve

 

[Mumbles]

Back in the '80's, I had the dis-pleasure of attending Legal School at Newport, RI for five weeks in October and November. The base CO at the time prohibited the wearing of piss-cutters and leather flight jackets. I managed to make it through the full five weeks wearing both items without getting caught by the black shoe gestapo. My flight jacket had no patches at all. I received many disapproving looks from the black shoes on base and was mentioned in class one day as being in direct violation of the prescribed uniform of the day, but I was willing to take the chance, and ended up getting away with it. Maybe that was part of the reason I retired as an O-4.

I fucking hate SWOs....

 

[brownshoe]

I’m a civilian now. This is what I wear, on and off my base. BTW, I'm the handsome guy on the right.

Steve

 

[brownshoe]

I fucking hate SWOs....

Damn, Casey ?!? Would you please be nice and play well with others?

Steve

 

[Ducky]

Wear your leather jacket. I've seen some students wear them. The only people I see bitch about students wearing them are other students. If its cold stay warm by wearing your brown jacket or having supply order you the winter version of the green nomex. Its just like the api issued one with more insulation.

Side Note: I think its amazing that SWOs are not only hated by other communities, but they also hate their peers. Thank God for aviation.

 

[nittany03]

To all SNAs . . .

It gave me a chuckle to get asked that by a dude wearing wings.

For the umpteenth time . . .

SACK UP!!!!

The only thing you are not allowed to wear or display until getting winged is . . . you guessed it . . . GOLD WINGS!! Funny how they don't issue you those till you earn them either. If it's balls-ass cold out, WEAR THE LEATHER JACKET. YOU RATE IT.

Heck, I remember Pags wearing his in Primary, and he hasn't been magically attrited or FNAEBed by the Ghost of Aviators Past . . .

 

[A4sForever]

For the umpteenth time . . .

SACK UP!!!!
WEAR THE LEATHER JACKET!! YOU RATE IT!!

Roger that!!!

I think I'm going to give the next STUD or wannabe that asks this same-o, same-o question negative rep.

Just 'cause he/she deserves it.

 

[Sly1978]

While we are at it Fuck SWOs. I think its amazing that they are not only hated by other communities, but they also hate their peers. Thank God for aviation.

Off the subject: While I agree with you 100%, be careful where and when you say things like that. Especially while you're still wearing butter-bars and no warfare quals. You just don't want the wrong person to hear that. I'm still struggling to learn this one simple rule: The more junior you are, the less should come out of your mouth and the more positive and "kool-aid" it should sound.

On the subject: I have seen this happen many times on various things. Mainly for the new guys who will no doubt deal with this at some point: I think the best response is to say "thank you, Master Chief" and then go about doing what you normally would do. Remember that the CMC is not found anywhere in your chain of command. As was said earlier, if this is coming from higher up the food chain, they should tell you themselves.

 

[Pags]

Heck, I remember Pags wearing his in Primary, and he hasn't been magically attrited or FNAEBed by the Ghost of Aviators Past . . .
[/SIZE]

Fuck yeah I wore it in primary. The Ghosts of Aviators Past were Aviators at one point. Which probably means that a lot of them were common sense kind of guys. When it was cold, they wore a jacket. They'd probably want me to do the same.

I can't imagine why anyone would consider it bad luck. If anything, it's a connection to the past generations of aviators. How could that be bad luck? If anything, it'd be bad luck to wear black shoes and a swo-ter. Better be careful, if you dress like a SWO, you might end up one.

Oh, and if someone with wings if pussy-footing around about wearing it? That's pretty disgraceful.