Leather Flying Jackets...

[RickM]

I'm not a collector or a fanatic, but I do admire the work of John Chapman of Goodwear Leather in Seattle. I have a few original WW2-era flying jackets; My dad's A-2, (56th fighter squadron, ETO) and My Uncle's G-1, (Corsairs off the USS Lake Champlain in Korea) and another early 60's PX G-1. I am familiar with the flight jacket "culture" and know a bit about what makes a good jacket vs. a poor one. Chapman makes excellent garments using exact patterns from period suppliers. He is essentially a one-man shop with a multi-year backlog, and his work ethic, pricing eithic, and thoughts about Growth..as well as the limits of being a lone craftsman...echo the opinions of many on the forum.

Good Wear Leather Coat Company — Welcome!

[sneedle3]

Thumbs-up for the G-1, although my circa-1991 issue sucker needs some work on the wrists, which have started to unravel. ...I remember being issued that sucker and refusing to wear it at first as a flight student, spooked that it would vex me. 21 years later; I'm still flying Navy Air and still wearing it.

Thanks for posting. Winter approaches; time to pull it out of the closet.
Scott

[Saab2000]

I have a custom fitted Perrone jacket. Still not cold enough to bring it to work. Anyway, I have mixed emotions about wearing such jackets in civilian flying. But it is nice at O'dark :30 in Syracuse or Milwaukee on January 18th and you're just starting the APU and it takes a couple minutes to make heat and it is drafty as hell in the airplane before the man door is closed.

Mine is US made and is ridiculous quality and will last until long after I've quit flying.

No pics at the moment because I'm on the iPad and I have no idea how to post pics from this device.

[busdriver1959]

Nothing wrong with a leather flying jacket for civilian flying. It can be a nod to the airmail pilots and barnstormers of many years ago. It doesn't have to mean you are Val Kilmer in the SNL skit " Iceman, the Later Years" . I have flown with guys that are just like that though. Leather works. It's long lasting, good looking and stops the wind.

[Saab2000]

This is a small pic of my flying jacket. I'm (finally) home and took a pic. It was newly approved as a uniform piece last year by my company after years of wrangling over the issue of who pays for it. I bought the effer for the reasons stated two posts above. Cold at the out stations. I suppose that is the justification because I don't really fly outside like mail flyers of old and I haven't flown anything approaching barnstorming in 15 years and then it was not on purpose.... and I barely cheated death each time. I do hope to show up for Halloween with a leather flying helmet but I'm not quite senior enough to not get chatted with by the Chief Pilot. Yet. That day is coming soon though.

My hat is also required and US made and it is not pictured. But I talked to the dude who makes them and I sort of like it and hate it at the same time.

Looking for new pants because my current uniform vendor has supposedly outsourced to China and for the uniform that's a non-MELable item. Gotta be US sourced. I wish my airplane was, but it's Canadian, so it'll pass. ;-)
leather.jpg

[RickM]

A followup note on those old flying jackets I have; As a non-pilot in general...and specifically not an ex-military pilot, I would not be caught dead wearing the two jackets that actually saw service anywhere where there's even a remote chance of running into actual pilots/aviators. My Uncle's old USN G-1 fits me fine. I could only imagine being in a bar and running into a pack of naval aviators. Seems like the scorn and ridicule would come fast and thick. My Dad's A-2 is just too old to risk actually wearing anywhere. I did take it to a 56th FG reunion in Farmingdale, NY a few years ago..and met the guy that my dad flew wing for. That was cool. My old man had lots of pictures and other memorabilia from the war...it provided a fascinating glimpse of airbase life "Somewhere in England", but he never ever would talk about the whole experience very much.

The other G-1 that I have was a PX jacket given in trade, ("Cumshaw", in old Navy slang) for some favors or something that the guy I bought it from did for some non-aviator friend of his. I do wear that one sometimes...it's actually a pretty nice motorcyling jacket. It's pretty old - 40+ years - but still intact and is incredibly well-made, as is my Uncle's G-1. The Navy didn't skimp.