Recent content by HackerF15E

As with anything, "it depends". The ACC and USAFE Sup at one point did authorize it in the mid-00s. I flew with it in USAFE at RAF Lakenheath in 2006-2009.

I keep returning to and refreshing this thread in hopes to see @foster announcing that he's taking orders. :) Hoping to wear one on a future date with this ol' girl, rather than the ball cap that's normal crew wear.

Here are a couple of shots I took of period jackets with B-24 art that people brought with them to fly on Diamond Lil. This first one was in Romeoville, IL: This second one was from the tour stop in Rochester, MN:

Could you post a pic of one of your flags?

I must have been doing it wrong; I have a lot of time in fighters and trainers wearing 45s during colder weather flying. "Dress to egress" as the saying goes.

I'm definitely interested. I need one for some warbird flying wear.

Not sure where you get that from, but during my time (it has been over 20 years since I was issued my first AF A-2....) the A-2 was issued as soon as a pilot/crew member was declared mission ready...which is a couple months into one's first flying tour (which is a 3-4 year assignment).

I don't know about the involvement of Schott in any of it, but Saddlery, Cooper, and US Wings are all the same lineage of manufacturer.

I have a big velcro nametag collection from a 20-year USAF career, but don't wear 'em on any of my A-2s.

Every time I see the red silk lining, I want to send my AF-issue A-2 off to one of the reputable shops to have it done. Tacky...yeah...inauthentic...sorta....but I really hate the cotton lining on the A-2, and something slippery silk-like would make the wear experience all the better.

I think you'll find that the survival kit in the ejection seat contains a nice wool knit cap that they'd be wearing if for some reason they had to spend the night out in the elements.

That's my understanding, too...the "cows" didn't come along until the E-series jackets.

Well...that's not technically true. I've removed wrinkles on goat and cow A-2s with a trip through the washing machine and an air-dry to follow...but most folks don't want to do that to their jackets. Mine are current AF-issue stuff, so really not of any kind of value, so doesn't bug me to...

I wear my issue jackets snapped, as do most of the USAF pilots I know.

The handwarmers became standard on USAF A-2s in 1998/1999 when the contract switched over to Avirex. I have only been retired about a year, but the ones being issued as of then (Cockpit USA-manufactured) still had the handwarmer pockers. 5 or 6 years ago I did a little photo-essay of the...