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Bronson had a sale recently on their AAF A3 mechanics caps, including my (massive) size. I have an original and another repro, but I couldn't resist.
It looks great.
I sewed a replica of his squadron patch onto it, and I'm thinking of getting a replica of his dog tag (I have his originals) made for a zipper pull...
Here's his Zippo. He was an electrical mechanic on F86Ds
And here's Dad as he graduated jet electrical school. He's the really tall man, 4th...
Turns out, the design was very poorly applied, and it started peeling off within a few washes.
However, I bought this at the gift shop at the USS Midway in San Diego a few years ago, would be perfect with a WW2 jacket!
Bottom line is, if it doesn't feel right, then you wasted the money.
That said, others here have correctly posted that A2s weren't made to fit like modern flight jackets.
Smart move. A friend of mine was wearing an A2 made up with swastika kill markings in public and a more than one person lost their mind, and someone called a cop for a "hate crime".
Thankfully the officer understood what it was.
If that was 'Nam, the only thing they'd been scared of was being left on the ground.
I've helocasted into a lake once and have three less proper landings than I should (once, using a parachute; long story there) in helicopters, but I never extracted like that in one. Nor would I have wanted that...
I agree. That bag had three parts, the inner, thicker outer, and the Goretex shell. I slept in those in many conditions and I never felt cold in any weather with one. The inner made for a very comfortable place to lay down.
That was the ONLY thing I was issued that I wish I could have kept.
My wife and I went to the Disney parks in Anaheim last week and we also braved the cross-LA traffic to Universal Studios. There, I bought this, the only cap I found at ANY park that actually adjusted comfortably to my large head (most hats that fit me are usually around 7 3/4 US size, or 63CM)...
I finally broke out some rubber stamps today with a new stamp pad.
First, my Aero A2. The "AN" stamps I had made for me as the number is "337", my first name upside down. The AAF meatball is reproduction but the laundry stamp was my Dad's USAF one from the 50s. I thought it looked good enough...
Long story, but I used one of those aircrew chutes and landing was not a pleasant experience as they have smaller canopies as the troop chute.
More like nylon.