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Flight Jackets
- Thread starter 1911A1US
- Start date
Steve27752
Well-Known Member
No idea, but i bought my first ELC 'house' A2 back in 1984.
Atticus
Well-Known Member
Interesting question. I'm almost fifty-four, and I can't remember a time that guys didn't love old flight jackets. I know that an issued flight jacket, of any kind, was a very sought after item in my high school.1911A1US said:
Like other things, I'm sure that interest in jackets ebbs and flows in our culture. Frankly, I feel like it is at an ebb right now...at least as compared to ten or so years ago when the Japanese couldn't get enough of them.
AF
A
Anonymous
Guest
Right around the time these immortal words were first uttered,
"...it's not your flying, it's your attitude. The enemy's dangerous, but right now you're worse than the enemy. You're dangerous and foolish. You may not like the guys flying with you, they may not like you. But whose side are you on?"
"...it's not your flying, it's your attitude. The enemy's dangerous, but right now you're worse than the enemy. You're dangerous and foolish. You may not like the guys flying with you, they may not like you. But whose side are you on?"
watchmanjimg
Well-Known Member
This is a great question! I'm sure that certain films have sparked interest over the years, but for the most part I tend to agree with AF. I think there has been an interest in flight jackets for as long as such garments have existed.
"It" started for me about 1988 when I bought an Avirex A-2 and then "graduated" to HPA /ELC and so on and etc. However, when I was a kid, I remember going to a REAL Army and Navy Surplus store in my city. There were stacks of B-3's, fatugues, shoes, helmets, K-rations and a "complete" Martin turret for sale. Although, I don't recall seeing any A-2's. Anyway, that's my story..........
Regards,
Don
Regards,
Don
better duck
Well-Known Member
Good question. I tend to agree with atticus on the question in general. Airmen were, from the start of aviation, seen as adventurous, danger seeking, romantic. As these properties don't rub off the next best thing was to wear, what those intrepid men were wearing. I have seen ads in magazines from the early years of aviation, advertising jackets worn by airmen. From the POV of the manufacturers just good business, but apparently there was a market for that. Then the wars came, and the image of the airmen grew, together with a sense of history and destiny. Still the only way to "touch" those men and their era, is either getting to know them, or wear things they used to wear, original first, repro later on.
For me "the moment" was there, when, somewhere in the late eighties, I saw an ad in "Flypast" magazine by Aviation Leathercraft and Eastman Leather Clothing. I spent some months studying and deciding who made the best repro (then). I even visited both workshops when on holiday in England. When ALC told me that a nylon lined jacket was just as good (authenticywise) as a cotton lined one, they betrayed themselves.
So I went for my first ELC A2. The rest is history ...
For me "the moment" was there, when, somewhere in the late eighties, I saw an ad in "Flypast" magazine by Aviation Leathercraft and Eastman Leather Clothing. I spent some months studying and deciding who made the best repro (then). I even visited both workshops when on holiday in England. When ALC told me that a nylon lined jacket was just as good (authenticywise) as a cotton lined one, they betrayed themselves.
So I went for my first ELC A2. The rest is history ...
Just from my own experience, in the late 70's when I was a teenager, an MA-1 appeared in the window of my local Army and Navy shop. I'd never seen anything like it, but I knew I had to get it. I'm sure it was original, but it was brand new. I wore that jacket for a few years, I don't recall seeing other people with them but eventually they became extremely commonplace and when the skinhead culture adopted it as their own, it was time to move on. I also remember the ads in Flypast for ALC, the marketing played well against my naivity (as worn by the BoB memorial flight) and I did end up buying one .......... "where ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise......"
I don't at any time recall any interest in contemporary RAF gear, a generality which perhaps is still true today?
I don't at any time recall any interest in contemporary RAF gear, a generality which perhaps is still true today?
I believe you are correct Atticus,there seems to be an ebb currently,original A2`s do not seem to be bringing near what they used to and some nice examples have been popping up on that auction site lately,maybe we have peaked?I know in the (hate the word vintage) gun dept things have dropped off.There still are the pie in the sky prices,but most of us are ignoring for lack of disposable income.Thanks folks for your intuition.
ime 56 and have allways been interested in them ,in the last 10 years my interest has bordered on obsetion but then it seems to be worldwide, i was once in a shop in oxford wearing an elc a2 , when a total stranger came up to me and said excuse me sir is that an eastman your wearing much to the delight of my wife... so a twenty minute conversation took place on a2 jackets .. i myself spot them , but i try to be discreet....
Burnsie
New Member
My Dad was a Navy pilot in the 50's -70's and I begged to wear his G-1 to high school in the 80's. He let me wear it only once that I can remember and then under strict orders to not take it off much less let it out of my sight. I did however wear the jacket from his winter flying suit almost daily (my sister had done the same through her high school in the 70's and it was already pretty beat up).
BTW I now have both jackets - and don't wear them out!
BTW I now have both jackets - and don't wear them out!
