Nice period photos (all jackets except A-2's)

[dinomartino1]

CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 26, 1929: Charles Lindbergh poses at the Cleveland Municipal Airport with two members of the Navy High Hats, a precision flying team that preceeded the Blue Angels. Lindbergh came to Cleveland to participate in the National Air Races.

CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 26, 1929: Charles Lindbergh at Cleveland Municipal Airport with three members of the Navy High Hats. Lindbergh and the precision flying team which preceeded the Blue Angels, were in Cleveland to perform at the National Air Races

Frank Sinclair, who will fly the Seversky plane in the Thompson Trophy Race at the National Air Races in Cleveland, OH, is shown as he attended the event

1933-Los Angeles, CA- Clarence Brown, Spud Manning and aviator Merle Nelson pose at the National Air Races.

 

[JonnyCrow]

View attachment 122675
1933-Los Angeles, CA- Italian flyer Tito Falcone poses in front of his machine at the National Air Races in Los Angeles.


View attachment 122677
1933-Los Angeles, CA- A feature of the National Air Races will be the leap of Spud Manning, recognized as America's most daring parachute jumper. Manning will ascend to an altitude of ten thousand feet above the field, in a plane driven by M-G-M director Clarence Brown, and bail out. He will pull a delayed jump within a hundred feet of the ground before opening his parachute, and will carry smoke pots to enable the crowd to more clearly see his fall.
View attachment 122679

1933-Los Angeles, CA- Lieutenant Shavely will lead a squadron of the new type Douglas bombers in a demonstration at the National Air Races. These bombers are a new development of this type of ship. They are unique in design, the entrance being through the nose of the ship.




View attachment 1226831933-Los Angeles, CA- Bobby Trout, one of America's outstanding woman flyers, uses a motorcycle to get to Mines Field, where she is preparing for the National Air Races. She hopes to qualify for the women's race and her friends predict that she will finish well up in the front ranks.

View attachment 122687

AUGUST, 1931: Eddie Rickenbacker shown at the Cleveland Municipal Airport. Rickenbacker was in Cleveland to compete in the National Air Races

Now what jacket is Eddie wearing? A1 with zipper transition?

 

[dinomartino1]

German aviator Ernst Udet (1896-1941), commander of the 37th fighter squadron, in Flanders in 1917.

A group of international aviators who are at the Cleveland National Air Races giving proof of their skill at handling manmade birds. L to R are Lieut-Colonel Mario De Bernardi, of Italy; Captain Carlos Orinski of Poland, Lieut. Al Williams U.S.A., Ernst Udet of Germany and Major Jubita of Czechoslovakia.

Gerhard Fieseler, stunt pilot, planes constructor, Germany - f.l.t.r.: Fieseler, the pilot Thea Rasche, the pilot Ernst Udet and director Weichsler, day of stunt flying in Berlin Staaken, 1928​

 

[Chandler]

Poor old Ernst, fell in with the wrong crowd.

 

[dinomartino1]

Now what jacket is Eddie wearing? A1 with zipper transition?

He's wearing the suit, the early A2's had button pockets, they started replacing A-1s in 1931.

 

[JonnyCrow]

Poor old Ernst, fell in with the wrong crowd.

Wasn't Ernst Kessler Donald Pleasance based on Udet?

 

[ZuZu]

View attachment 122689
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 26, 1929: Charles Lindbergh poses at the Cleveland Municipal Airport with two members of the Navy High Hats, a precision flying team that preceeded the Blue Angels. Lindbergh came to Cleveland to participate in the National Air Races.
View attachment 122693CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 26, 1929: Charles Lindbergh at Cleveland Municipal Airport with three members of the Navy High Hats. Lindbergh and the precision flying team which preceeded the Blue Angels, were in Cleveland to perform at the National Air Races
View attachment 122695 Frank Sinclair, who will fly the Seversky plane in the Thompson Trophy Race at the National Air Races in Cleveland, OH, is shown as he attended the event
View attachment 1226971933-Los Angeles, CA- Clarence Brown, Spud Manning and aviator Merle Nelson pose at the National Air Races.

Don't usually like these early flight jackets- A1 types- but they look pretty cool as worn in these photos. To make a correct repro you need the floppiest smooth capeskin you can find. Most current repros are just too stiff IMO. I doubt the actual jackets needed any "breaking in" or "wearing the hell out of it"! I actually think that of original A2s also.

 

[ZuZu]

It's a 1940s repro:

 

[dinomartino1]

The two american sports flyer Bert White and Poscoo Turner with there mascots - a small lion. The picture was shot minutes before they attempt to set up a record in altitude flight 1930​

The Chinese-American Pilot Katherine Sui Fun Cheung 1930.​

 

[Chandler]

Wasn't Ernst Kessler Donald Pleasance based on Udet?

I guess the answer is yes, and no.

The Great Waldo Pepper - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Shanghai-Mayne]

 

[dinomartino1]

Carl Spatz January 21, 1929

 

[dinomartino1]

The Fokker Trimotor "Question Mark"
Crew listed were Carl Spatz commander, Ira C. Eaker, Roy Hooe, Elwood Quesada and Harry Halverson.

Carl Spatz, January 10, 1929

A message to the pilots and crew of the "Question Mark", Tuscon AZ.

Ira C. Eaker, April 7, 1931, Burbank, CA and the prototype Lockheed Altair NR119W (originally a Sirius c/n153) which he used on a cross-country record attempt. This photo was taken at the old Lockheed plant in Burbank and, most likely, the plane is brand new. The USAAC later purchased the plane.

 

[Chandler]

Interesting, never heard of "The Question Mark." What's the story?

 

[dinomartino1]

Interesting, never heard of "The Question Mark." What's the story?

Question Mark (aircraft) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[dinomartino1]

Thaddeus V. Foster AAC pilot in front of the Hidalgo Grill at Lordsburg, NM

In 1929

With a Douglas O-2H in 1931, Tucson AZ

 

[Chandler]

Question Mark (aircraft) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Too bad there's no insight to the naming choice/decision (I looked at a couple articles).

I imagine it might have been something as simple as the "question" of whether the experiment would work.

I just thought it could be more interesting.

 

[Shanghai-Mayne]

1948, a ROCAF officer wearing a double face parka of us army.

 

[leper-colony]

 

[Shanghai-Mayne]