NRLAF (Dutch Air Force) CWP 36P

[MauldinFan]

CWU 36/P jacket. This was apparently pieced together from patches from the 313 sq at Volkel. The guy I got this from even had a real nameplate made for me from their stocks. Apparently, they going through some changes due to the transitions with the F35, so the F16 patches are on their way out. He said he's also sending me some of their captain insignia if I want to put it on the shoulders later.
I was in the Netherlands in 1988 (when I was 18) during their 75th anniversary. I've always had an affinity for the "KLU" (Koninklijke Luchtmacht) since that time (I only managed to get onto their base at Woensdrecht as the USAF had a Ground Launched Cruise Missile alert facility at the time, but hey never got the nukes as the INF treaty killed the whole thing that spring). I'll never forget being buzzed by a flight of two of their falcons while heading out to Vlissingen to cross the North Sea (back when you had to take a ferry; I'm told they have a tunnel there now). They loved to fly as low as they could. I saw them at various distances several times during the month I was there, always beating up the polders at low altitude.
I'm not sure about the story here, as the only reference I have for how their pilots were dressed is from a book they put out for the 75th anniversary and I think their flight gear was behind the US at that point. I have no idea if the KLU wears these or not, but I really like it. It fits loosely as modern flight jackets do and I love the nameplate.
FYI, 313 sq is the unit that had the capability to hang nukes under their F-16s.
Here's a photo of a KLU F-16 with a 'silver bullet' sitting next to it in one of their alert hangars...

 

[MauldinFan]

I looked it up and confirmed the KLU does wear CWU jackets:

 

[Rutger]

313 Sqdn used to be one of "our" two squadrons at Twenthe AB until they moved, I think somewhere early 2000's. We use a few of the shelters nowadays for our gliders and the workshop. 1 meter solid concrete walls.
Always funny to land on a runway where once F-16's roared.

 

[MauldinFan]

I'd done a lot of research on 313 sq since I got these patches (didn't get much of a choice on the squadron, I would have probably liked 322 'fighting polly' sq more). I just couldn't find a photo of a CWU when I was thinking to sew them to my jacket. Now I see they're not big on using a national flag on their jackets. Maybe I'll eventually swap that for another F-16 patch.
I found a few other photos showing rank, as I was going to take the epaulettes from a Kaptain's uniform and sew them to the upper shoulders as the US does, but I couldn't find anything supporting they do that. What I did find in a few cases on flight suits and CWU jackets is that they'll in some cases have strips of what looks like black Velcro, about a half inch wide and maybe two inches long, like stripes. I don't think I'm going to recreate that as it just looks odd like that. But it makes me wonder, are those maybe used as Velcro to attach something to the shoulders?
Look here at the ones on the pilot's flight suit and one with three stripes on the CWU behind him to the right:

 

[Rutger]

Must be velcro for rank, indeed.

 

[Lorenzo_l]

313 Sqdn used to be one of "our" two squadrons at Twenthe AB until they moved, I think somewhere early 2000's. We use a few of the shelters nowadays for our gliders and the workshop. 1 meter solid concrete walls.
Always funny to land on a runway where once F-16's roared.

View attachment 74457

Excellent image of an F-16! F-16A MLU, I surmise?

 

[Rutger]

Thank you; yes, the 4 birdslicers in front of the canopy give it away as an MLU Viper.

 

[MauldinFan]

Must be velcro for rank, indeed.

Yeah, I agree, but I can't find any photos of what goes over that Velcro. From the shape of it, I wonder if they use anything looking like the slip on epaulette insignia?

 

[Rutger]

Well, looks like velcro to me and 2nd lt, 1st lt, major, captain, lt-col and colonel ranks in the KLu appear to be 1,2,3 or 4 bars (in narrow-wide combo's), which makes sense.

 

[MauldinFan]

I have some KLU captains slip on epaulette ranks, I'm tempted to make them into sew on ranks for the shoulders, as I think maybe they have them for these jackets but not certain.

 

[Rutger]

I'd say they do have them, velcro included.

 

[MauldinFan]

I'd say they do have them, velcro included.

I'd be inclined to agree, but I'd love to see a photo of them being work atop said Velcro. I'm probably going to take those Kaptain shoulder boards and cut them down to sewn onto my CWU, but I'd love to see a photo of one looking like that.