Looking for a nice flight Jacket for my DD

J

Just Dad

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DD has done 2 (really 1.5) tours as a FIWO in the INDO-PAC. As I understand it, in that role, one of her jobs it to provide Info to air and surface assets in real-time/near real-time. I gather she was pretty aggressive in getting info out to air assets quickly. She earned some atta-girls from her N-21s, along with some other stuff in her COC, but she wrote me that pilots had started "dropping by the office for the latest info" before launch, and a couple had given her personal thanks, along with a squadron patches. She said the other stuff was nice but when "an operator" thanked her, that was special.

Her FIWO days over, (at least for now), and her birthday coming up, I'd like to get a jacket (nylon or leather) and put her RimPac, SG, Staff, and those couple of squadron patches on it for her as a memento. I am having trouble locating a real flight jacket of a type that a female USN Flt Officer might wear.

Can anyone offer a place to look.

Note: DD is not a wanna-be pilot. She has been all intel since her plebe year; if there is a more appropriate jacket for this purpose Plz let me know.

Thanks for any help with this pretty minor problem.
 
cockpit USA and legendaryUSA might be places to look, although the former is pricey (it is made in the USA). The latter has a category of Nylon jackets which offer good variety and the price seems quite reasonable. Hope this helps.
 
Not sure if there is a difference, but the leather A2 flying jacket I was issued by the USAF was made by Cockpit USA and distributed by the Defense Supply Center Philadephia (DSCP).
 
Just Dad said:
I'd like to get a jacket (nylon or leather) and put her RimPac, SG, Staff, and those couple of squadron patches on it for her as a memento. I am having trouble locating a real flight jacket of a type that a female USN Flt Officer might wear.
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A word of caution ....First, uniform regulations are pretty detailed. You can't just buy a flight jacket, pop some patches on it, and wear it anywhere. A Fleet LT may be able to pull it off in some locations and circumstances, but be careful. Second, Aviators can be pretty territorial about flight jackets .. Our squadron intel officers were issued the green nomex jackets, but to my knowledge didn't rate the leather G-1 issued to aircrew. Of course times may have changed . It's a nice thought, but I'd talk with DD about it before buying a flight jacket.


tkinion said:
Not sure if there is a difference, but the leather A2 flying jacket I was issued by the USAF......
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Big difference between G-1 and A-2..the only REAL flight jacket is the Navy G1
 
Old Navy BGO said:
A word of caution ....First, uniform regulations are pretty detailed. You can't just buy a flight jacket, pop some patches on it, and wear it anywhere. A Fleet LT may be able to pull it off in some locations and circumstances, but be careful. Second, Aviators can be pretty territorial about flight jackets .. Our squadron intel officers were issued the green nomex jackets, but to my knowledge didn't rate the leather G-1 issued to aircrew. Of course times may have changed . It's a nice thought, but I'd talk with DD about it before buying a flight jacket.



Big difference between G-1 and A-2..the only REAL flight jacket is the Navy G1
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I had exactly those thoughts but hesitated to post, but these were also my main points of concern. You just don’t decide to go get a “real” flight jacket. They are issued to certain people as required gear or those in certain roles. And if you are wearing one in uniform, that’s another set of rules. Retired aviator DH wears his in certain military settings, but never just put out and about, can read someone else’s flight jacket with fluency, and is usually able to differentiate the authentic ones.

For OP, I had one thought. Gather up the stuff and mount it in a nice memento box, shadow box or frame for wall hanging. Maybe add a little engraved plate with her name, rank, billet titles, dates in the jobs. Everyone needs to have a nice I Love Me collection of plaques, shadow boxes, and memorabilia.
 
Don't do it. Nothing says Nugget like a satin jacket full of patches from places you've been or worse you've never been.
 
Capt MJ said:
I had exactly those thoughts but hesitated to post, but these were also my main points of concern. You just don’t decide to go get a “real” flight jacket. They are issued to certain people as required gear or those in certain roles. And if you are wearing one in uniform, that’s another set of rules. Retired aviator DH wears his in certain military settings, but never just put out and about, can read someone else’s flight jacket with fluency, and is usually able to differentiate the authentic ones.

For OP, I had one thought. Gather up the stuff and mount it in a nice memento box, shadow box or frame for wall hanging. Maybe add a little engraved plate with her name, rank, billet titles, dates in the jobs. Everyone needs to have a nice I Love Me collection of plaques, shadow boxes, and memorabilia.
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As my father was a long service Aviation Chief, I grew up with them having had my own flight jacket beginning about age 10. As suggested above, as a fleet LT, I occasionally wore one here and there with no issues but really not often. Later, I was on 2nd fleet staff and discovered that when we were at sea, the command center was COLD (yes, all caps) and just about everyone, even non aviators wore a green nomex flight jacket while standing watch. Thus I called my father (now a Navy retiree) and asked for one and he was NOT happy as he felt that the only real flight jacket was the leather, etc, etc, etc but I persisted and wore mine whenever aboard the flagship for the rest of my tour and then had another tour on a Carrier Battle Group Staff and yes, the green nomex was the warm choice for watchstanding.
I still have it but almost never wear it.
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The the OP, there are places to get the Green Nomex flight jacket. The one that I have is a "CWU-45" and there is also a "CWU-36" which are the actual government issue and I found them online but a bit pricy. There are also imitations that are Nylon or Polyester that look pretty authentic
and are significantly more affordable.
 
Capt MJ said:
I had exactly those thoughts but hesitated to post, but these were also my main points of concern. You just don’t decide to go get a “real” flight jacket. They are issued to certain people as required gear or those in certain roles. And if you are wearing one in uniform, that’s another set of rules. Retired aviator DH wears his in certain military settings, but never just put out and about, can read someone else’s flight jacket with fluency, and is usually able to differentiate the authentic ones.
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Definitely agree with above posts to this effect.

I assert that it is not acceptable to just wear a flight jacket in uniform if you are not a pinned aviator or NFO. I know folks that have served with squadrons as AIs or aircrew that pack away the flight suit and brown shoes when that tour is finished because they're not comfortable wearing it around after deployment.

If you had to buy it, you probably don't rate.

That said, if this is just going to be a nice memorabilia present that will never see the light of day, something nice to keep at home, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In my eyes, akin to keeping a MIDN uniform around for old time's sake. Of course you're never going to wear it at work.

And I think OP's daughter understands that very well. I have no doubt it will be very much appreciated, and it will never, ever actually be worn at work, in public, or in any environment where it might be misconstrued.

I second the shadowbox-type display for the patches. Perhaps less controversial, and just as much of a memento of past deployments.
 
Yup, DD has ZERO desire to represent as a pilot, that wasn't my intention either. I had envisioned a coat with her CSG Fleet Staff patches, maybe a large RIMPAC patch, West Pac 2022 patch, and patches gifted from ASW, E2, and Growler squadrons......along with one commemorating a ship wide case of The-Runs. I was thinking that squadron patches displayed with her fleet stuff and given to her by a squadron acknowledging her support would be OK to display along side the others.

I Never considered that she would wear a jacket like this to work. I was thinking that she might wear it out on a given night in DC or Norfolk and that it might be a good conversation starter.......(although the 2018 USNA grad that she brought up to the house with her on leave may have superseded this application)

Funny, I grew up on and around USAF bases in the 60s and 70s and I remember patch covered jackets on pilots, Nav. Flt Engineers Etc all over the place. Often at the O Club, but also off base at group events in our mostly DoD neighborhood.

Thanks for the suggestion Capt. MJ, but DD beat me to that one. Christmas 2022 I received a shadow box from her with her patches, old ensign bars, LtJG bars, pics of her team, pics of us together on her ship and shots from Hawaii. For this upcoming birthday I think "That Parking Space is Taken".

This is hardly an important thread, but just one more question. I have seen pics of a "USN SWO Jacket". As near as I can tell the only difference is the color (Black). DD is not a SWO, she was direct Intel out of the USNA and she has her pin; she has deployed twice as a FIWO. Do I run into the same issues with patches and a "SWO Jacket" for Her?

Thanks for the replys.
Best
 
Just Dad said:
Yup, DD has ZERO desire to represent as a pilot, that wasn't my intention either. I had envisioned a coat with her CSG Fleet Staff patches, maybe a large RIMPAC patch, West Pac 2022 patch, and patches gifted from ASW, E2, and Growler squadrons......along with one commemorating a ship wide case of The-Runs. I was thinking that squadron patches displayed with her fleet stuff and given to her by a squadron acknowledging her support would be OK to display along side the others.

I Never considered that she would wear a jacket like this to work. I was thinking that she might wear it out on a given night in DC or Norfolk and that it might be a good conversation starter.......(although the 2018 USNA grad that she brought up to the house with her on leave may have superseded this application)

Funny, I grew up on and around USAF bases in the 60s and 70s and I remember patch covered jackets on pilots, Nav. Flt Engineers Etc all over the place. Often at the O Club, but also off base at group events in our mostly DoD neighborhood.

Thanks for the suggestion Capt. MJ, but DD beat me to that one. Christmas 2022 I received a shadow box from her with her patches, old ensign bars, LtJG bars, pics of her team, pics of us together on her ship and shots from Hawaii. For this upcoming birthday I think "That Parking Space is Taken".

This is hardly an important thread, but just one more question. I have seen pics of a "USN SWO Jacket". As near as I can tell the only difference is the color (Black). DD is not a SWO, she was direct Intel out of the USNA and she has her pin; she has deployed twice as a FIWO. Do I run into the same issues with patches and a "SWO Jacket" for Her?

Thanks for the replys.
Best
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Yes, same issues on the SWO jacket, I believe.
 
Just Dad said:
Do I run into the same issues with patches and a "SWO Jacket" for Her?
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Yes.

A less controversial option might be an Ike jacket. I've seen some old grads wear their USNA jackets with company patches around (even on ship) for things like Army-Navy. Still a uniform item, yes, but lacks traditions that are territorial to any given community.

And patches on an ike jacket is so "out there" that it's clearly not meant to represent service with any of those specific squadrons.

Another idea is to have them sewn like a battle flag of sorts. But now we're stealing traditions from the submarine community. A true monstrosity, a battle flag with aviation patches...
 
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