The flight jacket

The flight jacket

Garment that has transcended its original use, flight jacket, in its various models, is a legendary piece of clothing that never goes out of fashion 

Windbreaker jacket aviator B3

(Click on images to enlarge)

There are several models from which we will talk in this post: B-3, A-2, G-1 and B-15

The American aviator jacket as we know it was born out of necessity and not as a requirement of fashion. During World War airmen piloted aircraft with open cockpit, so they had to withstand intense cold in the heights, so coming up with a heterogeneous collection of outerwear that the US Army began to standardize in 1917 with questionable taste.

In 1926 the British Leslie Irving created for the Royal Air Force (RAF) a model that was adopted by the US during World War II under the name B-3. This consisted of an outer thick leather and interior stitched leather sheep, wide lapels and closures to fit the body and keep out the cold and body heat out.officer name was "bomber jacket" as it was especially popular among bomber crews (pilots or not) that were flying at higher altitudes and colder passed.

As curious about B3, this jacket is worn by the character Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV, during his training in the Soviet Union.

Sylvester Stallone with Rocky IV B3. Frame.

Moreover, airmen flying at lower altitudes demanded something lighter, without the thick lining that could be a nuisance in situations of sharp turns in small cockpits, such as fighters. This led to the creation of the model A-2, manufactured in principle with sealskin and then the most affordable horsehide, with waist and belted cuffs with elastic, cotton lining and two large front pockets capable of holding glasses a pilot.

Jacket A-2

Still from the film Pearl Harbour, where we see the actors characterized as American pilots wearing hunting and A-2

A daughter of the A-2 is the version that will be created on purpose for aviators USNAVY. It will be the G-1. The G-1 and is distinguished by a neck mutón hair, have buttons in pockets (rust least in the salty sea air that metal closures A-2), lack of garters men, have the long cuffs and elastic waist and two vertical pleats in the back which aims to facilitate movement. This jacket was popularized by Tom Cruise in the movie Top Gun. In the film jacket is packed patch, which is actually not very common among drivers in mission.

G1 jacket Airmen US Navy

Frame of the movie Top Gun. Tom Cruise wearing a G1

For its part the A-2 evolved for the US Air Force USAF, becoming lighter and manufactured in synthetic materials to create the B-10 and then the B-15. The pen pocket on the man is very popular.

This is the typical hunter called "bomber" which can be found as distinguishing between various urban tribes.

Aviator jacket B-15. The fur collar is retractable

Aviator jackets are some pieces that enhance mythical figure of any man and have a long history behind famous. Indispensable in our closets.