Introduction
At the time of World War I when there was no existence of a flight jacket and when airplanes had open cockpits. Due to cold temperature in the open skies they began to seek for some kind of jacket they can wear in the airplane for comfort and warmth. In this way the legendary “flight jacket” or “Bomber Jacket” was invented. With the passage of time several different types of flight jackets were introduced in 1915. And by 1931 an “A2 Bomber Jacket” was introduced. These A2 Bomber jackets were only for the U.S army Air Corps. This jacket was a waist length jacket with two pockets towards the bottom. These jackets were manufactured in Alpha Industries.
History
In the beginning the army officers had no official clothing which they could wear to keep themselves warm and they had to face the wind and the cold temperature during the World War I. But by 19th century flight jackets were introduced. They became popular as they had tight cuffs; it was tight around the neck and high collars to protect from the cold. These designs were first introduced and are still used in the present times with modern designs.
Features
By the time of Second World War, A2 Bomber Jacket was distributed among the US Air Corp. Later on as the technology progressed in the wars and airplanes were flying at a higher altitude and speed, the temperature was very high up so the flight jackets were improved as well. They were made of fur and material that kept a person warm. These jackets were named as B3 Bomber Jacket. They were great both in style and warmth and were used widely over the skies of Europe. The B3 Bomber Jacket is made of Nappa leather has a brass zipper and has some pure fur and has waist adjustment straps. This was the most reliable flight jacket and U.S Air Corps use to wear it during the practice and during the wars. Another type is the B-15 flight jacket and is the predecessor of MA-1 bomber jacket. It was introduced in the early 1940s; it has the longest history and has been used in the USAF for 20 years. The features of B-15 jacket are still seen on the jackets that are manufactured today. Another type of flight jacket was MA-1 bomber jacket which was developed in the mid 1950s. It was made of nylon fabrics and polyester interlinings. The jacket was designed for the comfort of the pilot so that he stays warm in the air. Then came a time when ranks were distinguished by these flight jackets. The officers were seen wearing the A-2 bomber jacket whereas crew of low rank was seen wearing A4 Flight suit with a B-10 or B-15 jacket.
Tips and comments
There are several types of flight jackets each with its own history. Flight jackets give our US Air Corps a professional look. They look high esteemed and people respect them for that as a flight jacket represents his identity and his valor. And it’s the jacket that makes them look special.
