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Hi,
I am just doing some digging around for vests for aircrew. I would appreciate any feedback anyone has had with respect to horror stories with specific vests, good news stories and anything in between. Ideally a survival vest, for both land and maritime roles ..
Cheers
GT
If looking for something a little more modern than Rab's old faithful, you could try somewhere like MUSTO, who do sophisticated sailing / activity clothing in layers, starting with vest type thingies, thermal or otherwise, and supposedly perspiration resistant.
One assumes you're referring to survival equipment vests as opposed to netted undergarments?
If this is the case then I can safely say that the RAF haven't really got this sorted for anyone other than Typhoon crews whose vests are stitched in gold by magic elves and cost approximately £11Bn each (or thereabouts).
Don't know about the rest of the FJ world but some of us humble types make do with various bits and bobs whilst desperately fending off wholly unsuitable bits of nonsense being foisted on us by people with "vested" (a ho ho) interests in said items.
These things:
are currently issued to certain AT crews and are hung off the back of the individual seats. They obviously can't be worn whilst in the seat and are intended to be grabbed as one hurtles past, fleeing the looming conflagration or whatever. "Dismounted" () they're mildly hopeless when worn over one's body armour. There is a UK manufactured combined system that I believe rotary types currently use. There are moves afoot to issue to us - it's opposed by our SERE chaps and those of us that have seen it/attempted to use it but I think any such opposition merely speeds up the acquistion process.
Well designed and though out combined armour/modular systems do exist (Eagle Industries) and indeed are in use in vast numbers by elements of the USAF.
I believe the opposition to these is based on the lack of retired RAF air ranks on the board of Eagle Industries Ltd. Hush my cynical mouth....
The DPM jobber pictured above and currently used as a "runaway vest" is the standard issue, ground pattern Assault Vest. This is just a nylon vest worn over body armour (if required). As I said, one doesn't actually wear this whilst in the seat - you just grab as you flee past. The downside being if you don't grab it then you leave behind all your handy kit.
The current, aircrew specific, combined armour and survival vest is made by Beaufort (I believe) and is in use by rotary and a few (very few) FW crews. In my limited experience of it I found it unpleasant and uncomfortable, a view shared by some of the FW users I've spoken to. The RW chaps have been using it for much longer and it may well be they like it and rate it but I couldn't comment on their behalf
One remembers Stoppers the following years though. All the other kids on Buttons Bay beach had an ice cream while he had a steak and kidney pie and two Ginster's pasties as water wings.
Herc Trash, even then.
Last edited by Gainesy : 4th November 2009 at 18:50.
Jesus.... it's like my Captain's Board all over again. The Air Cdre's opening gambit was to note that he'd last seen me, aged 3, running naked round my parents' "garden" in Akrotiri about 25 years previously
BEags, not only on Sky, but also in my DVD/video collection .
I wonder how much more inspired today's RAF would be if it were led by officers like Ed Straker. I doubt he would even entertain the idea of finance/equipment cuts (knowing there was actually a war on!).
As for proper vests, the British assault vest mentioned above is too bulky for actually wearing while flying (as stated), whereas a set of South African webbing (with the side pouches removed/empty) would be a much slimmer fit.
For actual close combat, I think the pouches on the SA vest are a bit awkward, but they are easy to remove and reposition, or if not needing to carry 5.56 mags in great number then there should be no problem (ignore the above advice if vest pockets cannot be fastened by Velcro alone, for safety reasons).
Footnote. Should I not really be surprised at the lack of issue of such things to British crews. I recall the Americans have this down to a fine art, and have even seen vests fitted out to differing specs by individual units.
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