I'm with Genghis on this one: not much beats the Crab cold weather flying jacket on practicality and long term wear. I scrounged my first one in 1968 at Linton (and I mean scrounge, RN Mids were certainly not expected to fly in the snow in Chipmunks in anything designed to maintain body heat
), and still have one issued about 25 years ago, and going strong.
Practical points - I've the usual collection of jackets and:
Leather looks neat, but often doesn't wear well.
Difficult to get a neat cuff on a leather jacket (my USN one is good, but often needs replacing).
Sleeve pockets are a waste of space, IMO.
Pen pockets on sleeves are best as per the crab Mk3 jacket
Length is important, the Mk3 has a fold out crotch flap which looks naff, but is very effective in keeping the kidneys warm
Colour choice should be available, and the idea of a hi vis reflective stripe somewhere has merit. I'm not a fan of reversible jackets, if you're injured, trapped, swimming or any combination of, then you are stuck with what you have.
Ski jackets often have a fascinating collection of hidden and practical pockets, which could be copied over to a flying jacket. Karbon are my favourite, have a look at their pockets for ideas.
Epaulettes should be an option: not always wanted, and they can hook up on shoulder harnesses in some helicopters.
Collar (and hidden hood) should be slim, otherwise they can dislodge a headset when you turn your head.
After years of use (at least 35?), the RAF jacket is still in production, with minimum changes: there must be a reason
