Mr Eacott,
I have seen the MK3 jacket and can see why the jacket is in favour with pilots.
The CUT of the jacket has been well thought through. It is not as baggy as the jackets that are available on the market today, so therefore will not be as bulky or uncomfortable in the cockpit. Having elastic on the bottoms of flying jackets seems pointless as this will ride up when you are sitting down. The MK3 jacket again seems to sort this problem out. This combined with elastic pulleys seems to be the answer. The cuffs on the MK3 are also good as again gives the pilot the option to have them tight or loose. Some of the jackets on the market now have the elastic cuffs. This is ok but can't be adjusted and also wears more quickly. The big flap on the front of the jacket is a very old and outdated design. I don't disagree that this keeps out the wind but there are much better ways to do this now. The chest pockets on the MK3 are Ok but i think they are old fashioned and can be improved. No hand warmer pockets! Collar could also do with improvement. What is wrong with a fleece type collar. Smart, can be zipped right up if cold and also pulled down. The hood seems to be abit pointless as the jacket is not waterproof!! Why would you put a hood up unless it was raining?
I think the high opinion of the jacket is because of the cut. If the cut was replicated, pockets and design improved, would this be the ideal jacket?
Why i started this thread is that i have a good friend that designs jackets for a big Ski clothing company and he specifically works on jacket design. I have spoken to him about this and he can't believe some of the jackets that are available to pilots! He told me to get opinions of pro pilots as then the design can be worked around these various comments. He has many good ideas to solve the various problems.
Thomas Coupling,
Thanks for the feedback.
I agree with what you are saying about the leather jackets, but surely you must have some negative points about them. Are they as comfortable to fly in as say a lightweight jacket? Are they not a little bit bulky in the cockpit? Do the cuffs not get in the way with all the small dials etc. Do the cuffs not catch when doing Check A\'s? Are they not a little bit too warm in the summer?
They are very durable and do look good but are they the most practical? Many Police air units are not using them as they believe they are too big and bulky and not versatile enough. I have also heard the complaint that they make them feel elitest?