RAF Leather Flying Jacket
 

Anybody know where I can source a genuine RAF Leather Flying Jacket? I'm looking for the current 'fast jet' type, not the WWII Irvin. I recall some while back seeing a picture in a brochure of Gulf War RAF Tornado crew Peters & Nichol wearing such, but can't recall the supplier's name in whose brochure I saw the picture.

Any help appreciated!

Abe

Try Aviation Leathercraft:

http://www.flying-jacket.com/

Tornado Jacket:

http://www.flying-jacket.com/jak8.asp

Pops leather has supplied many a jacket at exceptionally reasonable prices - quick google will direct you.

What a shame we no longer base right next to Pops premises! Thats where I got mine, and very nice it is too.

Me as well Mr B, had it about 11 years... copied from the one Dan Winterland took out. Took 22 hours to make and is still in great condition... took 16 weeks to get a badge made in the UK:rolleyes: typical.

Tonks (enjoying Crete:\ )

abraham i have sent you a pm - happy to sell my raf leather jacket bought it in 95. size 42 reg with detachable liner. anyone else interested then please pm me.;)

As previously said, 'POPS LEATHER' are still making them for $160. If you can get your measurements to them they will make up, including leather flight badge with wings and name, in around a week. The boys from Bzz will collect as they are staging through weekly with the beast from boeing.

Thank you all for posting the details.

I'm certain that Aviation Leathercraft was the brochure I recalled, however the Pops Leather product is more along the lines of what I was looking for.

Thanks again.

Abe

ps Thanks for your offer winkle, if I weren't a 44"L recon I'd have taken you up on it!

if Chuck Ellsworth reads this thread .....

looking at one of the links above I spotted something perfect for flying a Catalina across the North Atlantic ....

(with a matching jacket of course .... :) )

http://www.flying-jacket.com/images/jak5-big.gif

The 'official' RAF jacket isn't shown in the Aviation Leathercraft catalogue as it isn't available to the general public - you have to contact them directly.

Pop's copies are hopefully better now than they once were - they were getting progressively better every time someone bought one. But some details such as the correct colour were never quite right (you can tell a Pop's copy a mile off due to the pen pocket and epaulettes)......

If you get a jacket from Pop's, get them to use something other than the nasty polyester material they normally use for the lining. I had the lining in another jacket changed when I was in Incirlik some years ago and it made all the difference to the warmth/comfort of the jacket.

The nearest thing to the 'official' RAF jacket, which as Beags correctly points out isn't supplied by Aviation Leathercraft to those without the necessary credentials, is to purchase one of their "Jacket Type 89903 Fleet Air Arm Harrier" styles and have them:

1. Swap the "left hand sleeve combination pen pocket with zip close pouch" for a "left hand sleeve pencil pocket with velcro secured flap". (See Red Arrows Team & Type 2502 RAF Tornado jacket styles for velcro secured pencil/pen pocket).
2. Add velcro secured epaulettes. (See Aviation Aircrew & Type 2502 RAF Tornado jacket styles).

Having changed the sleeve pocket and added epaulettes, I believe the only outward difference to the 'official' RAF jacket and the 'modified at extra cost' FAA Harrier style is the lack of a press-stud fastened detachable fur collar and (possibly) a leather patch on the left breast for fixing the name/brevet badge to. (I may be wrong about the patch for the badge).

The end result is:

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ht/Jacket1.jpg

Have you tried Radford Leathers?
 

Radford Leathers in Coventry have a fab service and can usually deliver within a few days.

I ordered one and it was excellent. Was delivered next day after a phone call to confirm a few details. I was surprised, but most of their jackets are from stock, which is very unusual.

Quality and service was excellent and they have Replica Jackets that make the originals look inferior!! I absolutley love mine.

Now here's a question. With the new RAF policy on wearing blues, and the inability to wear the RAF Approved Jacket when flying, the opportunity to wear this item of clothing is less than ever. Do you think we should be afforded the option to wear the RAF Approved Jacket with No2s? It is certainly smarter than the nasty cloth General Purpose Jacket (GPJ)!!!

A further option; with the jacket pictured above there is a jacket that the non-brevet wearing personnel could also wear - if they wanted to?

Anyone else got thoughts on this?

Why do I ask - I hate the GPJ, the issue rain-mac really does make me look like an RAC man (the nasty reflective strip doesn't help!) and the Greatcoat is too camp now that John Barryman wears one!

The B Word

As such a thing never existed when I was in (pre 77), as I read through this thread I assumed this was, in fact, a flying jacket? If the above quote is accurate, however, what is it for? For FJ jocks to stand around in at air shows looking steely-eyed perhaps? Not that I can believe they'd ever wish to do that, nor need a leather jacket to achieve the effect. ;)

Simply to look cool perhaps?

Some of us don't have the big boy moustaches and smoking pipes to pull the nurses, so a leather jacket and ray bans is our last chance. :ok:

Tankertrashnav

Au Contraire, I have seen plenty of 101, 10 and 216 aircrew wearing these (in fact some had brevet badges made up in Sqn colours). Also there is more than a fair share on some of the ISTAR types.

But back to the question. Do you think we should ask to wear them with No2 Blues. I've seen plenty doing it (including the old CINC and a couple of 1 stars). Simple answer of "yes", "no" or "maybe" will suffice and don't forget to think whether you might want to in future when the dreaded ground tour comes along! :(

The B Word

Yes, but without the pussy pelt collar! It looks very smart and really hacks off the SWO.....:E

Has a bit of the Erich Hartmann about it!

Well, Montgomery got away with wearing a flying jacket!

A while back anyone wearing one of these modern leather jackets would probably also worn a "Brown Hat".........................:ok:

Anyone else see the note from AMP today?

1. Leather Jackets to be worn by SNCOs up (at personal expense) with No 2 HD.
2. Brevets (operationally optional - like the AAC) on CS95/DCC.
3. Updated name badges for No 2 HD with Brevets for aircrew and RAF Logo for others.
4. New style stable-belt on issue to all from 2012.
5. Decent wet weather outerwear and fatigues for those working on aircraft.
6. Possible scrapping of officers' uniform tax relief and free issue to all (possibly excluding No1 and No 5).

:D:D:D Thank you Sir, for trying to stop me looking like an RAC man or train conductor! Also for seeing parity of dress in JHC/PJHQ between RAF and AAC aircrew dressed in CS95. Finally, for looking after the freezing linies' needs.

However, if you believe Bast0n, maybe you should have issued a "brown hat" - which apparently there is nothing wrong with these days (shame on you Mr Bast0n!).

LJ :ok:

Brilliant! Got a link to this on the intranet? Where was it published?

I also saw it today as a letter by AMP to AOCs et al and can confirm LJ's post. Also, the AP1358 has been updated on the INTRANET (not internet, yet) to reflect the CS95/DCC and Leather Jacket stuff.

Thumbs up for AMP :ok:

P.S. The Leather Jacket reference is in AP1358 Ch2 para 0220 on the Intranet (DII/F).

Just an aside...but I noticed recently when the RNZAF CAF visited in hospital the sole survivor of a serious helicopter crash on ANZAC Day, he was wearing a very flash leather jacket. So was the lady Sqn Ldr with him; his PA I presume.

So what jacket is the 'official' one? Is it styled straight from the 70's or (heaven forbid) the 80's just like the haircut of this young devil modelling it? ;)

http://www.flying-jacket.com/images/...pe-2502--a.jpg

How about Aviation Letharcraft's NATO TIGER leather aircrew jacket, designed by and for 230 Sqn?

Its got the side pockets with snap close but the sleeve left side pen pockets have zipped pouch but not velcro cover.

It's this one, according to the email sent round about it today, so just the generic Aircrew Jacket, not the crazy variety of other ones they sell.

And DD-cup?

There's only one leather jacket and that's the A2.

Leather jackets? Worn by poofs and posers.


(except the French one, which I was given when on exchange in the '70s - still in good nick and worn as often as poss).

oldbeefer,

What's your, Armee de L'Air's leather aircrew jacket look like?

Tricolour? Blue outside, white and red inside stitching? LOL

How about:

Air Force Blue wellingtons.

String back gloves for MT drivers.

Crotchless donkey jackets.

Oh no it isn't!!
Taken from the Aviation Leathercraft website About Us page:
:ok:

Speaking of Monty - Privilege of rank allowed WW2 senior officers
a variety of unusual garb - In several books on Monty can be found a
photo of him dressed in what at first sight appears to be British battledress - But look again - Monty's outfit is far too smart and well cut to be British -
It is in fact standard GI Joe issue - May have been a gift from Ike !

Here's a piccy of the correct pattern (a copy made by Pop's Leather in Incerlik, Turkey and not the genuine Aviation Leathercraft item). The link above with Rory Underwood in the picture is close but is not the official pattern - this has only ever been available to RAF Aircrew. The Rory Underwood jacket differs in that it has knitted cuffs and not the "storm cuffs" on the official pattern.

http://www.popsleather.com/pr_im/242.jpg

The Union Flag is a Op Northern Watch "Blood Chit" that can be stitched in at $10 or so.

By the way, the post on the first page has a pic of the jacket without a brevet holder for those that don't want/need it.

Saw a few around MoD today on Wednesday "Uniform Day".

LJ :ok:

PS. there are some pics within AP1358 within the aircrew clothing section.

Here's a link to the AP1359 (http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafi...00FC6755B7.pdf) - see page 6-6. You must ignore the instruction of not wearing the jacket with No2s as this version of the AP is out of date.

The B Word

Chopper2004 - Yup, that's the one, and it has a zipped pocket on the left-hand sleeve for some sort of FJ calculator! Has worn very well though.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ht/Jacket1.jpg

From: Aviation Leathercraft (Moto-Lita Ltd)

Specification

Leather
Highest specification hard-wearing supple cowhide.

Colour
Blue-slate with grey lining.

Lining
100% cotton drill.

Pockets
Two outside side entry pockets with snap closure, one deep inside pocket with snap closure and one left-hand sleeve pen pocket with a Velcro secured flap.

Rank
Velcro secured epaulettes.

Cuffs/Waistband
Cuffs are leather with a secreted storm cuff and the waistband is leather with elasticated side panels.

Zips
Heavy-duty brass.

(Optional detachable sheepskin collar and brevet holder).

:ok:

Seen the letter, the appropriate jacket may be worn by all SNCOs or above and is available from Leathercraft or Pop's at Incirlik, but I don't recall any details of the model, just that it's an extortionate £300-£310 from Leathercraft depending on size, and quoted as $360 from Pop's.

I note we're also going back to the disastrous (IMHO) smooth v-neck version of the pullover, which may be worn with or without tie. Bizarrly, that means one or 2 people round here will accidentally be coming back into fashion soon!

Thicker shirts with re-modelled collars (slightly bigger I hope), and a better shape.

Also, the latest trousers are to be in a different material and re-designed, especially for the ladies.

The kicker is that existing stocks of the routine stuff will have to be used-up before the new stuff is issued, except for officers who have to pay so can get the new stuff as soon as it's available.

There is no news on the rumour that those serving beyond 55 are to be issued with RAF cardigans, or that the new name badges will have little star symbols to show what we can do (part of the resettlement plans to ease our transition into the jobs market).

STH