How does sir/madam organise his/her flightsuit?
 

To start with I'm non-military and the question is one of curosity/advice. If the mods feel it needs to be elsewhere...no problem.

I have purchased a flightsuit...why? you might ask...eerrhhh seemed like a good idea at the time. It's a MK14A which may mean something to you. Anyway its' got pockets, loads of them, everytime I put it on I discover new ones! And systems redundancy.... well let's just say it has three..THREE coat-hanger loops!!

Anyway my question. Is there a STANDARD RAF way of organising this? You know; map left side; radio coms list right kneepad; Tesco shoppong list right chest pocket.. etc.

What do you put in the knee pockets? The windows look too small to show much info. And there appears to be another large separate pocket directly underneath the windowed one.

Those pockets by the ankles , what goes into them?

What pens do you use, biros/ chinagraph pencils? I presume they don't have detachable lids and must be quite thin to fit into the pen pockets.

I fly an aeroplane (Pitts) which like its' owner is basic and not well endowed........with storage space. Any tips on using these pockets effectively for basic ppl flying/ navigation greatly received.

TIM

Your coathanger loops are actually for your scarf, you know.

that def sounds like a Vigilant Pilot too me! lol:)

Rans - don tin hat and prepare for incoming. :) Take it on the chest!

Most operational aircrew now are on the 16B, sans knee pads and pockets which are so uncool.

If you've bought my old Mk 14 from ebay or whoever the Govt used to sell it off, I apologise for the rips caused by various sharp edges on HM's war machines not covered by the latest H & S legislation.

And that little stain is easily explained if you care to PM me.

Enjoy!

No, but in training there is a standard amount of cr6p to be carried and that tends to dictate what goes where. Post-training, in the old days, things like bottle openers and can openers were not uncommon.

The calk pockets tend to hold BINA, FIH, TAP Booklet, Checklist and stuff that needs to be carried but is not in immediate use.

Hip pockets might include chinagraph rag (old money) or felt tip rag (new money). They will also hold gloves if the right, upper thigh pocket is not used.

Chest pockets, like the hip pockets will hold things not required in flight such as comb or hair brush for the vane or wallet for the thirsty. Keys will also be kept in the chest pocket.

The upside down thigh pockets will usually hold the flight maps - topo and en route chart. They are easy to get at when seated. The right way up pockets will possibly hold gloves and they will be removed before you sit down.

In training they are often attached via lanyards and have dayglo added to make them easy to find when you drop then in the cockpit.

The knee pad 'windows' often have local area info such as VOR/DME grid and essential info. The essential info might be a simple set of boxes with the actual info written on top. Top tip - DO NOT USE WASHABLE chinagraph or felt tip - it runs in the rain.

Edited to add, drat, couldn't afford mobile phones then.

Standard Aircrew Pocket-Fillers
 

Here's my semi-serious take on this.
The RAF carry in their pockets:
Lower leg - chip hat (specially designed for the crabs so that when they landed away they could walk to the Officer's Mess with headgear. Other Services could substitute a Beret. I used to put Maps/FLIPs in there when flying FW but now they stay empty in helis where I have a handbag full of them, and maps. Also useful for gloves when on the ground.
Knife-cutter pocket - Knife, useful for cutting straight lines quickly in maps (blunts the blade a bit so I'm told)
Kneeboard pockets - what do you want to write there? There's plenty of space for frequencies, plan of 2 airfields, spaces to write QFE etc. You could get a kneeboard attachment with a foldery thing in to keep even more useless info in. Obviously if you have bad eyesight you'll need to write bigger, so you'll fit less in (but maybe if your eyesight's that bad then you shouldn't be flying!).
In the large velcro knee pockets that open away from you when sitting I kept FRCs (when they were small enough to fit in there). Ones that face you are good for stuff you don't need in flight such as directions to the nearest hotel/pub at destination/half-filled out JPA audit sheets.
Chest pockets are good for wallet, mobile phone and other stuff that you don't need, assuming that you are wearing a parachute or life-jacket, as all mil people are.
Pen pockets on sleeve good for pens, AA maglite etc. Have to be careful about loose article hazard in your sporty little a/c though.
Hope this helps in some way(!)

Switch

P.S The RN carry extra-large condoms, breath mints, musk, drag fancy-dress and cash. Also some waterproofed sweets for recharging your batteries after a long trip!
P.P.S Haven't got a clue what the army carry, probably a camo net, hexi stove and a big knife. Not forgetting gun-dog (Officers), football boots, ball and shirt (NCOs).

Thanks for your enlightenment. Thanks for your time.

TIM

PS re stain , it's almost disappeared after the third wash and given it's location I think I can fill in the blanks. Thanks again.

I just used to fold them neatly and put them in the top drawer... :}

Racing spoon in left arm pen pocket.

Of course, after ISS you would have spelled this 'organize'.:)

Don't forget the 'Mission Mints'.

Or even

Also some waterproofed batteries for recharging your ........ after a long trip!

Well he did say sir/madam :}

Flying suits
 

Read the whole thread and can't believe no-one has made a comment that recently appeared on another thread - that is, in the RAF they tend to call them "flying suits" (coveralls if you are pedantic). Nice touch if you want to sound authentic - a bit like not saying "plane" - always aeroplane or aircraft, which I see you already do:ok:

Spoons in pockets are soooooooo Hercules co-pilot....

It simply isn't done.

The book 'When Thunder rolled'by Ed Rasimus (a very good book), has a fair bit of info regarding what he carried on ops in Vietnam. If I remember correctly, he carried spare batteries for his emergency radio and a spare pistol in his calf pockets. He writes about the massive weight of equipment that they carried in their suit pockets.

Well, here's my take:

Left calf pocket: paperwork of unknown nature plus flying gloves. Doubles as primary chip bag hat receptacle (if hat location known). Keep a torch in there too.

Right calf pocket: wallet. Additional paperwork of unknown nature.

Left hip pocket: handkerchief.

Right hip pocket: possible change up to a maximum of £2. Car key.

Left breast pocket: paperwork of unknown nature.

Right breast pocket: phone. Additional paperwork of unknown nature and payslips.

Pen holders: pens and occasionally Spork.

The good news is that in about one in ten changes of flying suit, the paperwork of unknown nature briefly becomes paperwork of known nature shortly before entering the bin.

When I was in the mob and flying;

Left lower leg; Chip hat and pilot's handbook
Right lower leg; Stuff I really should know but can never remember, also quiz book for Atlantic transits and EO trips.

Thigh pockets; old maps and fluff

Knee boards; QFE, weather and piloty stuff
Underneath knee board pockets; sick bag, essential for the odd foray down the back in the kipper fleet.

Hip pockets; gloves

Chest pockets; wallet, keys, change, passport etc etc, blah....

Knife pocket; erm knife when we were given one, other than that a cardboard box opening device/dingy thing.

Basically whatever you feel comfortable with in whatever combination, although old maps and fluff are a given.

Sitting here in my locally made flying suit I have:
Right calf pocket: Ziplock bag containing ear plugs, surgical mask and gloves, multi lingual emergency phrase book, sickbags

Knee pad pockets:
Nil - I tried to open the velcro the other day and the whole pocket started to detach (I did say 'locally made'!)

Right breast pocket:
old casualty report form (unwashed), and details of last navex for my student

Left pocket
remains of old casualty report form and tissue combination (washed)

Pen pocket
Three colour biro

Note - no hip pockets - the boss didn't want us walking around with our hands in our pockets making the place look untidy :=

At least it prevents the starboard lookout eating with his fingers and licking the tinfoil afterwards.:}

The small number of FJ aircrew maybe - but most operational aircrew are surely on rotary and multis - and in pink.

Wallet & comb top left hand breast pocket (for right-handers and vice versa for left-handers).

For FJ guys the rest of the pockets were redundant in my day 'cos everything went into similar pockets on the g-suit!

Foldie

That is a very good point, Background, and I'm happy to concede :O As my little pink number has been unused for a few months, I'd completely blanked it - however it's getting close to the time where she makes a re appearance :{

Far from being the 'spray on flying suits worn by CrabAir trolley dollies' as noted in Ed Macy's Apache, my dessie coveralls take the description of 'grow-bag' to a new level.

What do I carry in the pockets? Sadly very little you'd need in civvy street Rans, unless you want a call from SO19 or whatever the feds call themselves nowadays. However, the ubiquitous RAF spork is always a welcome addition to your pen holder, being the original multi-tool, cooking / eating utensil as well as back-up in case of 9mm stoppage. And it gets through all baggage scanners inc RAFP. Result.

Downside - considered below stairs by some sniffy hofficers.

Cappacino sir? ;)

As for the paper of unknown nature, I think he means 'content' or 'purpose'. What no one has mentioned is:

Laundered paper of unknown origin

On Vulcan QRA I also had a spare pair of socks. On call out I would don one pair. In the aircraft I could don the second pair if it was cold. In the right leg pocket would be a melted, resolidified, melted etc Mars bar. Sometimes this would be laundered too unless the dogs got to it first.

One time our copilot's right leg pocket contained a half-eaten chicken leg. Later, about a month later, it contained about a quarter of a half-eaten chicken leg and a large quantity of well fed and very happy maggots.:}

Niiiiccccccce Wader!

Re the Mars bar - I recently retrieved my Moortrek model secreted somewhere in my flying jacket in a hiding place so cunning, the fox, squippers and DS never found it :ok:

Still tasted good after 25 years. You can lead a knocker to a commission but you can't take him out of the gutter!

I was always taught not to waste anything on my ITC. :O

Top Left Pocket - A very wet receipt for classified documents that the nice chap at police HQ gave me the afternoon prior to the 'quick trip to the Mess' (which turned into an all-nighter complete with pool dunking). Amazing how the flying suit pocket cannot protect that stuff....

Top left: 'phone, passport*, travel order
Top right: zippo, half a packet of Marlboro, wallet, cash for more Marlboro
Upper Knee, either side: chippy
Knee without chippy: Oakleys (can be hung from O2 loop if required - thanks for the reminder Wensleydale)
Hip pockets: gloves
Pens on sleeve
Gerber 'covert folder' in knife pocket

no comb required, #2 on top, #1 at sides

Everything else is somewhere in my headset bag.
Hopefully.

* used to be in one of the knees, surprisingly resilient to one service wash, but not the second.

No-one has yet mentioned the O2 loop on the front of the coverall - used to attach dog tags via a carabiner. Also used to attach the lanyard securing a small multi-tool that lives in the breast zip pocket. So much better than the wretched strap cutter and you get an added tin opener/scissors etc. Remember to put it into hold baggage before departing from Briz tho!

I also have a small bum-bag in the lower leg pocket that contains Passport, Driving Licence, NTO, RAFFT/CCS Card, F111 Med Card, a list of good phone numbers and a wad of Euros. Essential when diverting. and just straps onto the civies when deployed. It also fits the leg pocket of CS95. Looks a bit poofy, but very practical.

Hasn't anyone on this thread heard of FOD!!!

My suit contains

1 biro,
1 chinagraph,
1 frcs,
stop.

oh, and a grumpy old airman...

CS;)

No.

But I've heard of FOOD....

Pit Bull, good call, as long as you don't forget it:

Spider, you grumpy old sod, you've been in Training Command too long!
Surely you remember your time on the front line where the contents of pockets should be -

Top left - 1250

All other compartments - Lick on tatts

The end

No need for maps - one nav + spare if he gets lost
No need for freqs - AEO
No need for money - co pilot
No need for book of gen - Air Eng
No need for chinagraph - 4th dry / 3rd wet

TGIF :cool:

I think you'll find this seasons outfit is desert dpm FR CS95. Pink flying suits are for air stewards and harrier pilots for posing around the cookhouse.

Stowage probs were resolved by the issue of that abortion of a DPM flying trousers/jacket combo; you couldn't fit anything in any of the pockets.

Smitter, With all that help, how long does it take to manage an emergency....?



I prefer to put the gear down and land, with a cursory call to ATC, if I remember...

FRC in the leg pocket that are difficult to get out from under G Pants.

Ranss9 ffs........!!
 

Forgive me for being pedantic....but I presume you have a 'FLYING SUIT' :ok:not a 'flight suit':ugh:.....Please use the proper terminology as all this American 'fluence is beginning to p@ss me off...unless I'm wrong of course....

Camelspyder, that is why some pockets have zips. Confess I almost swallowed my false teeth, if I had them, when someone said he used his hip pocket for kets and money.

Unlike Walts who have a Marlboro pocket on the sleeve of their flightsuits.

Flying suits
 

You going to pay me royalties on that post DD? Already made that point yesterday! But we do agree, at least.

Left arm pen pocket - lucky plastic spoon and spare which becomes the lucky one if first one snaps.

Oxy loop - Small flat led torch thing

Right hand thigh - Fuel loads sheet

Left chest - Wallet and mobile phone

Right chest - Marlboro lights passport

Left ankle - Sick bag flying gloves and hercules handbook

Right ankle- spare pants

Forgot, one knocker used to carry a mirror to check his parting. His headset mussed his hair up.

Or Mick Muttet who carried a buffer rather than a hair brush :}

How do I organise? Er...........dress to the left

:E