Bit thread drift, but on the subject of cyclist who dress up like Lance Armstrong on their fancy racing bikes. When I tour with the aircraft I prefer to stop off for the night at fields with cheap fees which are usually 3 or more miles outside the town and where getting a cab to find you for a ride to the hotel in town is sometimes a nightmare, so I bought a foldable electric bike with wee wheels, which has introduced me to my new favorite pastime.

Specifically, I like to pull up at the stop sign next to those Lance Armstrong wannabees upon starting I let them get a few yards ahead of me then I flip the electric on which is pretty silent especially in traffic and my luggage on the back hides the battery, I then zip past them leisurely pedaling, handlebars in one hand, fag in the other and nonchalantly give a tip of the head to my fellow “cyclist”. The look on their face is priceless thinking “how the f**K can this fat bastard on a shiity little bike with a suitcase on back and smoking a fag dust me on my 5 grand racer” !

I thought you wre a French women? Or is that someone else?

I can assure you, Piperboy looks nothing like a French Woman! Though I image he does have hairy armpits in common....:}

Appleoggs. I was thinking about Piper Classique. I'm sure he's a woman.

No, no . No apologies needed THING, if you have conjured up images in your head of me as a French bird that's OK, I,m not the type of lad to look a gift horse in the mouth.:ok:

If it helps this is a pic of me just about to head out for a pint and bridie in Forfar recently.
http://glo.com/beauty/the-sexiest-fr...n-4772.gallery

Ah, now they are a bit nice.

My answer to the OP's question will probably back up what he already suspects. Yes, he will look a knob in a military flying jacket. Like wearing a tie, shirt and epaulettes and gold bars, calling yourself "Captain" and having a huge pilot bag. Get yourself some cred and use an Aldi or Lidl carrier bag and get a nice warm outdoor jacket which doesn't have "knob" written on the back in invisible letters.

PM

I have an Irvine sheepskin jacket which cost a lot of money twenty five years ago. It looks almost brand new because I take care of my stuff, just like women. I've never flown in the tax payer funded services and have no real experience of tail wheel aircraft. I used, however, to fly HS748s and F27s and have thousands of hours on each type. Is it permissible to wear my sheepskin jacket when going around town or should I have

HS748
CAPTAIN

embroidered on the back so that everyone who followed in my odiferous wake could tell that I was, or had been, a real pilot and was not just some walley out for a troll?

Lakeland are selling leather and sheepskin jackets at half price. Check out their web site.

Cavorting, you just need a black leather jacket with ACE on the back! ;)

I also have a very nice leather (unlined) jacket from Lakeland - cost me £25 in Oxfam, worth every penny! Occasionally I fly an aeroplane in it, but mostly I just wear it on chilly days when I want pocket space.

Just like a sheepskin jacket, keep the leather fed, and it'll last forever. Don't, and it'll last 18 months.

Except the pockets, most of which I need to get re-lined. I think that Lakeland assume none of their customers ever carry keys !

G

I’ve always wanted to get out of an impressively oily and macho aircraft, divest myself of the flying suit, James Bond style, revealing a tux underneath, then go and prop up the bar... :p

To get back to the OPs question:
If the club in question was an officer’s mess, then you would blend right in. Otherwise, as others have pointed out, the type of aircraft makes a big difference: C150, high on the “knob” scale. Biplane, aerobatic, vintage, military, open cockpit, etc. no problem. Wings, stripes, badges and the like looked good on Chuck Yeager (and Tom Cruise) but for your average UK GA pilot learning to fly a Tomahawk, not so much.

Mind you, I do a lot of gliding and some people wear... Aaargh! I don’t even want to talk about it, it’s so horrible!

I want mine to last longer than 18 months. What do you feed it with, Genghis?

"Any other suggestions?"

Aviation Leathercraft at Thruxton?

She is. And owns a leather jacket, which comes in handy on windswept and cold gliding fields. But I actually wear an Ozee suit in the glider in the winter wave season.

Some stuff from the supermarket called "Lord Sheraton Leather Balsam" which is in the cleaning materials section and sold for use on leather sofas. Costs about a fiver a jar, which will usually do a new jacket, or keep an existing jacket alive for a year or so.

The instructions say to apply then wipe off. For my jackets however, I just work it in with my fingers until the leather's about saturated, then hang the jacket over a radiator for a day. Works a treat.

I have found other things that work well, but this is available just about everywhere (Tesco, Amazon, eBay...), so it's easy to be consistent in what I'm feeding the leather. It does darken the leather a bit, but I can't say that worries me.

G

Thanks Genghis. I'll look out for some.

Noble House in Ulm Germany do some pretty cool leather Jackets which are not that expensive. I have one of their Jadfliegers which is comfortable and warm in the cockpit (yes the cockpit is open) it also doesnt look out of place with a pair of jeans in the pub. It's pretty grubby and scratched now but being less than half the cost of the Eastmann Jadflieger, I don't care and consider it erm patinated.

I also have an Irvin but being of generous proportions can't easily fit in the bleedin' cockpit with it on.

Probably one of the most compelling reasons for buying a leather flying jacket, and it hasn't been mentioned is that women love them. If your looking for a bird strike on the ground they always seem to go down well. There is some sort of top gun / pear harbour thing hard wired into women and it really does get them excited. If there is a stray bird there at a fly in your sure to be in there with the right flying jacket. Bring them up for a quick flip in the aeroplane, bit of negative g and float a packet of cigarettes off the coaming because they love that too. You have the rest of it all wrapped up - a touch and go or a full stop the choice is yours.

Other than that they are no use, mostly too short so you'd catch a chill in your lower back. If its function not form you're after then get some thermal underwear. Does more to keep you from foundering with the cold than either a flight jacket or a flying suit. Thermal underwear, even nato spec, has no known seduction properties unfortunately.

:ok:

I have a lovely Aviation Leathercraft B3 which I bought when I first started flying powered aeroplanes (DH82's so appropriate) in 1989. I've probably worn it three times as I feel like Michelin man in it and can hardly move. However, I also have a well worn A2 of unknown make that I bought years ago and now wouldn't be without! Apart from the obvious it's been used as a chock, windscreen protection when refuelling, as a cushion and probably a lot of other things I can't remember right now. It doesn't look showy ... more shabby than chic, but whether I look a knob in it or not, I wear it with pride! :p

If you want a leather jacket ... go for it! A2's are pretty middle of the road so that's what I'd recommend.

SS

I don't know what causes them to be attracted to leather flying jackets, but a lady friend's cat would always make a bee-line for mine if I left it lying around, then burrow around in it to make a nest. As would the moggies which used to live in the South Warks Flying Club crewroom.

I guess that my leather jacket can therefore be described, with some evidential justification, as a 'pussy magnet'?