Aviatrix attire!

[nick123]

** The thread for all things related to the attire of female aviators! Please contribute more photos and history!!**


"The WASP, or Women Airforce Service Pilots, was a group of civilian pilots utilized by the Air Transport Command for ferrying aircraft and training duties. Female aviation pioneer Jacqueline Cochran, a native of the Florida panhandle who piloted her own plane before the war, was selected to organize the WASP" (museumoffloridahistory.com):

Four women pilots leaving their plane,
"Pistol Packin' Mama"
(Photo: Pinterest):

WASP pilot patch (ebay):

Soviet "Night Witches":

"Captain Polina Osipenko (co-pilot and commander of the plane), deputy to the supreme soviet of the USSR Valentina Grizodubova (navigator), and senior lieutenant Marina Raskova" (Photo: Getty/spectator.co.uk):

"Pilots from the 586th regiment, also formed by Raskova. (L-R: Lilia Litvyak, Yekaterina Budanova, and Maria Kuznetsova)." (Photo: Itar-Tass/Landov) (AMP/Atlas Obscura):

CCCP Russian Aviatrix Stamps:

Article about Soviet "Night Witches" in WWII:
https://www.google.com/amp/www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/06/night-witches-wwii-female-pilots/amp

 

[nick123]

Closeup:

 

[nick123]

Marilyn!

 

[kojax]

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[AeroFan_07]

Excellent pieces of priceless history there! Nice thread and finds there Nick!

 

[rocketeer]

I once put "Aviatrix leather jacket" in a Google search as a female friend wanted a authentic looking A2. Guess what came up? Mens leather jackets, the sort that every Top Gun wannabe sold years ago. Aviatrix is now a leather brand catering mainly for mens leathers in the A2, G1 and biker styles. Does modern man realise this.......or care

 

[nick123]

I once put "Aviatrix leather jacket" in a Google search as a female friend wanted a authentic looking A2. Guess what came up? Mens leather jackets, the sort that every Top Gun wannabe sold years ago. Aviatrix is now a leather brand catering mainly for mens leathers in the A2, G1 and biker styles. Does modern man realise this.......or care

Lol. All I know is women pilots and their jackets are cooler than cool.

 

[GHT]

During WW2, the Air Transport Auxiliary were used to fly war planes from factories to RAF air fields. The pilots were mostly women, although most were British, there were quite a few from other countries too. One young lady, name of Maureen Dunlop, became quite a pin up. She lived a long life and only died recently at the grand age of 92.

 

[Monitor]

I once put "Aviatrix leather jacket" in a Google search as a female friend wanted a authentic looking A2. Guess what came up? Mens leather jackets, the sort that every Top Gun wannabe sold years ago. Aviatrix is now a leather brand catering mainly for mens leathers in the A2, G1 and biker styles. Does modern man realise this.......or care

I know the brand. They've been around since the 80's. I think they were trying to piggyback off Avirex name. Met at least two people who were somehow convinced that their Aviatrix A-2 jackets were made by Avirex.

During WW2, the Air Transport Auxiliary were used to fly war planes from factories to RAF air fields. The pilots were mostly women, although most were British, there were quite a few from other countries too. One young lady, name of Maureen Dunlop, became quite a pin up. She lived a long life and only died recently at the grand age of 92.
View attachment 64836

Almost fell off the chair... Twin sister of my ex! Or grand grandmother or something.

 

[GHT]

Nick, why did you have to go and start this thread? Most of the RAF's female pilots of The ATA were photographed in their mess uniforms, it's taken a bit of unearthing to find them in flying gear. Now my missus has taken a fancy to the jacket in the last picture. How much is this going to cost me?

 

[nick123]

Roughly $1000 LOL