Obama's A2 ?

[kampkatz]

Since velcro patches are easily removable, the jacket probably went back to the supply depot after Obama finished the "mission."
BTW- Bush looked fine in any flight jacket, which he earned the right to wear, having won his Air Force pilot's wings.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Bush, of course, also had an association with some branch of other of the military aside from being CiC as President, so I did wonder whether his choice of jacket reflected that at all.

If you're speaking about the elder bush, he was a Navy Pilot who saw combat and was shot down in WWII. The younger Bush was (for a while, at least) an Air National Guard pilot.

But both Bushes seem to like the G-1 even though the younger Bush was more likely issued an MA-1 during his flying days.

AF

 

[rgraham]

I think it fits him perfectly. ;0}

 

[Edward]

If you're speaking about the elder bush, he was a Navy Pilot who saw combat and was shot down in WWI. The younger Bush was (for a while, at least) an Air National Guard pilot.

Yes, I was thinking of Bush The Younger, not Bush Senior - I don't recall the old man in a flight jacket, but then I wasn't interested in those back then, so. [huh] Yes, I was thinking of Bush Jnr's Vietnam era stint in the ANG, maybe why I was thinking nylon.... though I'm sure I've seen photos of him in nylon (around the time he delivered the "Mission Accomplished" speech), but that could have been a flightsuit.... The jacket he is wearing there with Blair is presumably his own. No surprise he favours one that is reminiscent of the old man, they do seem to be close, and if daddy Bush was a genuine war hero, no wonder Junior would haved wanted to wear a jacket like his. If Obama's was a borrowed jacket for that particular trip, it's no surprise the fit isn't the best, but then I have no experience of the current issue jackets, so no idea of how they tend to fit as compared to a "real" A2.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Actually, the President has been wearing baggy-fitting leather filght jackets for a long time now...all the way back to the days when his name was "Barry".

AF

 

[John in Covina]

The president has a healthy looking physique and could use a better fit in that jacket. Didn't they used to have "people" take care of such issues? The last time the president wore jeans that fit and had a decent rise the media made fun of him. Something along the line of "mom jeans". I guess you have to dress like a slob to get along nowadays.

You're right, in the past there were people that knew what to do, understood protocol and such. But I think that there is a trend where those positioned people that are supposed to know actually don't know, they aren't as knowledgeable as they think they are. Much of the way things were and common knowledge from the past disappears pretty quickly these days under the pressure of being trendy, which is constantly changing.

 

[Republic_Flier]

On Cockpit USA's twitter they say its their jacket.
http://twitter.com/CockpitUSAinc

 

[Atticus Finch]

On Cockpit USA's twitter they say its their jacket.
http://twitter.com/CockpitUSAinc

That would make sense. Avirex/Cockpit has retained the A-2 contract since 1998...so the President is likely wearing an issued A-2 drawn right out of the supply system. I've always heard the military has two sizes of clothing...too big and too small. Looks like President Obama opted for door number one.

AF

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

I imagine he's wearing the standard current issue. US Presidents do all seem to go in for flight jackets when visiting troops. I suppose this ties in with a sense of solidarity with the military, plus their role as CiC - not something you would, afaik, see a British PM doing, but I don't think they're a comparable post, which is likely a big reason for it.

Italian prime minister is not a comparable post for sure: and actually I don't remember Berlusconi wearing a flight jacket, but he is the kind of man from which everything has to expected, so...
(he mostly wears a Russian Navy parka! a gift from Putin...)

otoh, I remember the Minister of defence wearing a flight jacket visiting troops in Afghanistan and in Iraq, which kind of makes sense as he is the commander in chief.

PS
I think you guys were a bit nasty on Obama! He doesn't look bad at the all to me, just a little tunneling on the arms.

 

[Atticus Finch]

I think you guys were a bit nasty on Obama! He doesn't look bad at the all to me, just a little tunneling on the arms.

Yes, I think President Obama likes to wear his jackets a bit on the baggy side. I can understand that. I don't much care for tight clothing, either. Though I didn't say so in my earlier post, to me, Former President Bush looks like a stuffed sausage in this photo.

AF

 

[Atticus Finch]

Given Obama never seved, an off the rack jacket is fitting, pun intact.

But isn't that what men and women who are serving in the military get?

AF

 

[Fletch]

Moooooooving right along...

...a poster on VLJ who is a real live F-15 pilot says that his fellow fighterjocks generally consider wearing A-2s to reflect poorly on their level of training/readiness/prestige. Yes, poorly.

You see, part of the reason the A-2 was revived in the late '80s was to take the place of some other proposed bonuses/benefits/etc. for combat aircrew. The fighter force took this especially personally, altho transport and such aircrew were and are happy to wear the jacket. (No word about bomber crews - maybe they can't for safety reasons...)

The A-2 has also lost some of its privileged status since the 80s, now that the USAF has authorized its wear by groundbound support people who help the combat mission (or have their own, like missile crews). Long story short, many fighter pilots today feel it's beneath them to wear one.

 

[thor]

The Cockpit jackets seem oversized, IMHO. Someone, a staff member, probably just arranged to have Pres. Obama's normal size suit jacket as a reference when they arranged to have the customized Commander-in-Chief A-2 presented to him for this trip. If he wears a size 44 suit, they would probably just obtain a size 44 A-2 (not worrying or caring about it being possibly over-sized or not fitting exactly as snug as many people envision them when fitting "properly").
The military knows exactly who and when a V.I.P. is coming for a visit and they arrange for gifts/souvenirs/momento's to be presented. Navy Ship's ball caps are always presented to visitors when they come aboard. I bet the aircrew of Air Force One arranged the A-2 for Pres. Obama.
\

 

[Richard Warren]

Baggy bomber on Obama? No surprise there.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Anyone noticed that this jacket has side panels? What current manufacturer makes such a strange A2?

Saddlery (cooper) has used side panels since 1987ish. I do not recall seeing them on their WWII issue jacket.

 

[Phantomfixer]

...a poster on VLJ who is a real live F-15 pilot says that his fellow fighterjocks generally consider wearing A-2s to reflect poorly on their level of training/readiness/prestige. Yes, poorly.

You see, part of the reason the A-2 was revived in the late '80s was to take the place of some other proposed bonuses/benefits/etc. for combat aircrew. The fighter force took this especially personally, altho transport and such aircrew were and are happy to wear the jacket. (No word about bomber crews - maybe they can't for safety reasons...)

The A-2 has also lost some of its privileged status since the 80s, now that the USAF has authorized its wear by groundbound support people who help the combat mission (or have their own, like missile crews). Long story short, many fighter pilots today feel it's beneath them to wear one.

USAF aircrews can not wear leather in the cockpit. They can wear them to the plane but must take them off while performing official duties. At least that was the case in 2005.

 

[HackerF15E]

Saddlery (cooper) has used side panels since 1987ish. I do not recall seeing them on their WWII issue jacket.

The Saddlery and Cooper jackets did not have side panels. That was introduced in 1998 with the Avirex contract.

If you have seen Cooper/Saddlery jackets with side panels, it is because pilots had the jackets modified by places like Pop's Leather in Turkey or Mr Lim's over in South Korea.

 

[HackerF15E]

USAF aircrews can not wear leather in the cockpit. They can wear them to the plane but must take them off while performing official duties. At least that was the case in 2005.

Not the case today. The USAF Instruction that governs uniform wear is called AFI 36-2903. Here's the link to a digital copy of the latest edition of that Instruction:
www.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/afi36-2903.pdf

On page 95 is this:

3.2.3.1. Leather A-2 Flying Jacket is authorized for wear as prescribed in Table 3.6. of this instruction. Wear of the leather A-2 jacket in flight is authorized unless prohibited by MAJCOM Supplement or restricted due to safety of flight concerns.

A cursory look though the Supplements for Air Combat Command and Air Education and Training Command show there is no prohibition in either of those MAJCOMs. If anyone in interested, they can look through the USAF e-publishing site at the other MAJCOM Supplements for the other flying commands (USAFE, PACAF, AMC) and see if it's prohibited in any of those (which, to the best of my knowledge, it is not).

 

[Tadite]

You'd be amazed at how little control the President has on his day to day life. Everything from his shoes to his food is essentially assigned to him with only a little bit of choice on casual wear. The jackets are an example. Every President gets at least two. The leather version which is straight out of the normal military supply and then a special hideously ugly Presidential specific version. That's the one that's usually some blue synthetic or cotton with gigantic Presidential patches.

Bush One liked the A-2 I think because he never stopped wearing them since WW2 if anything he is the President most associated with leather jackets which could be the reason why his fit. Bush Two also liked his and even had a few more specially made. Clinton was a fan and I suppose so is Obama. Carter, Reagan and Ford had a tendency to stick with the suit. The point being as it's standard issue to all Presidents.


I think if anything this is just an example of how much better the older versions were.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Just for fun, here are some other presidents wearing various flight jackets. Check out the fit of eash one.

President Bush in a L-2B looking jacket....

President Bush in a CWU-36P

President Nixon in a G-1

Presiddent Clinton in a G-1

President John Kennedy in a G-1

....And somewhere I have a photo of President Bush in a modern issue A-2, but I can't seem to find it.

AF