Obama's A2 ?

[Republic_Flier]

This thread is like a solid 4 pages since I posted yesterday. Anyways here's a video of Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Afghanistan wearing an A-2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g9g9F6_TC4

 

[Atticus Finch]

Last presidential flight jacket post, I promise.

Here are some photos of President Bill Clinton wearing a modern A-2 in 1999. I'm guessing that it may be a 1998 Averix, as it seems to lack side-entry pockets, it has a two-piece sleeve and it has the very dark, seal Avirex finish. Interestingly, the officer greeting him in the last photo may be wearing a 1999 Cockpit/Avirex as it appears to have side panel. Notice the baggy fit of both jackets.

AF

 

[Ugarte]

Sure, I'll jump in here. Why not?

It looks like somebody measured our President and pulled a gov. issued A-2 off the rack somewhere. Consequently as a slim, kind of lanky guy, he wound up with a pretty good fit in the shoulder and sleeve length, but baggy and too long otherwise. The jacket in the old pic of him as a college student seemed to fit much better.




Mark
.

 

[Atticus Finch]

...but I have to say Richard Nixon in an A-2 is about the most ridiculous thing I've seen in a while.

He actually rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He served in the PTO and was in Naval Aviation, though not an aviator. He may have achieved the second highest military rank of any modern president…Ike being first.

AF

 

[Seb Lucas]

The thing is they all look pretty naff to me. And just because someone is (or was) a soldier doesn't meant they look any good in an A2 either. Fit issues aside, it's a hard jacket to pull off, that's what I take away from this.

 

[HackerF15E]

The thing is they all look pretty naff to me. And just because someone is (or was) a soldier doesn't meant they look any good in an A2 either. Fit issues aside, it's a hard jacket to pull off, that's what I take away from this.

Ya gotta be fatter to make it work!

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

I don't mean to sound heretical, but I'm liking enough the current issue A2; seems a nice, classical styled and reliable jacket, close enough to WWII style to be called and A2, while being also more forgiving on "modern" body types...
probably not on the same level of her WWII progenitor, but I believe that would also cost less than an original or a good repro; more close to my current price range, anyway.

Plus, it looks a lot better than leather jackets issued to italian pilots.

Ciao!

 

[thor]

I agree with ButteMT61; seeing Presidents (past and present) sporting military flight jackets is fascinating. Seeing President John F. Kennedy in a G-1 while at the helm of his sailboat was priceless. He was a Navy vet, having famously served on PT boats in combat in the South Pacific and in that photo looked right at home in his G-1 aboard his sailboat. Thanks for posting!

 

[Atticus Finch]

Ya gotta be fatter to make it work!

FAT BOYZ RULE!

I've always liked the modern A-2s. Every one I've ever owned or seen has been very well made and size 48R in these jackets fits me exacly the way I like leather jackets to fit...a bit roomy and comfortable. I'm wearing a '96 Saddlery in the above photo.

AF

 

[Ugarte]

He actually rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He served in the PTO and was in Naval Aviation, though not an aviator. He may have achieved the second highest military rank of any modern president…Ike being first.

AF

Not disputing that.

My point is that he looks ridiculous to me.

I'm just saying....

Mark
.

 

[Troglodyte]

In what way? Seems a good fit to me.

Trog

 

[Seb Lucas]

It is possible to look ridiculous in something even if it fits. I think Nixon looks pretty funny too.

Atticus - your A2 looks good on you - the shades and the roll neck come together well. Some people can pull off that look and some can't. It's ineffable and more than a little bit subjective.

 

[Fletch]

Nixon always looked funny as president. Before that, not so much.

With Sen. Prescott Bush of Connecticut, May, 1953.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Not disputing that.

My point is that he looks ridiculous to me.

I'm just saying....

Mark
.

I agree with you. I well remember President Nixon. He resigned the summer before I started undergraduate school. He was always such a stiff, formal fellow. Anytime he tried to let his hair down (like the time he appeared on Laugh-In), he somehow came across as being a bit ridiculous. For those of us who remember his presidency, seeing Nixon "dressed down" in a G-1 is difficult to get one's head around.

AF

 

[Ugarte]

In what way? Seems a good fit to me.

Trog

I really can't explain it. It's an A-2 with Nixon's head on it.

Chalk it up to my opinion; Dick just wasn't a A-2 kind of guy.

Mark
.

 

[theinterchange]

I cannot lie, I think that particular jacket looks horrible, on him... but from what I see here, I don't think it'd look good on anyone... it looks like some bargain basement "quick we gotta get the president in a jacket... now!" purchase.

Randy

 

[Stearmen]

Bush Sr. & WWI

Actually, George H. W. Bush Sr. was never a fighter pilot! He was a torpedo bomber pilot and flew Grumman TBF Avengers. I believe he was the youngest Navel Aviator though! U.S. Navy Aviators were shot down and killed in WWI. Ensign Charles Hammann received the Medal of Honor for his heroic rescue of another downed pilot while flying his Macchi M5 flying boat fighter plane, [yes fighter plane] in action against Austria-Hungry on October 21, 1918! Navy air crew flew on most of the major fronts, flying boats, fighters, and bombers.

 

[Phantomfixer]

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:



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).

Hacker here is your AFI 2903 note the red
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. Authorized individuals are listed below

Coopers and Saddlery had the side panles. just gave one away to a ROTC kid. It was not modified by pop or his 4 sons.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Well, one thing that I've learned from this thread is that President Bush really likes flight jackets. I've seen photos of him wearing a G-1, a CWU-36/P, an L-2B clone and possibly a CWU-45/P. Now here's two more. I finally found a photo of him in an A-2. I won't comment about the fit. And I found one of him in an Army Nomex jacket. It may be a flight jacket or it may be a CVC jacket...impossible to know which because they look almost the same from the front.

Oddly enough, I haven't found a photo of him in a MA-1 or an original L-2B...the two jackets that the Texas Air national Guard would have issued to him in 1972.

AF

 

[Fletch]

U.S. Navy Aviators were shot down and killed in WWI. Ensign Charles Hammann received the Medal of Honor for his heroic rescue of another downed pilot while flying his Macchi M5 flying boat fighter plane, [yes fighter plane] in action against Austria-Hungry on October 21, 1918! Navy air crew flew on most of the major fronts, flying boats, fighters, and bombers.

I heard they were often well away from any action. ISTR a Navy flying boat base in Italy that didn't even get any mail for months at a time. So it's understandable if they didn't want to point to a history of being REMFs.