Top gun movie jacket

[Aerojoe]

BTW, does anybody know how G1 jackets generated? I mean, who did the design and why such a design. The bi-swing back with leather is a piece of work.

 

[mezz07]

I read that the Navy used a bi swing back so that a downed aviator could swim in the ocean more easily with his G-1 on. I love the design but am frustrated with the fake fur versions mixed in.

 

[TSP13]

I own a navy issued Alpha CWU-45/P Flight Jacket from the eighties which was the actual issue at the time. It was my dad's when he served, so I don't wear it all that often although he is fine with it.

 

[calderoni]

BTW a great friend of mine is in the movie and helped Tony Scott for the dialogues of the movie. If you guys want we could ask him to take a look at this page and maybe he can answer the doubts about MAVE's jacket....

 

[calderoni]

He's Dave "bio" Baranek.... Author of the book "top gun days". The book is a must for every aviation lover and describes the behind the scenes of the movie top gun too. He's been envolved in helping the author in the real pilot dialogues; in the movie is flying the black f5!

I'm sure he'll tell the truth about Mave's jacket... Let's cross the fingers!
Check his site with Crazy pictures at
http://www.topgunbio.com/

 

[Bio]

Thanks for mentioning my book, calderoni. Mav's jacket from "Top Gun" sure ignited interest in flight jackets, leather and nylon! Some of his patches wouldn't really go on a Navy Tomcat pilot's jacket -- but the movie people selected patches based on looks, not really accuracy. Same for the designs on the tails of the F-14s. But I don't want to run-down the movie: it was the top-grossing movie of the year in 1986 and is still very popular.
A lot of people in the Fedora Lounge may already know about this book, The Alpha Story . I don't have a copy but it looks interesting!

 

[calderoni]

Never heard about the book! Thx for the info!

 

[Treetopflyer]

Top Gun did more in 110 minutes for Navy Recruiting than twenty years of "It's not just a job...it's an adventure."

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Top Gun did more in 110 minutes for Navy Recruiting than twenty years of "It's not just a job...it's an adventure."

Around the same time this recruiting commercial came out SNL did a brilliant parody of it that was practically indistinguishable from the original.

[video=youtube;gHoFElIwXpI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHoFElIwXpI[/video]

 

[calderoni]

Bio after the movie came out, how many people started to wear those kind of leather jacket in your Area? Were them so "common" with those aviation enthusiast in the middle 80's?

 

[SteveZ]

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to say that this looked like a very cool forum to be a part of and I too am into military flight jackets. I own a US NAVY G1 and US AIR FORCE A2 in very nice leather and both were purchased from US WINGS in Ohio. The NAVY flight jacket Im turning into a ' tribute ' jacket in honor of my father who was a US NAVY pilot and squadron commander of submarine hunters during the height of the cold war. My father is still living at 88 years old ! He gave me his old G1 flight jacket issued in the mid 40s but its totally worn out and not worth the expense of restoring. The same goes for several squadron morale patches sewn on it as they were faded and worn badly.

Ive located reproductions of all the important patches on the web and Im going to have a small insignia decal of the squadron he commanded custom made into a large patch to be sewn on the back of the jacket. Its gonna be beautiful and resemble the hand painted art seen on USAAF crewman flight jackets. There are several other patches from my dads assignments over a 25 year aviation career to be added as well. Its gonna be awesome. My dad hunted Russian subs and in some small way, contributed to our nations security and defense. If you have to ask, dad had over 5000 flying hours logged in several aircraft types, but mostly Lockheed Neptunes which were built so well starting in 1945, they are still used today out west fighting fires. Some of you aviation buffs might know the Neptune.

Heres a question for you members. With all the coat manufacturers cranking out all kinds of ' trivia top gun ' military jackets these days, including the Chinese , Whats your opinion on me wearing my jacket in public when finished ? Im not going to sew on his name patch with rank and such. Instead, Im going to sew on an embroidered patch with a US NAVY wings in its place. Or............... I could resew the original name tag back on and simply color over the rank leaving only the wings and his name. Opinions here guys ?

To be honest, Im ex US AIR FORCE Vietnam Era air crew ( Lockheed C130s ) and I was wearing my old nylon flight jacket with my air crew wings and original name tag some months ago and some idiot gave me crap over it . Claimed I was impersonating a veteran until I proved I was the same guy. ( this was in a bar and grill and he had a bit too much to drink ) The ironic part is that this guy admitted that he had never served a day himself. ( Jack Ass !! )

When and if anybody asks me about the jacket thinking its me, Im going to say its my dad and my personal hero, a real NAVY PILOT ! Ill be glad to talk about his career and his flying days.

Many thanks from any member opinions. I hope its positive !

 

[Deacon211]

Hey Steve,

Welcome and thanks for your service first of all. People have varying opinions on wearing wings and patches and such.

Personally, as I know many people wear them as a tribute to pilots from an era they admire, I don't believe it constitutes stolen valor in this regard.

Coming from naval aviation, I'd be lying though if I said that I didn't look a little crossways seeing a stranger wearing a patched up jacket. It's just habit I guess. Now, were I to speak with someone who loved old VF-3 or VMF-214 or something and showed an appreciation for the history, I would have a hard time finding fault with it. But, I guess it's just that initial impression one has to get over, especially in these odd days of stolen valor (which I suppose was always around but no one noticed).

Your story is a bit different of course. If you are trying to recreate a jacket that tells the tale of your father's rather impressive career, I can't see anyone having a beef with that. In fact, I actually think it would be more appropriate if you wore the nametag with your father's name and wings rather than yours. Additionally, depending on the era, there often seems to be nametags with just wings and name, or wings and callsign (probably later era though), or even wings, name and "USN" underneath, so you don't need to worry about rank at all if you don't want to.

One thing I would suggest is to get some input from your dad or another naval aviator (there are a couple on this board) before you get the patches sewn on. There is definitely a rhyme and reason to where patches go (Maverick's jacket aside) and putting patches all over in an odd fashion will make the jacket look less like a tribute and more like a mall jacket. True, some vintage jacket owners added patches in odd spots when they changed squadrons or aircraft and the normal spot was taken. But, with a new jacket I think that is not going to look quite right. Plus, being that you can plan before you sew, you can arrange the patches in the way that looks best. I've seen some guys nest their squadron patches in an overlapping fashion so that you can just read the scrolls from the first squadron they were in to the last. Others, might put just their fleet squadrons or their wartime squadron, so you have lots of choices.

Anyway, I think it's a very nice idea to pay homage to your dad. It may not prevent you from getting the occasional look. But, if you are comfortable with it, then I think you are perfectly justified showing pride for him.

 

[SteveZ]

Thanks Deacon 211. First off, some of the previous chat mentioned the odd patches on Tom Cruises G1 jacket. I too was stumped over the patches placed on the jacket that did not relate to a fighter pilot in any way. But thats movie stuff and how Hollywood does things.

However, I planned my dads tribute jacket very carefully. Most of the patches refers to the squadron he commanded or payed tribute to the Lockheed Neptune. The patches will be sewn on neatly and with good taste. For the old Navy buffs here, Pop was the CO of VP 18 at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station in Puerto Rico in 66 and 67 and was one of the last COs of the unit. The squadron was decommissioned in 68 as a cost cut by the Johnson administration.

But moving on, I located a beautiful patch of the Neptune that also will be sewn on the back of the jacket with the VP 18 insignia. Ive located a few small patches relating to the Neptune also including Lockheed, Wright Aircraft Engines, Hamilton Standard Propellers and Westinghouse.

Some people say huh ? Westinghouse ? Westinghouse gas turbine division built the J-34 jet engines on the later variants of the Neptune. Dad said they only produced about 2500 max lbs of thrust each and they were used for max power take off and emergency power.

Deacon 211, Ive decided to go ahead and retain the original name tag but I will black out the rank.

However, my dad was involved with project D.A.S.H. ( USS Hugh Purvis DD 709 ) in the early 60s. Some of you senior NAVY guys might recall the GYRODYNE corporations ASW remote controlled drone that carried a couple of torpedo's. I think the A.S.R.A.T system eventually replaced DASH. ( lol ! Wasnt the cold war days full of fun ? ) I did find an original DASH jacket patch in the hands of a rare patch collector but it sold for 860 dollars by bid. WHEW !

Thanks again DEACON 211. Perhaps other will give some feedback too.

 

[Treetopflyer]

If you want to get reproductions made of any of your Dad's old patches, Wings and Things in Pensacola does a great job.

 

[JimWagner]

I was aircrew in VP-24 on Neptunes and then Orions in the late 60's. I have a patched up G-1 and a plain G-1. I have to admit that I'm uncomfortable wearing the patched up jacket in public, even though each and every patch is from somewhere I was stationed or deployed. Don't know why but I am.

That said, it doesn't bother me at all to see someone else wearing a patched up jacket.

 

[SteveZ]

Yes, Ive been to their website before. We have a wings and things in my area too but its a fast food chicken place. Theres a place close by my home that is in the uniform patch business and they can take a decal and enlarge it and create a nice cloth patch in the newer ink jet version that is far cheaper that the old style embroidery ones.

Wow ! what a bunch of great members ! Very Grateful too.

 

[Edward]

Heres a question for you members. With all the coat manufacturers cranking out all kinds of ' trivia top gun ' military jackets these days, including the Chinese , Whats your opinion on me wearing my jacket in public when finished ? Im not going to sew on his name patch with rank and such. Instead, Im going to sew on an embroidered patch with a US NAVY wings in its place. Or............... I could resew the original name tag back on and simply color over the rank leaving only the wings and his name. Opinions here guys ?

Views on this vary widely (as you'll see if you hunt through the pages of this very site). Myself, I've never had an issue with it, save where someone is actually trying to pass themselves off as something they're not (usually that type are quickly exposed and made to look foolish anyhow). Location may also be a factor: it's very clear that contemporary, mainstream US culture imbues a certain automatic respect upon those who have been in the military, which no doubt plays a part in why this can be such a big issue for many people. People in the UK don't tend to have the same attitudes, but certainly a Mitty is never welcome, and will tend to be scorned by a wide variety of viewpoints. I don't see it as an issue other than that, really, unless wearing it in a place where that sort of regalia could be deemed to be provocative. For instance, I would wear a jacket with a large bloodchit featuring the Chinese Nationalist flag in modern day China.

To be honest, Im ex US AIR FORCE Vietnam Era air crew ( Lockheed C130s ) and I was wearing my old nylon flight jacket with my air crew wings and original name tag some months ago and some idiot gave me crap over it . Claimed I was impersonating a veteran until I proved I was the same guy. ( this was in a bar and grill and he had a bit too much to drink ) The ironic part is that this guy admitted that he had never served a day himself. ( Jack Ass !! )

Around about 99.9% of the people I've seen or heard of expressing those kind of attitudes have never been in the military. Always seemed an odd thing to fixate on for non-military to me, but there you go. People are entitled to their opinions - just not to force them where they're unwelcome.

I was aircrew in VP-24 on Neptunes and then Orions in the late 60's. I have a patched up G-1 and a plain G-1. I have to admit that I'm uncomfortable wearing the patched up jacket in public, even though each and every patch is from somewhere I was stationed or deployed. Don't know why but I am.

That said, it doesn't bother me at all to see someone else wearing a patched up jacket.

I can certainly understand that a 'statement piece', as a marked up jacket can be, draws attention, and not everybody wants to engage with strangers about it all the time. I have an Aero A2 which has a Squadron patch on it. A lot of folks ask about it when they see me wearing it (77th fighter group one, with the playing cards); I doubt a plain jacket would ever draw comment. I don't mind - never been hassled for it - but there are times when I consciously reach for a plainer jacket as I just want something less conspicuous. I imagine I'll do much the same when I finish the AVG jacket project.

 

[SteveZ]

Actually, I dont mind the attention the jacket may draw. I live in Virginia Beach right next to the Oceana Naval Station and we have many Naval Aviator and Aircrew active and non active in the area. Im a bit of an aircraft buff and dont mind hearing some plane stories and telling a few myself. Be it my dads Navy days or my Air Force ones. ( My stories are most likely quite boring compared to my dads ) Some of the old military aviation retiree's love to chat about the good old days when piston powered engines were the norm in military aviation.

The true reason Im leaving off the rank on the jackets name tag is so it wont make folks think Im active NAVY and dont need to deal with saluting and so forth. I think the rank omission ( Commander ) is a smart decision. But dads name with the NAVY wings stays !

 

[SteveZ]

BTW, does anybody know how G1 jackets generated? I mean, who did the design and why such a design. The bi-swing back with leather is a piece of work.

I understood that the G1 was the result of many previous pre war designs and the G1 ( general design 1 ) was the result just before WW2 started. I think the only significant change after that was the G2 that had no fur collar and had side entry hand pockets. The non fur collar version was pioneered by a fighter pilot on the Forrestal is what little Ive read on the subject.

BTW, does anybody know how G1 jackets generated? I mean, who did the design and why such a design. The bi-swing back with leather is a piece of work.

 

[kojax]

cockpit usa makes this g1 jacket with no fur collar