How the US Air Force Lost Its Leather Bomber Jackets

With the invention of aircraft, a necessity was born:reinvented, this time made out of nylon, and the fur
a way for pilots and their passengers to keep warmcollar was dropped because it was found to interfere
at high altitudes. As the development of flightwith the straps in practice.
technology soared during the two World Wars,The next development after the nylon B-15 flight
leather bomber jackets and accompanying leatherjacket was the MA-1 jacket. Designed by the US Air
pants and even leather flying cap became theForce, the Intermediate Weight Flight Jacket, or
standard. Fleece-lined leather jackets were issued toMA-1, was made from high quality nylon and with
flight personnel as a matter of course.polyester interlinings (padding). This had a useful dual
After World War 2, aeronautical engineeringpurpose. In warm weather the flier could wear the
continued to advance in leaps and bounds, and soonjacket open and be comfortable. Upon entering the
the jet age was born. By the mid-1950s the leatheraircraft, the flier could zip the MA-1 closed and be as
bomber jacket was no longer a suitable item ofwarm as toast at high altitudes.
clothing for pilots and others flying in US Air ForceIt was the MA-1 flight that succeeded in usurping
airplanes.completely the leather bomber jacket as US Air
It was all because of the new jet planes. These couldForce issue. The first MA-1 jackets were issued
fly at high altitude. If the fliers' bulky, heavy jacketsaround 1949 or 1950 to United States Air Force and
became wet from the rain when they walked to theNavy pilots and Flight crews. Small numbers were also
aircraft, the water would freeze at high altitudes. Thisissued to Army flight personnel. While there have
made for cold and unhappy airmen. In addition, thebeen many design modifications since then, mostly
jets were much more streamlined in design thandue to new textiles, new sewing techniques or new
previous aircraft. There was no longer any room foraircraft cockpit design (most recently in 1980), the
bulky jackets in cramped cockpits filled withMA-1 flight jacket has become the standard in USAF
complicated equipment. The pilots and navigatorsflight jacket. Read on.
needed to move easily round the cockpit and enterMidnight blue was the color originally used for MA-1
and leave it without impediment. The bigwigs in thejackets by the military, but later it was changed to
USAF began to regard these classic pieces of clothingsage green, for camouflage purposes. During the
as safety hazards.Korean War, (1950-1953), as various historical
The manufacturers were briefed: what was requiredphotographs attest, the leather bomber jacket was
was a lightweight yet warm jacket that was suitablestill present in the military. These fliers were often a
for the flight personnel operating the latest jetmotley crew. Some fliers still wore their beloved
airplanes. The bell tolled for the bulky, leather items.leather flight jackets, while others wore B-15 jackets
Bomber jackets had become relics consigned toand yet others blue or green MA-1 jackets.
history.Today, modern fashion MA-1's are available in a
The first manufacturers decided to try using cotton.variety of colors, including the traditional ones, and
The result wa the B-15 jacket. This had a wool collarblack, red, blue, silver, grey, yellow. The original
with pile (something like fur), which was carried overleather bomber jackets have become collectors'
from the earlier B-10 leather bomber jacket. The B-15items, and there are some leather craftsmen who
did not last long as it was simply too lightweight andmake beautiful replicas of the fleece lined leather
did not keep the flight personnel warm. The B-15 wasjackets of old.