Intro to the buying Guide

The leather jacket buying guide here in MFA is a bit underwhelming when it comes to Flight jackets so I wanted to give a more in depth analysis. From here on out I will be calling them flight jackets to avoid confusion for MA-1/B-15/N-3b bomber jackets that are popular these days. I have owned a bunch of different Leather Flight Jackets and made many buying/selling mistakes with these jackets so hopefully this helps others in their buying decisions. I am not an expert, but I have learned a lot because of making mistakes and would like to help prevent others from making these same mistakes.

First let’s get some history out of the way. Flight Jackets were designed for pilots to stay warm and they are awesome. If your Grandpa/Uncle/Father was a pilot or in one of the military branches back in the day he probably wore one. My Grandpa was in the air force and he wore an A-2. In fact he said the lining was terrible and the jacket was freezing but much to his chagrin he wore an A-2. Different designs were adopted later on for different purposes and that is where we get the main 3 variants of flight jackets.

Styles-

• G1 - These are the “Top Gun” flight jackets that most people think when they think leather bomber. Mouton (fancy word for processed waterproof sheep fur) Collars, knit waistband and cuffs, and made of goatskin leather. The G1 has what is called a Bi-Swing shoulder construction that allows for flexibility. It will flex out when your arms require the movement and should flex back in after. The G1 will have button down top entry front pockets with no lining. They also have one interior jacket pocket on the left side of the jacket used for maps (or pistols if you believe some old-timer stories but a 1911 does not fit in that pocket, maybe a Luger if you are lucky). These jackets were used by the navy and will have USN punctured in the zipper flap, or USN stamped behind the collar.

• A2 - A2 jackets were the first pilot jacket as we know them today. There was a predecessor called the A1 that had a button front, but that A2 is what most people think of as the “classic”. Originally made from Horse Hide which is a bit more stiff than the goatskin leathers. The stiffness is known to wear down after awhile and show a stronger patina as compared to the goatskin G1. The A2 has a one piece back so there were no seams rubbing your back on long flights. It also has knitted cuffs and waistband, but the collar is a snap down leather collar with a throat clasp to keep the jacket closed with high wind resistance when flying. The front pockets are snap down top entry at first, but recently the military issued cooper/cockpit jackets have dual entry front pockets.

• B3/Shearling Jackets-The B3 jackets sold today are almost nothing like the original B3 jacket, but for the sake of the guide we are lumping together B3/RAF and all shearling jackets together. These jackets are all made from shearling and were designed for high altitude flights. The shearling is the least durable of the leathers used for flight jackets, but is the softest and with the shearling lining is also the warmest. The original B-3 Jacket only had a single pocket stitched on the front of the jacket, but the version most commonly seen for sale has two diagonal side entry front pockets lined with shearling. The seams of the jacket are leather welted to prevent cold wind getting through. These jackets will generally have belts on the neck for secure enclosure and depending on the maker you might see a belt on the waistband or side zippers for closure.

Buying Options - There are three basic buying options all with their pros and cons.

Military Issue - The US Military has issued so many of these jackets that finding a military jacket isn’t hard. Knowing how to purchase a military issued jacket is difficult. Ebay is flooded with real military issue G-1s. It is also full of jackets people claim to be worn by someone they knew in the military, but are still civilian jackets. Wikipedia has a great list of manufacturers for the G1 and the A2 to compare to the jacket you are looking at. Even though vintage jackets will have top entry front pockets the most recent contractors Cooper and Cockpit have hand warmer side entry pockets also. These jackets can go anywhere from under $100 in rough shape to great vintage jackets over $1,000. Don’t be afraid of a jacket with a bit worn down knit cuffs or waistband because these can be replaced by a decent seamstress for under $100. My personal experience is that military issue jackets are great, but the sizing sometimes is a little funny depending on manufacturer and the era of the jacket. I prefer military issue jackets without patches. I have fielded one too many questions about my time in the service to only say I never served and just really enjoy collecting jackets.

Fashion- There are many different Fashion makers that vary in quality and authenticity. These jackets can be found brand new for a couple hundred dollars or used on Ebay for 30-50 bucks.I am going to list a couple that I have seen on MFA as favorite jackets, but this is nowhere near a complete list. Custom makers could be included in the fashion group, but I personally don’t think custom jackets for a flight jacket is worth it. More money than the best reproductions for a custom jacket that has less resale value doesn’t hold much water in my heart.

• Schott - It goes without saying that Schott is a great jacket. I have seen the Schott A2 with removable fur collar in a couple different MFA posts and they always get high praise. Many of the jacket details are off from a mil-spec G1 or A2, but can be used to fill the bomber jacket void in a collection if you only want a bomber.

• Falcon - I will let a fellow redditor u/LL-beansandrice give their experience with Falcon Garments Bomber jacket

• L.L. Bean - The L.L. Bean Flying Tiger jacket gets pretty good reviews and can be had with different types of insulation. This jacket has been released by L.L. Bean for a long while and can be found brand new with no sales for $350 or on Ebay for like $50 bucks.

• Sears Leather Shop - The Sears Leather shop is a fashion brand from the 70’s that made a ton of bombers and you will see them all over Ebay. If you want a cheap bomber style jacket that isn’t close to mil-spec but cheap and decent leather the Sears Leather shop is a good choice. You can find them for like $30 bucks. My very first “G1” purchase was a faux shearling lined Sears and not knowing much about flight jackets I loved it. The more I learned I ended up giving it away because I wanted a more authentic jacket.

• Overland - Overland makes a shearling B3 style jacket that gets good reviews for a cheap fashion jacket. A fairly cheap price compared to shearling jackets from Schott and other makers.

• Alpha - Alpha makes a decent leather flight jacket, but where most jackets give a size in numbers like 38-40-42 or whatever Alpha is S/M/L sizing and it is a little more difficult to get a great fit.

• Avirex - Avirex jackets are all over Ebay. They are fairly high quality and can be had for a steal if you keep your eyes open. I consider these fashion jackets instead of reproductions, but Avirex is now defunct as a company and has turned into Cockpit. These will not get you much credit among jacket snobs, but I think Avirex is the best deal to be had on flight jackets when it comes to authenticity compared to price.

Reproduction- Reproduction makers are flight jackets that are made to different mil-spec standards by modern companies. These jackets can be found from US wings, Cockpit and Gibson Barnes repros are around the $400-$600 range often much cheaper on Ebay (especially cockpit if you can find an issued but not worn A2). There are many top shelf repro makers such as Goodwear, Real McCoys, Eastman, Buzz Rickson, Aero and Lost Worlds you are looking around $800 starting and going up from there. It is arguable which is the best of these makers, but when you are spending over $1,000 on one of these jackets you can’t go wrong unless you get the wrong size. These can be found used on Ebay or Grailed but it may take a long time before the exact jacket and size you want pops up used.

As I stated above, I am not an expert, but most of the experts are on a forum called Fedora Lounge and I hated wading through their forum so I wanted to compile something for MFA. Good luck with the hunt!