There are various types of flight equipment that are in use today; equipments that are very useful in flight operations and flight-related activity. The flight equipments could be flight suits, flight uniforms, flight jackets, leather jackets, flying helmets, and communications equipment. They are available in hundreds and with different uses. For the flight jacket, its story and how it came to be is really an interesting one. Necessity being the mother of invention necessitated the creation of a flight jacket. It was during the First World War during the time when airplanes did not even have an enclosed cockpit. So while still serving in European countries like France and Belgium, the pilots belonging to The Royal Flying Corps of the United Kingdom were already using long leather coats as part of their flight gear or clothing. This was as far back as 1915, which saw the trend spreading like bush fire among other countries.

In September 1917, the United States Army took a major step when they established a clothing line called the Aviation Clothing Board which they used to distribute heavy-duty flight jackets manufactured with leather material. The flight jackets were made with some outstanding and unique properties; and had the interiors lined with fur. With this major step, the flight jacket was invented. The man credited with designing the first flight jacket made of classic sheepskin was Leslie Irvin. He was able to achieve this when he set up a flight jacket manufacturing outfit in the UK from where he became the major supplier of this product to the Royal Air Force at the time the Second World War was still on. But when the war was still in its early stages, demand for Leslie’s products was so much that he had to engage the help of sub-contractors which gave way to the minor differences in design, texture and color.

With time, aircrafts designs became more advanced while flight altitudes became higher and consequently chillier temperatures in the skies. This is evident from the heights recorded from the war’s bombings in Europe where it reached no less than 25,000 feet, with temperatures of minus fifty degrees Celsius. During this time, planes were not protected against these chilled temperatures so cockpits would also freeze. This paved the way for the re-employment of flight jackets for pilots and crews. Two of America’s most popular flight jackets during that era were the A-2 and G-1. Even though the production and use of the A-2 was later enforced after about twelve years for non-explicit reasons, it still remains the America’s most recognized flight jacket and is highly sought after. Perhaps it was because the G-1 flight jacket designed by the United States’ Navy was meant to rival the Air Corps’ A-2 which dominated the scene until 1978 when Congress ordered its abolishment.

The flight jackets served the uniformed men and other paramilitary establishments in different ways while growing in popularity as symbols of pride, adventure, prestige, honor and style. The G-1 was further aided in sales by Hollywood movies such like Top Gun which saw sales increasingly rapidly. The G-1s became collector items and many would trade anything to have them in their kitty. Other types of flight jackets that came on the scene were the Shearling jacket known to be among the warmest; worn and also preserved by retired and serving military men and army buffs. All the same, among the various flight jackets, only the A-1 and G-1 are the most popular. That explains why today, flight jackets are always associated with the United States military.

Very good flight jackets do have their essential qualities like flight suits and are almost similar in style and use. However, they are slightly different when it comes to the exact nature of work aid they provide. Generally, good flight jackets should be flame resistant and manufactured to fit too, should have lots of pockets and be made to resist shrinking after washing so that the fitting does not go awry. Flight jackets should be able to reject stains or better still, be easily ridded of stains. Leather material will be good for flight jackets; therefore high quality leather flight jacket should be supple, strong, and good looking like the wearer of the jacket.