Modern German Flieger Jacke

[Flightengineer]

Interesting buy. Looking at the rank insignia it is that of a Feldwebel (junior NCO) but if I see correctly there was a small silver wiring cord affixed to it which would make this a rank to be Fähnrich (literally Ensign, not to be confused with the USN officer grade). Fähnrich is a midweight cadet rank which would take one from Fahnenjunker through Fähnrich and Oberfähnrich to Leutnant in the new Federal Luftwaffe. Most Luftwaffe helicopter pilots used to be NCOs becoming very senior NCOs like Oberstabsfeldwebel or going from Feldwebel to officer cadet by fixing the cord, in the end becoming something like a warrant officer (specialized officers in their field) but holding the same ranks Leutnant, Oberleutnant to Hauptmann. And you are right, they were and still are comfortable and very well made with a really cool viscose satin lining. I most certainly won't sell mine and I've had offers... still fits, though barely))

Thanks for the clarification about the ranks!
Here is a photo of the sleeve in detail.




Are you a retired Luft pilot or from Airbus?

 

[Cyril]

What did the GDR wear?

As a little sidestep to former East German Airforce: NVA Pilotjackets of the GDR
They had a summer and a winterjacket.

...before they went supersonic with MIG 21, there seem to have been leatherjackets too. On the left Sigmund Jaehn, first German in Space

 

[JonnyCrow]

As a little sidestep to former East German Airforce: NVA Pilotjackets of the GDR
They had a summer and a winterjacket.


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...before they went supersonic with MIG 21, there seem to have been leatherjackets too. On the left Sigmund Jaehn, first German in Space

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Wow looks to me like a moderation of a ww2 German channel suit, very similar

 

[Wholenineyards]

As we are a very specific clientel in this forum I have thought about releasing some detailed pictures of the first edition Fliegerjacke. I took them just now as the afternoon sun gave a good light. I do not mich about this jacket, here are some thoughts... the jacket is small, I'd say it is a US 36, which puts it right in the end 50s time frame. People were smaller then. Rank affixed is OTL, Oberstleutnant/ Lieutenant Colonel, however, there are pin marks on the rank patches, and I suspect those were additions to the rank denoting a flight surgeon. Although there are neither little fabric wings on top of the rank insignia nor incorporated into the rank (as seen later in the 80s(?)-see picture taken from the internet), I still suspect the jacket was worn by a Luftwaffe Medical Officer (Flight Surgeon?). The young Army Aviation branch still used a lot of field clothing in the late 50s, and although issued, I have not seen many army aviators wearing the grey leather jackets. I cannot rule out, though, that this one belonged to an Army MO. At least two fabric name tags have been attached once on the left chest, and there is an outline of a wing/ regiment patch on the right chest. It's form is coherent with the heraldic shields required by the regulation. Again, no telling if it was an Army Aviation Regiment or a Luftwaffe wing. The green rank insignia was used by both Lw and Heer in the beginning (see Oberst Barkhorn after his F-104 flight on Don Hollways site). Both pocket zippers are RiRi with plastic teeth. The main zip is a metal Ries. No nomenclature tag is on the jacket, but two stamped "A" for Ausgesondert (done for military use, either due to damage or availability of more modern equipment like maybe the second batch of Fliegerjacken). Please see initial pix.
P.S. edit: Had there indeed a staff of aesculapius been affixed, the officer's rank would have been Oberfeldarzt instead of Oberstleutnant.

 

[Cyril]

...even Jaqueline "Jackie" Cochran (WASP Pilot, first woman to: break the sound barrier, reach Mach 2, land on/ start from an air craft carrier....) has been seen wearing one

 

[Bremspropeller]

As a little sidestep to former East German Airforce: NVA Pilotjackets of the GDR
They had a summer and a winterjacket.


View attachment 86631
View attachment 86622View attachment 86624View attachment 86629

View attachment 86628View attachment 86630

...before they went supersonic with MIG 21, there seem to have been leatherjackets too. On the left Sigmund Jaehn, first German in Space

View attachment 86632

I once had a very similar jacket (possibly even this exact model), which I believe was a GST jacket in summer and winter variants. I wore it back in school about every day during winter time. Sadly it had shown it's age, so I gave it away.

The winter model was a very comfy EDW jacket. Even though it wasn't the most fashionable item in the schoolyard...

...even Jaqueline "Jackie" Cochran (WASP Pilot, first woman to: break the sound barrier, reach Mach 2, land on/ start from an air craft carrier....) has been seen wearing one

View attachment 86647

Pilot on the left is Bernd Kuebart, who lost his life during the WaSLw10 demo-team fourship F-104F crash at Nörvenich in June '62. This crash is the reason why the post-war Luftwaffe never officially established a demo-team. The other display-teams in buildup at this time (acro-teams of FFS A and FFS B on the Fouga Magister and T-33 respectively) were disbanded immediately.

Kuebart (and I beleve his brother, Jörg) had been shown in this thread before.

 

[B-Man2]

Hi Guys
Does anyone know what a complete set of a leather flight jacket with the accompanying leather flight pants that match the jacket are worth ? I have a chance to pick up the complete set and I’m trying to come up with a fair price on them .
Thanks

 

[Cyril]

Hi Guys
Does anyone know what a complete set of a leather flight jacket with the accompanying leather flight pants that match the jacket are worth ? I have a chance to pick up the complete set and I’m trying to come up with a fair price on them .
Thanks

Hi,
i never saw matching leather pants to those modern jackets. Do you have pictures?

 

[B-Man2]

Hi,
i never saw matching leather pants to those modern jackets. Do you have pictures?

I’ll have photos in about 2 hours and I’ll post them here so please keep watching for them .

 

[Cyril]

I’ll have photos in about 2 hours and I’ll post them here so please keep watching for them .

@wholeinineyards seems to be the best informed on this, but i am curious

 

[JonnyCrow]

Hi,
i never saw matching leather pants to those modern jackets. Do you have pictures?

So it's a 2 piece flight suit?

 

[Hazayad]

There was a leather overall at some stage, that I know...

 

[B-Man2]

So here are two jackets with a set of flight pants . If anyone can give me some ideas on authenticity and value please let me know guys. I’m at a show so they won’t be around long so please respond . Thanks
Jacket #1

 

[B-Man2]

Pants

 

[B-Man2]

2nd jacket

 

[JonnyCrow]

2nd jacket View attachment 87551View attachment 87553View attachment 87555View attachment 87557View attachment 87559View attachment 87561View attachment 87563View attachment 87565

For me the pants are legit I've seen similar with the two piece BDW Bundy u boat suits, same colour as well

 

[JonnyCrow]

Just as I thought Brauch and Frey did submarine gear

 

[JonnyCrow]

 

[Wholenineyards]

So here are two jackets with a set of flight pants . If anyone can give me some ideas on authenticity and value please let me know guys. I’m at a show so they won’t be around long so please respond . Thanks
Jacket #1View attachment 87535View attachment 87541View attachment 87537
View attachment 87539View attachment 87541

Hi B, I'd say the 52 indicates size (US 42) and is used only on commercial market jackets. If they are issued, they will have a NATO size tag as found on these trousers, which seem legit. I am open to suggestion that they are part of a two piece ensemble of a new Bundeswehr era flight suit, but in the late fifties a lot of German flight gear was still supplied by the USAF via the MDAP and for the Marineflieger by the RAF/ Fleet Air Arm. Understand those were almost chaotic times in generating personnel, infrastructure and materiel. I am pretty sure the leather two piece and single piece flight suit weren't used for a long time. As for the second jacket, I have no info for you. As with the French Forces bluegrey flight jacket there are numerous commercial copies of this very successful flight jacket. The black pockets must be 'field modified'.

 

[Pilot]

Hi Burt
nice set.
The jacket is a commercial civy version.
No NSN/NATO/BUND tag ( nor „ official „ zips).
The trousers are Bundesmarine machinist personel trousers from the 1960s.
Here a similar paire for sale.
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s...buttons&utm_medium=social&utm_content=app_ios