Obama Wearing A2 . . .

[Burnsie]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/ ... fghanistan

 

[HackerF15E]

But it sure would be neat to have pics of someone wearing an A-2 in flight especially in a modern day fighter.

I'll have to work on that...probably a tough request based on the cultural issues I mentioned in the previous post.

 

[Marv]

Great post and welcome to the forum Hacker......

 

[HackerF15E]

Great post and welcome to the forum Hacker......

Thanks, happy to be here to read, learn, and meet great people!

 

[SuinBruin]

Heck, I've even considered dropping the $1000 on one of those replica Eastmans or something of the like, having them sew the current USAF-issue velcro patches, and using that for my uniform wear, too.

Personally I think that would be incredibly cool. Just make sure it's a Good Wear repro -- the most authentic available and handmade in the U.S. (I'm not generally so nationalistic when it comes to what I buy, but it's true that Good Wear is the best, and since you would be wearing it on active duty in the USAF I think going American makes sense. )

Welcome to the forum. I'd love to hear more about life as an Eagle driver.

cheers,
matt

 

[zoomer]

Thanks for explaining the fighter pilot position. I understand, but I'm not sure if I sympathize. Seems to me roughly as follows: "We've got enough institutional memory to be hacked off about the A-2 being a cheap substitute for a bonus 20+ years ago, but not enough to care about its heritage as a proud symbol of aviation." Present company excepted, of course.

If such a thing as wearing a jacket authorized for anybody halfway connected with a combat air arm really affects fighter jock morale, maybe they'd better be unauthorized from wearing it at all. Or change the color to russet. Or get to wear real silver wings and not have to use velcro. Or sumpin'.

 

[Weasel_Loader]

Or change the color to russet. Or get to wear real silver wings and not have to use velcro. Or sumpin'.

That is until the first pair gets sucked up an intake. Real wings on flight suits just won't work in today's environment.

 

[HackerF15E]

I understand, but I'm not sure if I sympathize.

Perfectly valid position...I agree with you, and for as much as a 'hardcore fighter pilot' as I see myself as, this is one 'tradition' that I don't buy into.

affects fighter jock morale

It's not that it's a morale issue, it's that many have simply rejected the A-2 as their uniform jacket of choice -- and they're perfectly happy without it (the CWU 36 and 45 are more comfortable, anyway!).

 

[HackerF15E]

Just make sure it's a Good Wear repro

Sold.

I'd love to hear more about life as an Eagle driver

Fire away with questions!

 

[SuinBruin]

Fire away with questions!

Where even to begin?

Rather than adopt a faux too-cool-for-school attitude I will admit up front to having dreamed (like many boys) of being a fighter pilot when I was a kid and (like many men) have never fully gotten over it. (Maybe that's one of the reasons I'm here? ) So rather than ask you for your life story (or "What's it like to fly an F-15?" ) I'll just ask the most pressing question I have about flying the F-15...

How on earth can I cadge a ride in one? :lol:

I'm sure I'll have some more focused questions down the line but in the meantime, welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing the perspective of an active duty fighter jock.

Thanks also for your service to our country, it is very much appreciated.

cheers,
matt

 

[HackerF15E]

So rather than ask you for your life story (or "What's it like to fly an F-15?")

If you're so compelled, here's some light reading:

A Journal I wrote when I was going through USAF training:
http://www.studentpilot.com/training_ai ... category=6

A Pilot Report on the F-15E I wrote many years ago:
http://www.warbirdaeropress.com/article ... Pt%201.htm

How on earth can I cadge a ride in one?

You have no idea how much I'd like to share the airplane with other enthusiasts. Some of the most fun flights I ever had in the Eagle were incentive rides where I took non-aviators up for an hour of fun.

The sad fact for me is, I will probably never go back and fly the F-15 again based on my age and career path.

 

[HackerF15E]

Back to the original topic...

I'm not registered on The Fedora Lounge, but a poster in a similar thread about President Obama's A-2 made a comment similar to one in this thread about the A-2 not being approved for in-flight wear with the USAF.

Since that used to be true, and since it appears to be a widely held (but false) belief, I thought I'd post the reference to help clear the air.

The USAF Instruction that governs uniform wear is called AFI 36-2903. Here's the link to a digital copy of the latest edition of that Instruction:
www.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/afi36-2903.pdf

On page 95 is this:

3.2.3.1. Leather A-2 Flying Jacket is authorized for wear as prescribed in Table 3.6. of this instruction. Wear of the leather A-2 jacket in flight is authorized unless prohibited by MAJCOM Supplement or restricted due to safety of flight concerns.

A cursory look though the Supplements for Air Combat Command and Air Education and Training Command show there is no prohibition in either of those MAJCOMs. If anyone in interested, they can look through the USAF e-publishing site at the other MAJCOM Supplements for the other flying commands (USAFE, PACAF, AMC) and see if it's prohibited in any of those (which, to the best of my knowledge, it is not).

 

[rich]

How on earth can I cadge a ride in one? :lol:

Old Jeremy 'Top Gear' Clarkson had a go some years back................... he was only sick the twice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwTXPQfG ... playnext=2

 

[rgraham]

An hour? That would be one hell of a ride. I've ridden in a P-51, but maybe for half that time. An F-15 would round out the ride situation nicely.

 

[SuinBruin]

So rather than ask you for your life story (or "What's it like to fly an F-15?")

If you're so compelled, here's some light reading:

A Journal I wrote when I was going through USAF training:
http://www.studentpilot.com/training_ai ... category=6

A Pilot Report on the F-15E I wrote many years ago:
http://www.warbirdaeropress.com/article ... Pt%201.htm

How on earth can I cadge a ride in one?

You have no idea how much I'd like to share the airplane with other enthusiasts. Some of the most fun flights I ever had in the Eagle were incentive rides where I took non-aviators up for an hour of fun.

The sad fact for me is, I will probably never go back and fly the F-15 again based on my age and career path.

Thanks for the links, that's some very interesting reading and exactly the kind of stuff I was interested in. I'm sorry to hear that your days flying the Eagle are behind you, but at least you got to experience life in the cockpit of a fighter jet. I'm sure there must be lots of people who aspired to your position and never made it for one reason or another.