I received my first custom made repro flight jacket (to my measurements) and wanted to share it with my fellow OSA'ers. Approximately a year and a half ago I purchased my first repro flight jacket and shared it here as well. It was an Avi Leather Perry contract A2. Just a basic, entry level repro that was patterned from an original wartime production jacket. It's a typical Pakistani repro using cheap materials, but was a decent beginner jacket. It has since been sold as I've learned more and upgraded to more accurate repros.
After owning the Avi Perry as well as an Avi Gordon & Ferguson M-422A repro, I was fortunate enough to pick up a Dubow A2 repro test jacket from Norshor Leather, a Goodwear Doniger A2 and Greatest Generation Willis & Geiger M-422A pre-owned repros off of eBay. All were custom made jackets, but none to my exact measurements. My four personal favorite repro military flight jacket makers are John Chapman of Goodwear Leather, Mark Fisher of Norshor Leather, Steve Sellers of Greatest Generation, and Dave Sheeley who specializes in Navy flight jackets as well as vintage repro Monarch civilian jackets.
Last September, I put down a deposit and entered the queue for a Navy flight jacket build from Dave Sheeley. After a few months of researching his available patterns, I settled on a Monarch AN-J-3A, which is a 1943 contract USN flight jacket (the successor of the M-422A and predecessor of the G1). It has a few different features that are unique to the contract, most notably the maroon colored knits and stitching. Dave's AN-J-3A pattern was taken directly from Naval aviator John Z. Colt's size 40 Monarch AN-J-3A jacket. Colt likely wore the jacket in at least half of his 18 strikes on Okinawa and surrounding islands while flying his Avenger A/C off of the USS Langley. My great grandfather was also on Okinawa at this time, which only deepens my appreciation for the history of Colt's jacket and service in the PTO.
Colt can be seen in the photo below (front row, third from left).
...and here are photos of his Avenger A/C after a crash landing on the deck of the USS Langley. In this case, the aircraft came in damaged. Immediately upon landing the A/C bounced to the one side of the deck and rolled off on to the cat walk. Eventually cartwheeling and stopping before completely exiting the ship. Luckily, Colt's Avenger A/C became wedged between an antenna & a gun mount. Held fast by the barrels from the twin 40mm gun mount which had pieced the fuselage of the Avenger.
Lastly, below are photos of Colt's jacket prior to it being deconstructed, patterned, and restored by Dave Sheeley. Also shown are additional original Monarch AN-J-3A jackets from Dave's collection, and photos of an original spec label and Talon zipper.
Continued in next post...
After owning the Avi Perry as well as an Avi Gordon & Ferguson M-422A repro, I was fortunate enough to pick up a Dubow A2 repro test jacket from Norshor Leather, a Goodwear Doniger A2 and Greatest Generation Willis & Geiger M-422A pre-owned repros off of eBay. All were custom made jackets, but none to my exact measurements. My four personal favorite repro military flight jacket makers are John Chapman of Goodwear Leather, Mark Fisher of Norshor Leather, Steve Sellers of Greatest Generation, and Dave Sheeley who specializes in Navy flight jackets as well as vintage repro Monarch civilian jackets.
Last September, I put down a deposit and entered the queue for a Navy flight jacket build from Dave Sheeley. After a few months of researching his available patterns, I settled on a Monarch AN-J-3A, which is a 1943 contract USN flight jacket (the successor of the M-422A and predecessor of the G1). It has a few different features that are unique to the contract, most notably the maroon colored knits and stitching. Dave's AN-J-3A pattern was taken directly from Naval aviator John Z. Colt's size 40 Monarch AN-J-3A jacket. Colt likely wore the jacket in at least half of his 18 strikes on Okinawa and surrounding islands while flying his Avenger A/C off of the USS Langley. My great grandfather was also on Okinawa at this time, which only deepens my appreciation for the history of Colt's jacket and service in the PTO.
Colt can be seen in the photo below (front row, third from left).
...and here are photos of his Avenger A/C after a crash landing on the deck of the USS Langley. In this case, the aircraft came in damaged. Immediately upon landing the A/C bounced to the one side of the deck and rolled off on to the cat walk. Eventually cartwheeling and stopping before completely exiting the ship. Luckily, Colt's Avenger A/C became wedged between an antenna & a gun mount. Held fast by the barrels from the twin 40mm gun mount which had pieced the fuselage of the Avenger.
Lastly, below are photos of Colt's jacket prior to it being deconstructed, patterned, and restored by Dave Sheeley. Also shown are additional original Monarch AN-J-3A jackets from Dave's collection, and photos of an original spec label and Talon zipper.
Continued in next post...
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