Buying a used flight suit

[Walkman]

I'm poking around eBay for a flight suit. I see some listed with reference to a specific branch. Is the Army bag the same as a Navy the same as Air Force?

[SarDragon]

Pretty much the same, as far as one piece suits go. The USA two piece, aside from being two piece, has a different pocket arrangement.

I have three green flight suits here, one AF sourced, and the other two from the Navy, and they all look the same.

[a2capt]

The one that has a knife spot on it has inbuilt pockets. The one that does not, has zippers to access pockets on your shorts or whatever you have on underneath. I believe the latter is the Navy/Marine one, and the Army/Air Force variety is the former.

[AlphaSigOU]

For a brief time the 'McPeak' style Air Force flight suit was also issued. It may appear in surplus sales and on eBay, so know what you're getting:

McPeak flight suit
Epaulets on shoulders
Perma-creases on legs and sleeves
No knife pocket (he was an unrepentant fighter jock)
Flashlight pocket in lowest right leg pocket

Standard USAF flight suit
May or may not include left arm pocket flap (many cut them off, unles regulations state otherwise.)
Knife pocket (fighter jocks who wear 'speed jeans' (G-suits) remove the pocket)

[flyboy53]

There are other variations out there, too.

If you find one that has "slash" or slanted pockets, those are early USN or USMC flight suits. I found three once in a box of flight suits that came from Air Force Reserve DRMO. They were re-issued to aircrews and worn out. You used to see a lot of them in some wings, depending upon where the source of the flight suit was.

I used to see cadets and some senior members wearing the top portion of the Army two-piece as a flight jacket outergarment.

If you happen on one that is cotton sage green or orange, those are old, obsolete, and may not be allowed for wear. I had an orange one back in the 1970s and early 80s. It remains my personal favorite flight suit, but that was turned in when I was on active duty and training as a scanner/mission essential aircrew at Elmendor AFB.

[AngelWings]

 The flight suit model name is CWU-27P. That is the current one the regulation pictures show in CAPM-39-1.

[Walkman]

Thanks for the responses!

So, if I make sure I get the CWU-27P I'm good to go then?

[AngelWings]

Thanks for the responses!

So, if I make sure I get the CWU-27P I'm good to go then?

Yes. It is the particular model referenced in picture in CAPM-39-1, and it is the military standard    

[SarDragon]

Thanks for the responses!

So, if I make sure I get the CWU-27P I'm good to go then?

Yes. It is the particular model referenced in picture in CAPM-39-1, and it is the military standard    

Not necessarily. There are poly-cotton suits advertised as CWU-27P, so you need to make sure it says Nomex somewhere in the description.

[AngelWings]

Thanks for the responses!

So, if I make sure I get the CWU-27P I'm good to go then?

Yes. It is the particular model referenced in picture in CAPM-39-1, and it is the military standard    

Not necessarily. There are poly-cotton suits advertised as CWU-27P, so you need to make sure it says Nomex somewhere in the description.

I don't think those are mil-spec quality. Always ask for a picture of the label before buying a flightsuit.

[Hawk200]

I don't think those are mil-spec quality. Always ask for a picture of the label before buying a flightsuit.

Mil spec really has little to do with it. The manual says that it's supposed to be Nomex. If it isn't Nomex, it doesn't comply.

I won't get on the "Air Force style" issue in this particular post.

[SarDragon]

The label will identify the material. Look for the word aramid. That's the generic term for Nomex.

[AngelWings]

I don't think those are mil-spec quality. Always ask for a picture of the label before buying a flightsuit.

Mil spec really has little to do with it. The manual says that it's supposed to be Nomex. If it isn't Nomex, it doesn't comply.

I won't get on the "Air Force style" issue in this particular post.

Aren't all mil-spec flightsuits compliant with the nomex/aramid standard?

[Hawk200]

Aren't all mil-spec flightsuits compliant with the nomex/aramid standard?

No. MILSPEC is a rather broadly used term, and can easily be applied in an inappropriate context. You can have a flightsuit made out of cotton that actually meets a MILSPEC somewhere/somehow, but it's not an acceptable uniform for CAP as it's not made out of Nomex.

The right flightsuit is a combination of all the correct MILSPECs. Many people take "MILSPEC" to be "that's what the military wears." In reality, there are MILSPEC items that are not, or would not, be authorized for military(as well as CAP) wear.

[AngelWings]

Aren't all mil-spec flightsuits compliant with the nomex/aramid standard?

No. MILSPEC is a rather broadly used term, and can easily be applied in an inappropriate context. You can have a flightsuit made out of cotton that actually meets a MILSPEC somewhere/somehow, but it's not an acceptable uniform for CAP as it's not made out of Nomex.

The right flightsuit is a combination of all the correct MILSPECs. Many people take "MILSPEC" to be "that's what the military wears." In reality, there are MILSPEC items that are not, or would not, be authorized for military(as well as CAP) wear.

Thanks. I'm a beginner collecter of uniforms, so that probably saved me from buying a cheap knock off item from someone