Lets talk about flight suits please BLUE nomex or BLUE coverall preferably.

[Blues Brother]

OK I am a newbie here and I am looking at buying a flight suit and I would appreciate some suggestions of folks here that have them.  I am inclined to buy the blue nomex flight suit you can buy here

http://www.vanguardmil.com/civil-air-patrol-uniform-flame-resistant-flight-suit-navy-blue-p-7716.html  they are around $250

I see they also offer a non nomex version coverall similar to that blue nomex suit. and I see they offer those for around $44 or so, considerably less but not fire resistant. 

has anyone had any experiences with either of these?   I kinda feel a bit out of sorts wearing the sage green AF style suit as I think that should be reserved for members or veterans of our military out of respect to them. I just dont feel like I deserve to wear the sage green.  the members of our military deserve that respect IMO.  so thats why I am interested in the blue suits.   I have never seen anyone with the blue nomex suit.  I cant even find any real pictures of them.    has anyone here ever worn them or had any experience with them?   what about that coveral suit?  do they look cheap or junkie given the price?   or are they decent?   

I would appreciate any advice and help anyone could give me on this. or if you have any pics of the blue nomex suits, I would like to see them.  THANKS!

[Eclipse]

The utility jumpsuit is a nice, cheap alternative, but it won't wear well over time - if you use it a lot it will fade over time, especially
if you don't wash it properly.  It is also >very< thin, which I personally prefer, but may not be a good option for everyone.

Also, at least the one I bought by Rothco (about 7 years ago), had the velcro in the wrong places and I had to move it.

The Nomex flightsuit is a much richer, darker blue, will hold up better over time, but is obviously much more expensive,
especially considering that the flame retardant properties are not much use for our ops.

A good alternative would be to find another manufacturer of a non-retardant jumpsuit.  There are any number of manufacturers.

[Eclipse]

I kinda feel a bit out of sorts wearing the sage green AF style suit as I think that should be reserved for members or veterans of our military out of respect to them. I just dont feel like I deserve to wear the sage green.  the members of our military deserve that respect IMO.

Yes, they do, which has nothing to do with wearing a green flightsuit, which is worn by 99% of people who wear a flight suit.

Wear what you like, but the above attitude is somewhat misguided.  The USAF allows us to wear a variant of their uniform, and
that allowance is an honor in itself that should not be negated.

[Blues Brother]

I kinda feel a bit out of sorts wearing the sage green AF style suit as I think that should be reserved for members or veterans of our military out of respect to them. I just dont feel like I deserve to wear the sage green.  the members of our military deserve that respect IMO.

Yes, they do, which has nothing to do with wearing a green flightsuit, which is worn by 99% of people who wear a flight suit.

Wear what you like, but the above attitude is somewhat misguided.  The USAF allows us to wear a variant of their uniform, and
that allowance is an honor in itself that should not be negated.

I understand,  I know that may sound goofy the way I feel about it,  I understand that it is an honor to wear it,  I just have a great respect for the military and veterans.    I just notice that nobody seems to wear the blue nomex suits, and I wondered why??    Is there a reason???

[Eclipse]

That's specific to your area - we've got a fair number of people in my wing that wear blue Nomex.

The reality is that the blue one almost always has to be purchased new, while the greens come from all sorts of
sources from issued to the member to thrift stores.

CAP pilots are nothing if not che...frugal.

[Blues Brother]

The utility jumpsuit is a nice, cheap alternative, but it won't wear well over time - if you use it a lot it will fade over time, especially
if you don't wash it properly.  It is also >very< thin, which I personally prefer, but may not be a good option for everyone.

Also, at least the one I bought by Rothco (about 7 years ago), had the velcro in the wrong places and I had to move it.

The Nomex flightsuit is a much richer, darker blue, will hold up better over time, but is obviously much more expensive,
especially considering that the flame retardant properties are not much use for our ops.

A good alternative would be to find another manufacturer of a non-retardant jumpsuit.  There are any number of manufacturers.

Color is an issue though, right?  it either has to be Navy Blue or Sage Green right? 

[Flying Pig]

Just get green.  The military, by far are not the only pilots who wear green.  The 10 members of my air unit wear green. I dont mind if you do. Just tell them I gave you permission to wear "our" flight suit!!

[Eclipse]

Color is an issue though, right?  it either has to be Navy Blue or Sage Green right?

Yes, those are the only options.

[SarDragon]

I got my blue Nomex flight suit on eBay. It cost $60. You just need to be patient to find one the right size and price.

That said, I think that you should get, and wear, a green one, for two reasons. They are cheaper, wherever you buy them, new or used, and they have a higher availability. There's no shame in wearing a green flight suit as a civilian. Lots of civilians wear them.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Unless you're talking a clearly different shade of blue, such as the royal blue flight suits the USCG used to (?) wear, you're probably going to be good with any flight suit/coverall you buy that says "dark blue."

If you can find a set of missileer coveralls, those are great.  I have a set.

NHQ needs to differentiate between "utility coverall" and "flight suit," since, except for NOMEX, the cut and colour are exactly the same and either one can be used as flying clothing.

NB: You need to be within height/weight/grooming standards to wear the sage green flight suit.

[Blues Brother]

How about the colors with sunlight??  Is the dark blue suit considerably warmer in sunlight than the sage green??   I just thought about that for summer flying.  I know the dark blue polo can be warm in the sunlight.  Any ideas there?? Thanks for all the input everyone

[Flying Pig]

No difference.

[SarDragon]

No difference. I wore green in the Navy, and blue in CAP, and the blue one is slightly more comfortable overall, because of the difference in the fabric texture.

[Blues Brother]

No difference. I wore green in the Navy, and blue in CAP, and the blue one is slightly more comfortable overall, because of the difference in the fabric texture.

so the blue and green nomex each have a different texture ??


Does anyone have any pics of the blue nomex CAP. Flight suit ??

[SarDragon]

No difference. I wore green in the Navy, and blue in CAP, and the blue one is slightly more comfortable overall, because of the difference in the fabric texture.

so the blue and green nomex each have a different texture ??


Does anyone have any pics of the blue nomex CAP. Flight suit ??

I just compared my green one and my blue one side by side, and they appear identical, except for the color. The texture is a perception thing, I guess, because I can't tell any difference with my eyes closed. The green one is older, and has been washed more times, so that may be the difference.

As for pix, if you have a pic of a green one, the blue one is exactly the same in construction.

[Eclipse]

There is also a photo in 39-1.

[Thrashed]

Green flight suit = $30 on eBay.
Blue flight suit = $250 on Vanguard

Simple choice.

While I have the flight suit, I prefer the blue polo option.

[Eclipse]

Sounds like you're comparing used to new.  There's a lot of blue on eBay as well.

I would not buy a Nomex flight suit from VG regardless.

[SarDragon]

eBay is good, if you remember two things:

1. The price is not fixed. You bid up to your established limit, and hope no one outbids you.

2. Your size might not be immediately available.

In any event, you need to be patient and diligent. It took me six tries to get my blue suit.

[Shotgun]

http://www.armyoutdoor.com/CWU-27P_Flightsuit.html

I've been watching this site for years.  Many of my friends have bought new and used flight suits from these guys and have had no problems.

The have a pretty decent collection of sizes. If your particular size isn't available give them a week or two and check back.