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.

[Critical AOA]

I agree... respect the men who wear the green flight suit and don't wear it.  Wear the blue instead.  No one important wears blue flight suits.  Well... unless you think NASA Astronauts, The Blue Angels and The Thunderbirds are important and accomplished enough to deserve your respect.       I believe all of those groups wear blue flight suits.

So wear either color.  No one will think ill of you either way.

[Blues Brother]

I just thought that the blue had to be specific in color shade?  I saw some Royal Blue suits on ebay, but I thought that Royal blue was not allowed? 

the pic of the blue suit in 39-1 looks lighter than the one on vangaurd.  thats why I was curious about the shade thing.  Its kinda confusing. 

Eclipse, why would you not buy a suit from Vanguard?  because of price? or is there other reasons? 

Again, thanks to all who have posted here.  I do appreciate the input.

[Blues Brother]

I agree... respect the men who wear the green flight suit and don't wear it.  Wear the blue instead.  No one important wears blue flight suits.  Well... unless you think NASA Astronauts, The Blue Angels and The Thunderbirds are important and accomplished enough to deserve your respect.       I believe all of those groups wear blue flight suits.

So wear either color.  No one will think ill of you either way.

sorry, I didnt mean disrespect to anyone.  I didnt realize that NASA, the blue angels, and thunderbirds wore the same color as CAP blue.  I didnt mean to disrespect anyone.

[SarDragon]

The correct color is darker than the Royal Blue you might see offered elsewhere. As for the mismatch between different photos, it is likely due to lighting differences. The correct color is portrayed in the reg and the catalog.

[Blues Brother]

I found this one just now. 

http://militarygear.com/tru-spec-xfire-27-p-flight-suits

its not nomex, but its $100 less than the VG suit.   

[SarDragon]

I found this one just now. 

http://militarygear.com/tru-spec-xfire-27-p-flight-suits

its not nomex, but its $100 less than the VG suit.

I have found the quality of Tru-Spec gear to be lower than that of other manufacturers. The fact that there are no details on the composition of the fabric, aside from a trademark name that I'm unable to find in the USPTO database, doesn't encourage me.

[Blues Brother]

I found this one just now. 

http://militarygear.com/tru-spec-xfire-27-p-flight-suits

its not nomex, but its $100 less than the VG suit.

I have found the quality of Tru-Spec gear to be lower than that of other manufacturers. The fact that there are no details on the composition of the fabric, aside from a trademark name that I'm unable to find in the USPTO database, doesn't encourage me.

thanks for the heads up on that.  that is why I am asking this here, I figured people would know the best way to find out more on these flight suits. 

[Critical AOA]

I agree... respect the men who wear the green flight suit and don't wear it.  Wear the blue instead.  No one important wears blue flight suits.  Well... unless you think NASA Astronauts, The Blue Angels and The Thunderbirds are important and accomplished enough to deserve your respect.       I believe all of those groups wear blue flight suits.

So wear either color.  No one will think ill of you either way.

sorry, I didnt mean disrespect to anyone.  I didnt realize that NASA, the blue angels, and thunderbirds wore the same color as CAP blue.  I didnt mean to disrespect anyone.

I know that.  My point was that you were being so overly sensitive to the possibility of being disrespectful to those that wear green that the possibility that some of the folks you no doubt respect wear the blue.   My bigger point is that you should feel free to wear either one, blue or green and not worry about being disrespectful because in fact you aren't being disrespectful. 

Also in my opinion, a flight suit doesn't quite fall under the same military uniform umbrella as some of the other uniforms that CAP utilizes.  Although the military uses flight suits, they are not truly military uniforms without the military insignias but I guess the same argument could be made for any clothing item if someone wanted to do so.

[Slim]

I found this one just now. 

http://militarygear.com/tru-spec-xfire-27-p-flight-suits

its not nomex, but its $100 less than the VG suit.

I have found the quality of Tru-Spec gear to be lower than that of other manufacturers. The fact that there are no details on the composition of the fabric, aside from a trademark name that I'm unable to find in the USPTO database, doesn't encourage me.

thanks for the heads up on that.  that is why I am asking this here, I figured people would know the best way to find out more on these flight suits.

Actually, I have two of the Tru-Spec blue suits hanging in the closet.  One was purchased from Vanguard, the other from a different source after VG went back to selling the cheap Rothco version.

The differences between the two are that the pockets are laid out differently on the Tru-Spec suit (no pockets on the upper legs), and the material is significantly heavier.  Unlike the Rothco suit, I can hold the Tru-Spec up and not see light through the fabric.

Oh, don't buy one from that source, at that price.  Shop around and you can find them significantly cheaper.  Last time I bought one was about two years ago, and I think it was $49.95.

[SarDragon]

Is the Tru-Spec flight suit you have made from aramid fiber? or is it just the coverall version? I've never seen new real aramid stuff for less than about $140, and they were crap.

[Blues Brother]

Ok let's say I chose green.  Is propper a decent brand?  I found this one.
http://militarygear.com/propper-cwu-27/p-nomex-flight-suits/sage-green

[Critical AOA]

Propper is the US military's largest supplier and their products are high quality.

[Slim]

Is the Tru-Spec flight suit you have made from aramid fiber? or is it just the coverall version? I've never seen new real aramid stuff for less than about $140, and they were crap.

Nope, no Aramid, just good, old fashioned poly/cotton.  Far as the setup goes, think McPeak zoom bag without epaulets or the skinny jeans look.

As mentioned, the first one came from Vanguard, the second came from here.

My last two sets of BBDUs (Propper 65/35 poly/cotton) came from there as well.

[sarmed1]

I have found the quality of Tru-Spec gear to be lower than that of other manufacturers. The fact that there are no details on the composition of the fabric, aside from a trademark name that I'm unable to find in the USPTO database, doesn't encourage me.

I have tru-spec multi cam for my SWAt job function; there are 2 differant types (extreme and whatever the other is)  there have been no problems with the extreme, but the base level has faded ridiculously in the past 6 months, primarily from just everyday washing.... I am not impressed.

mk

[Blues Brother]

Lots of good information here.  I am now thinking that the Propper Sage green flight suit might be the way to go.   They are less expensive than the vangaurd suits, and you folks talk high of their quality, so that might be they way to go.

[JROB]

As mentioned before eBay is a great source for flight suits. I purchased my first one on ebay when I was a cadet and have thought about purchasing another. http://www.ebay.com/itm/USGI-CWU-27-P-Fire-Resistant-NOMEX-FLIGHT-SUIT-Flyers-Coveralls-Flightsuit-/300782235025?pt=US_Other_Uniforms&var=&hash=item460804ad91

[Blues Brother]

I have to ask this..... how good are the inexpensive suits?  I mean its always been my experience that you get what you pay for.   Are the $30 to $50 suits really good quality?  why are the others so much more?  it just seems like a large price spread for similar quality items.   any ideas there?

[JROB]

From my personal experience yes you do get what you pay for. Personally I got a good flight suit for the price that I paid for. I didn't notice any rips or tears and it's still holding up great. The only problem that I had was that the velcro in some places was a little worn which is easily replaceable.

[blackrain]

I got the heavy weight fabric (6.5 oz) Navy Blue Nomex from Gibson & Barnes. Got is for less than $200 when I ordered it in 2008. I would trust G&B waaaay before I would Vanguard for flightsuits and prices are comparable ($260 ish). Zippers are heavy weight and durable.

I'm military but for CAP I think the Navy Blue color is more fitting for our mission (just a personal opinion) and I can use sew on rank instead of that cheesy plastic encased stuff.

I'm very carefull about washing it alone and hanging it inside to dry and it's holding up well. Heavier fabric doesn't wrinkle much but it can be warm to wear to some I'm sure.

My 2 cents

[AngelWings]

I got the heavy weight fabric (6.5 oz) Navy Blue Nomex from Gibson & Barnes. Got is for less than $200 when I ordered it in 2008. I would trust G&B waaaay before I would Vanguard for flightsuits and prices are comparable ($260 ish). Zippers are heavy weight and durable.

I'm military but for CAP I think the Navy Blue color is more fitting for our mission (just a personal opinion) and I can use sew on rank instead of that cheesy plastic encased stuff.

I'm very carefull about washing it alone and hanging it inside to dry and it's holding up well. Heavier fabric doesn't wrinkle much but it can be warm to wear to some I'm sure.

My 2 cents

Gibson and Barnes is the best.

[Blues Brother]

All good information people!  thanks!   at this point I am thinking of going with the Propper nomex sage green flight suit. 

[SarDragon]

I got the heavy weight fabric (6.5 oz) Navy Blue Nomex from Gibson & Barnes. Got is for less than $200 when I ordered it in 2008. I would trust G&B waaaay before I would Vanguard for flightsuits and prices are comparable ($260 ish). Zippers are heavy weight and durable.

I'm military but for CAP I think the Navy Blue color is more fitting for our mission (just a personal opinion) and I can use sew on rank instead of that cheesy plastic encased stuff.

I'm very carefull about washing it alone and hanging it inside to dry and it's holding up well. Heavier fabric doesn't wrinkle much but it can be warm to wear to some I'm sure.

My 2 cents

Gibson and Barnes is the best.

G&B is also the most expensive, and I haven't really noticed a difference in quality. I live less that 10 miles from them. (No, I can't get a discount.)

[AngelWings]

I got the heavy weight fabric (6.5 oz) Navy Blue Nomex from Gibson & Barnes. Got is for less than $200 when I ordered it in 2008. I would trust G&B waaaay before I would Vanguard for flightsuits and prices are comparable ($260 ish). Zippers are heavy weight and durable.

I'm military but for CAP I think the Navy Blue color is more fitting for our mission (just a personal opinion) and I can use sew on rank instead of that cheesy plastic encased stuff.

I'm very carefull about washing it alone and hanging it inside to dry and it's holding up well. Heavier fabric doesn't wrinkle much but it can be warm to wear to some I'm sure.

My 2 cents

Gibson and Barnes is the best.

G&B is also the most expensive, and I haven't really noticed a difference in quality. I live less that 10 miles from them. (No, I can't get a discount.)

I've had buddies (nothing I've experienced so I am not talking from anything more than 2nd hand info here) say the G&B gloves were higher quality than anyone elses because of the thumb stitching.

[SarDragon]

You know, you need to let us know when you are changing subject material. This entire thread has been discussing zoom bags, and all of a sudden you switch to gloves. Not kool.

[AngelWings]

You know, you need to let us know when you are changing subject material. This entire thread has been discussing zoom bags, and all of a sudden you switch to gloves. Not kool.

Well, I was trying to ease into saying we should have red gloves and red flightsuits 

The topic switch was two topics in one. The quality of Propper versus Gibson & Barnes and an example. I was not trying to change the topic any more than to support what I've been told by SWIM. Just so the OP knows what might be out there, and that it has had some good reviews.

[Blues Brother]

Hey Red flight suits would be cool!!!

I guess I kinda wonder why the CAP doesnt have higher visability color flight suits.  I mean its not like we are combat units and we are doing SAR and stuff like that, why not have hi vis color suits?  I mean in the event of emergency landing,  I would rather be wearing Red, bright blue, or orange  than sage green or dark blue.   seems to make sense to me. 

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

We once wore orange, as did the AF, modelled here by Captain John Christopher in one of my favourite Star Trek episodes, "Tomorrow Is Yesterday."



Note the plastic-encased rank insignia and leather nameplate, which we still wear.

As for red...the Red Arrows of the Royal Air Force:



Bright blue and you get the Roulettes of the Royal Australian Air Force:

[Blues Brother]

yea those are all good colors.

[Blues Brother]

So what do you folks do for the patches?  do you just get matching color velcro and have it sewn on the suit?   or do you have your patches sewn directly to the suit??

any recommendations there??

[AngelWings]

So what do you folks do for the patches?  do you just get matching color velcro and have it sewn on the suit?   or do you have your patches sewn directly to the suit??

any recommendations there??

'Pends on the color of the suit.

For green, use matching green if it doesn't have all the velcro already on it. For blue, use black or blue, whatever works for you. Some people do directly sew onto it, but certain patches are meant to be velcro only.

[SarDragon]

I have a blue bag, and use black Velcro for all the places that don't already have the dark blue Velcro. All my patches, rank, etc. have Velcro. Nothing is sewn directly to the bag. That way, the patches don't get thrashed in the washer and dryer.

[Blues Brother]

yea, thats a good idea with the velcro.  good point. 

[Blues Brother]

well after all the input here I ended up getting a used sage green suit from ebay.  I am glad I did.  thanks to all!!!!