wear of the flight suit

[CAP277]

Thread revival. Anyone know anything about the Flight suits that have the regular side pockets like you'd find on a pair of pants ? Just acquired a bag that has zippers on the sides that are pockets, last one didn't have this. Authorized ? Thanks.

[Hawk200]

Thread revival. Anyone know anything about the Flight suits that have the regular side pockets like you'd find on a pair of pants ? Just acquired a bag that has zippers on the sides that are pockets, last one didn't have this. Authorized ? Thanks.

There are some versions that have a pas through on them, but not actual pockets. They're fine to wear. All the ones I saw with the side zippers also had epaulets. Had a few of them before.

[AlphaSigOU]

Thread revival. Anyone know anything about the Flight suits that have the regular side pockets like you'd find on a pair of pants ? Just acquired a bag that has zippers on the sides that are pockets, last one didn't have this. Authorized ? Thanks.

That's the short-lived McPeak-style flight suit with 'happy pockets' and lower penlight pocket (but no thigh pockets).

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Thread revival. Anyone know anything about the Flight suits that have the regular side pockets like you'd find on a pair of pants ? Just acquired a bag that has zippers on the sides that are pockets, last one didn't have this. Authorized ? Thanks.

That's the short-lived McPeak-style flight suit with 'happy pockets' and lower penlight pocket (but no thigh pockets).

I have one with epaulets hanging in my closet, but I don't know if it's still allowed for wear.

[Hawk200]

I have one with epaulets hanging in my closet, but I don't know if it's still allowed for wear.

As long as it's serviceable, and properly configured (meaning you've got the current command patch of the week), you can wear it.

I used to like them, until I started getting spread. The original/new-again design seems to be far more comfortable for the same tagged size.

[flyboy53]

OK purists, start casting stones

We don't wear Class B's in CAP. 

Excuse me, but Class B is a dress uniform worn without the jacket and with or without a tie if wearing a short sleved shirt....at least that's what I was taught since basic training. Class A is the full uniform, with ribbons, badges, and the blouse or jacket. At lest that was what I was taught in basic training 30 years ago. I'm pretty sure it hasn't changed.

[AlphaSigOU]

Excuse me, but Class B is a dress uniform worn without the jacket and with or without a tie if wearing a short sleved shirt....at least that's what I was taught since basic training. Class A is the full uniform, with ribbons, badges, and the blouse or jacket. At lest that was what I was taught in basic training 30 years ago. I'm pretty sure it hasn't changed.

And there are some 'uniform purists' that will jump up and down, turn red in the face and have steam come outta their ears at the mere mention of Army terminology on Air Force uniforms! The Air Farce today (and by extension, CAP) simply calls 'Class A' 'service dress' and 'Class B' the 'service uniform'. No big deal for me, but expect someone on this board to holler 'Sacrilege!' 

[BuckeyeDEJ]

In my case, until CAPM 39-1 explicitly prohibits wearing the chaplain's badge on the BDU cover or upon the FS leather patch concurrently with an aero rating badge, I consider it IMPLICITLY permitted.

CAPM 39-1 expressly prohibits anything not authorized in it.

Any variation from this publication is not authorized. Items not listed in this publication are not authorized for wear.

So the CSU was illegal from the get-go, that being the case, since it wasn't (and will never be) in CAPM 39-1. And so are a bunch of the badges supposedly authorized for the uniform (like the IC badge and a bunch of those ugly shields). And we could go on and on....

Face it, CAPM 39-1 is so long in the tooth as to be nearly irrelevant. And that's a shame, because we're supposed to be an organization governed by regulations.

[flyboy53]

And there are some 'uniform purists' that will jump up and down, turn red in the face and have steam come outta their ears at the mere mention of Army terminology on Air Force uniforms! The Air Farce today (and by extension, CAP) simply calls 'Class A' 'service dress' and 'Class B' the 'service uniform'. No big deal for me, but expect someone on this board to holler 'Sacrilege!' 

I wonder what my TI would say to that? Of course, I have to catch myself all the time referring to BDUs as fatigues? As for not wearing BDUs and flight suits on military orientation flights? You've got to be kidding. Have we thrown safety out the window for the sake of dress uniforms? As for me, the last time I was on a C-130, I wore a flight suit, complete with gloves, as is the current AF policy, even though as an CAP aircrew member I wasn' part of the flight crew. Horrors, I violated a reg for the sake of safety.

[flyboy53]

So, this brings to mind another question that I'll throw out there. My leather flight suit patch contains my senior observer wings and two Air Force badges IWA Air Force standards. Nobody has ever challenged me. I've never worn the CAP speciality badges because it's just too much bling. Is it a problem on the flight suit?

[Hawk200]

So, this brings to mind another question that I'll throw out there. My leather flight suit patch contains my senior observer wings and two Air Force badges IWA Air Force standards. Nobody has ever challenged me. I've never worn the CAP speciality badges because it's just too much bling. Is it a problem on the flight suit?

Are you saying that you have three badges on your leather nametag? If so, that is not, and never really has been, Air Force standard. The standard had been two, with wings or highest badge (either current or higher level badge) on top. The current 2903 just says "badges", but doesn't state a number(it also says nametags are "cloth"). The nametag for the A-2 is specified as wings, with an allowance for a Commander's badge.

Side by side isn't a standard at all, it's just been done like that by manufacturers so that they don't need dies for smaller badges. And yes, I know, Vanguard does it. But Vanguard has a history of trying to tell CAP members (and probably service members, too) what their uniforms are.

[Hawk200]

...(like the IC badge and a bunch of those ugly shields).

IC Badge, I understand, but what shields?

Face it, CAPM 39-1 is so long in the tooth as to be nearly irrelevant. And that's a shame, because we're supposed to be an organization governed by regulations.

Agreed.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

...(like the IC badge and a bunch of those ugly shields).

IC Badge, I understand, but what shields?

The specialty shields worn on the wearer's left pocket, and now allowed in myriad other places (no word if they're authorized on the wearer's pants fly yet, but give it time).

Originally it was just the communications badge, but then ES and safety were added, and then in the last few years, the floodgates opened with all sorts of goofy ones. (One is in my signature image below, but it's not one of the really ridiculous ones — the ones with three propellers on top and a gray background are the overly superfluous, clip-arty, "me-too" badges.)

[O-Rex]

Flight suits with front pockets:

http://www.flightsuits.com/index.php?id=18&cat_id=21&prod_id=113

http://www.aureusinternational.com/

They offer made-to-order flight suits with custom options.....at a premium ($!)

[lordmonar]

On the issue with the sheilds and the CP, AE, crests.....IMHO they should all be changed to USAF style specailty badges and worn in the same manner.  i.e. you get to choose two (or one with any wings) over the ribbons and no where else.

Current regulatons allow for two sheild specialty badges to be worn.  One below the left pocket welt and one above the name tag.

[Hawk200]

The specialty shields worn on the wearer's left pocket, and now allowed in myriad other places ...

Most of those are actually listed and depicted in 39-1, sixteen specialty tracks are currently covered.

Current regulatons allow for two sheild specialty badges to be worn.  One below the left pocket welt and one above the name tag.

On male shirts, it's one on each pocket. For female blouses, it's one above ribbons, one above nametag. Different places for different uniform items, which can be confusing.

On the issue with the sheilds and the CP, AE, crests.....IMHO they should all be changed to USAF style specailty badges and worn in the same manner.  i.e. you get to choose two (or one with any wings) over the ribbons and no where else.

I'm a little divided on this one. Part of me thinks that it might be OK if the design was right, but I imagine they would follow the concept of the Ground Team badges (with the leafy looking unbalanced wreath on it), and I never really liked that one. On the upside, cloth versions for BDU's would be a lot cheaper having less materials to make it.

On the other hand, I'm beginning to think that that we really don't need them. I try to read 39-1 every couple of months so that I remember them, but most of them use some kind of quill or lightning bolt, while others don't seem to make any applicable sense at all. Not much point to a badge if no one remembers what it is.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

I'm going to start another thread to address those silly badges...

[O-Rex]

I have some two-badge nametags (Sr Obs & GT) going forward I'll stick to just one set of wings.

[flyboy53]

Are you saying that you have three badges on your leather nametag? If so, that is not, and never really has been, Air Force standard.[/quote]

Hawk, I just read the AFI again, too. All I read was mandatory aviation wings. The two badge requirement is for two cloth badges above the name tape on BDUs and ABUs. You are actually allowed a third badge below the name tape. In my Air Force mission essential aircrew days with the ARRS, many of the PJs wore three badges on their leather flight wings. Of course those badges included aircrew wings, jump wings and in some cases scuba badges, etc.  It wasn't an issue then, either.

No, the uniform company isn't Vanguard; it's actually the same one used from active duty through the BX.

Did you look at the back of the Instruction? Now I know why there was so much hearburn over the CSU. The Air Force actually has a double-breasted uniform worn by flight attendants on special duty aircrews like AF One.

[lordmonar]

Also remember that AD USAF flight suits are goverened by MAJCOM and LOCAL supplements and not the AFI.

The basic guidelines are in the the AFI but what is worn, where and how is goverened by local rules.

One of the recent cool toys the flyer types are wearing now is different color T-shirts and T-shirts with logos right in the center of the chest near the neck line so is shows when the flight suit is zipped down 2-3 inches.