Flightsuit Stuff

[O-Rex]

Isn't it what all those people put on their couch to make sure no one spills anything on it? 

Hmmmm.

I forsee neighbors perplexed about the mysterious one-inch square holes in the plastic fabric protectors on their furniture......   

[blackrain]

they aren't governed by the AF, the AF is not by law charged with oversight of them, nor is any of their clothing protected by law as a military uniform for which wearing when not authorized constitutes a federal crime of imitating an officer/member of the military or one of it's designated auxiliaries.   

changing an official uniform of the united states is somewhat different than some yahoo civilian doing what they feel like without oversight.

My point was that unlike say the ABU/ACU the sage green flight suit has essentially become generic and wouldn't in and of itself say someone is a military member. I say approve a distinctive sew on rank (say bright on dark blue)and be done. If your close enough to see and identify plastic rank then you're close enough to indentify the bright on dark blue. Though admittedly slight the plastic insignia does pose more of a FOD hazard in addition to all the other headaches of its use.

On a side note the individuals wearing the Sage Green bag are providing a valuable service guarding our LOGPACS and are only trying to protect themselves from a very real fire hazard. They aren't looking to be mistaken for military. My CO got second degree burns from a car bomb in 2005 and he's lucky it wasn't worse.

[DNall]

^BDUs are pretty generic now, that doesn't mean affiliated orgs can do things cause they want to, good idea or not.

Also, A2CUs would be a better choice for that enviro, but prob not for contractors.

And, vanguard has the stuff in stock again, at least they said so before I just ordered some.

Finally, I understand sew on cloth grade would be a much better option. I know that's being worked on above my pay grade. Either it'll happen or it won't, but it won't be in the next few months. So, put on the plastic stuff that is again available, and then hope things change in the future.

[O-Rex]

Okay, after a bit of experimentation:

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN PLASTIC-ENCASED FLIGHTSUIT RANK

You will need:

metal rank (use two 1st Lt bars for Capt)

10-gauge (12 if you can find it) mildew-proof clear plastic shower curtain (available at any linen/bath shop, Wal-Mart, K-Mart etc.)  it comes 72" x72", so you'll have a lifetime supply.

Heat source: high-heat blow dryer is adequate, if using an open flame, exercise extreme caution (trust me on this one!)

1. Snip prongs off rank, file or dremel until flush

2. Cut squares out of the plastic.  make them larger than you intend to use to you can trim later. 

3. Place rank between two squares of plastic, press out the 'air bubbles' (much like laminating)

4. blow-dry or place edges near heat source. work the plastic from the edges to the actual rank itself.  If the plastic becomes 'wavy' don't worry, it will smooth out when it cools.

5. Trim to fit.

If done right, it will look like you got it from Vanguard!  (For added realism, when finished, put them away for several weeks.  )

DISCLAIMER: I have not done any extensive wear or wash-testing, and I do not guarantee that the rank will be watertight in the wash if sewn directly to a flightsuit.  I highly recommend velcro-ing the rank to the flightsuit. Spacing - MIKE

[DNall]

^or you can order them from vanguard as they are now avail.

Then wait it out till cloth gets approved. While this will certainly take several more months, I do believe it'll be happening before most of us get promoted again.

[CAPLAW]

Are you taking orders?

[O-Rex]

^or you can order them from vanguard as they are now avail.

Then wait it out till cloth gets approved. While this will certainly take several more months, I do believe it'll be happening before most of us get promoted again.

It was just one of those "let's see if I could do it" things......

I reach "terminal rank" in Feb 09, at which time I hope the NB will authorize tattoos in lieu of pastic-encased rank.

Seriously, I don't see what all the hoopla is to get color sew-on rank approved...

[Eclipse]

My suit came with insignia directly embroidered onto the suit. Can't remove without tearing a whole. I thought about putting a square of OD velcro on it. I also got a big velcro circle on the right breast. Do I leave that and just put the command patch on?

To bring this full circle, I finished watching the DVD of Carrier this week, and sure enough, a lot of the Navy aircrews had their grade insignia embroidered directly onto the flightsuit.  I have to say, it looked pretty good.  Now that I think about it, the grade wasn't subdued on the green flightsuits, either, interesting...

[blackrain]

DNall, you may know this or anyone else for that matter. I bought the heavy 6 oz nomex dark blue suit from Flightsuit Ltd. What is the standard issue Sage Green suit use? 4.5 oz nomex? Also, what is the weight of the dark blue suit Vanguard sells? In the end I went with Flightsuits Ltd because I could specifically order the heavier material AND it was cheaper than Vanguard. Though admittedly not cheap. Go figure. Finally Flightsuits Ltd has a distinct reputation for quality.

[jimmydeanno]

Now that I think about it, the grade wasn't subdued on the green flightsuits, either, interesting...

Those crazy Navy guys wear full color insignia on their flightsuits.  The AF guys wear the subdued.


NAVY Lieutenant - also notice the nice embroidered edge.


Air Force Captain

[O-Rex]

DNall, you may know this or anyone else for that matter. I bought the heavy 6 oz nomex dark blue suit from Flightsuit Ltd. What is the standard issue Sage Green suit use? 4.5 oz nomex? Also, what is the weight of the dark blue suit Vanguard sells? In the end I went with Flightsuits Ltd because I could specifically order the heavier material AND it was cheaper than Vanguard. Though admittedly not cheap. Go figure. Finally Flightsuits Ltd has a distinct reputation for quality.

Mil-spec Nomex is 4.5

I got a 5 oz Blue nomex suit from Aureus Int'l for just under $200 (!)

Very happy with it.

I bought other items from Flightsuits Ltd., their cust service is great.

[AlphaSigOU]

Now that I think about it, the grade wasn't subdued on the green flightsuits, either, interesting...

Those crazy Navy guys wear full color insignia on their flightsuits.  The AF guys wear the subdued.


NAVY Lieutenant - also notice the nice embroidered edge.


Air Force Captain

Notice that the Squiddie (runs for cover...  ) grade insignia is slightly different in design than that of the Air Force/Army. The connecting ties on the Navy lieutenant (USMC captain) are placed toward the edge of the bar, where USAF captain's bars have the ties a little closer in.

[blackrain]

DNall, you may know this or anyone else for that matter. I bought the heavy 6 oz nomex dark blue suit from Flightsuit Ltd. What is the standard issue Sage Green suit use? 4.5 oz nomex? Also, what is the weight of the dark blue suit Vanguard sells? In the end I went with Flightsuits Ltd because I could specifically order the heavier material AND it was cheaper than Vanguard. Though admittedly not cheap. Go figure. Finally Flightsuits Ltd has a distinct reputation for quality.

Mil-spec Nomex is 4.5

I got a 5 oz Blue nomex suit from Aureus Int'l for just under $200 (!)

Very happy with it.

I bought other items from Flightsuits Ltd., their cust service is great.

I ordered my blue one and insignia/patches for it over the summer and had it sent to my home. Haven't even worn it yet. I'm getting out of here and home myself in the near future. Can't begin to tell you how glad I am. 

[O-Rex]

I thought about buying the heavyweight flightsuit, and even got cloth swatches from Flightsuits, inc (gotta love their cust svc!)  the 6.0 is heavy, the weave is tight, seems like it would last forever (!) but it just gets too hot here if FL.

Those of you who get new or near-new flightsuits with the pen pocket-flap still on it: do you cut them off?  Most AF folks do.  Those versions came out in the late 80's, and we used to cut them off, leaving the little 1X2 Velcro piece on the pen-pocket, hence the birth of morale patches.  I never liked the flap, as it tended to catch on stuff, not to mention that you had to mess with it every time you needed your pen.  Now I just cut them off, and use the material for a pen-pocket on the lower right pant pocket, if the flightsuit doesn't already have one.

I know this is straying a little, but what are anyone's experiences with the Vanguard blue utility uniform? (the blue poly-cotton flightsuit)  I know of one guy who has one, and it looked pretty faded. . .

[DNall]

I thought about buying the heavyweight flightsuit, and even got cloth swatches from Flightsuits, inc (gotta love their cust svc!)  the 6.0 is heavy, the weave is tight, seems like it would last forever (!) but it just gets too hot here if FL.

Those of you who get new or near-new flightsuits with the pen pocket-flap still on it: do you cut them off?  Most AF folks do. 

I know this is straying a little, but what are anyone's experiences with the Vanguard blue utility uniform? (the blue poly-cotton flightsuit)  I know of one guy who has one, and it looked pretty faded. . .

Also too hot in TX, plus able to get good quality lightly used ones.

Yes cut it off.

Looks fine when new/correct, but yeah it fades out. And, I don't really see the point of a flight suit type uniform that isn't nomex.

[blackrain]

I agree the heavier weight is hotter to wear and that was the one thing I considered as a down side. I was on TCPs (traffic control points) some this summer and we hit 120 degrees plus a few times especially standing on pavement. I'll admit with the body armor I was as hot and miserable as I've ever been in my life. Hopefully I'm done doing that. As long as I drank water I did OK though. I figured the flight suit will give a least a little more airflow than snug fitting IBA. In the end I'm willing to put up with some lack of comfort when wearing PPE.

I also agree that a flightsuit like uniform not made of nomex doesn't make a lot of sense. I saw a video of a similar suit made out of cotton being flame tested on a special mannequin and it burned pretty quickly leaving what the researcher said would have been 3rd degree burns on a human.

Everything is a trade off in one way or another.

[AlphaSigOU]

I know this is straying a little, but what are anyone's experiences with the Vanguard blue utility uniform? (the blue poly-cotton flightsuit)  I know of one guy who has one, and it looked pretty faded. . .

The Vanguard/Hock Shop utility uniform coverall is made by Rothco; quality ain't that great. If you want one that is made of a heavier material, buy the ones made by Tru-Spec. Over time, they will fade and shrink from many washings but that's par for poly-cotton.

[O-Rex]

Blackrain: how was the fit of your flightsuit?  When I got my blue nomex, I found that commercial flightsuit sizes run just a tad smaller than military.

I found a Navy blue 100% poly SAC Missile Crew jumpsuit on ebay: looks almost identical to a flightsuit except for the pen-pocket on the upper left sleeve (there's no zipper) and no thigh pockets.  It has perma-creases in the leg, and doesn't have the shoulder reinforcements that a F/S does.

I picked it up real cheap, and figured it would make a good "mission base uniform," but I sure wouldn't fly in it.  Once in a while they list them on ebay under 'SAC coveralls' or "SAC flightsuit," if anyone is so inclined.

Does anyone remember the first version of the utility uniform, the ones that sold for 20?  They were absolutely horrible! 

ALSO, flighthelmet.com is selling NEW flightsuits for $130 (!)  That's almost dealer-pricing.  Sizes are limited, though.

[blackrain]

Blackrain: how was the fit of your flightsuit?  When I got my blue nomex, I found that commercial flightsuit sizes run just a tad smaller than military.

I found a Navy blue 100% poly SAC Missile Crew jumpsuit on ebay: looks almost identical to a flightsuit except for the pen-pocket on the upper left sleeve (there's no zipper) and no thigh pockets.  It has perma-creases in the leg, and doesn't have the shoulder reinforcements that a F/S does.

I picked it up real cheap, and figured it would make a good "mission base uniform," but I sure wouldn't fly in it.  Once in a while they list them on ebay under 'SAC coveralls' or "SAC flightsuit," if anyone is so inclined.

Does anyone remember the first version of the utility uniform, the ones that sold for 20?  They were absolutely horrible! 

ALSO, flighthelmet.com is selling NEW flightsuits for $130 (!)  That's almost dealer-pricing.  Sizes are limited, though.

Quick reply. My internet access will be sporadic the next few days. I ordered the blue suit this summer and had it sent home so I haven't had a chance to try it on yet. My family sent me a picture of my green 44R next to my blue 44R and it appears the blue is actually slightly larger. Different manufacturers I guess