Mens Leather Flying Jacket - The Classic Look

The original mens leather flight jacket was created in the First World War as the airplane became an important part of the battle front. The weather in France and Germany during the winter was horribly cold and pilots were wearing whatever they could find to stay warm. By 1930 the US Army Air Corps was testing the A2 style of jacket which was made of shearling goatskin; the only problem with this exceptionally warm jacket was that it had no pockets.

And Further On

In 1938 the mens leather flying jackets that we are all more familiar with, designated the G1 was adopted by the military for official use. This mens leather bomber jacket had a map pocket on the inside and pockets on the outside. Today there are many different versions of this original jacket and the US military still issues them to their pilots as part of their standard equipment, in particular the US Navy aviators are still wearing an updated version of the A2 jacket much like their Second World War predecessors.

One of the biggest reasons that these jackets were developed using inside out shearling was that the newer bombers and fighters of World War 2 were capable of flying higher and faster than ever before. This meant that the temperatures inside the aircraft as they flew with open bomb bay doors and gunner hatches were often below zero. To combat this, the A2 and G1 would soon be replaced with the B3 and B7 mens leather flying jacket, which would come to be known as the bomber jacket as they were intended for the bomber crews.

New Century Same Looks

Despite the current infatuation with many different styles of mens designer leather jacket, the bomber jacket has managed to maintain its appeal. This style of jacket looks equally at home when you are out for a night on the town or when you are trying to stay warm and dry on a cold, wet winter day. Of course while the means leather flying jacket will always be popular, the military moved on with the times and as the jet age dawned new lighter weight jackets like the B-15 and the very popular MA-1 jacket.

Both of these were made nylon to suit the much warmer enclosed cockpit of the jet aircraft and the flexibility of the nylon made them an instant hit with the pilots who wore them. Today the mens leather flight jacket is worn by many motorcyclists in inclement weather as the high shearling collar and cuffs help to keep out all but the worst of the weather.

Hot New Look

Many of today's mens designer leather jackets are still loosely based around the original mens leather flying jacket as the designers find it easier to work with a tried and true style rather than trying to create one of their own that might or might not succeed. No matter what type of leather jacket you decide is right for you the one thing that you should remember when you are shopping for one is that you get what you pay for so be prepared to spend a little more to make sure you get a good quality jacket that will last you a lifetime.