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N-3A jacket Aircrew OR just ground crew ? ...


ronbo
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Hi All - My second post :D . Here's my genuine N-3A jacket and I was wondering if these were used by the air crews or just by the ground crews? It is in excellent shape (fur/mouton hood lining too). And is only missing the neck draw string. I was lucky to find an XL and I have worn it a few times watching the winter stars and meteorites. You don't get cold in this one lol. Thanks for any help on the question. -Ronbo standard.jpgstandard.jpgstandard.jpg

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Great jacket! I believe I've heard that the N2s were more popular than the N3s for aircrew, as the N3-A/B were too long and therefore uncomfortable to sit on.

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You just need to find the matching pants, mukluks, and mittens and you would be ready for an ice age. Without the matching pants but with layers of pants and longjohns spent time outside at colder than -40 and windchills well below -100. I had to walk up the side of a mountain in Korea, the snow was too deep to drive up and three radio systems were knocked out during the storm and I had to unzip the parka a little to let some heat out, at -40.

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You just need to find the matching pants, mukluks, and mittens and you would be ready for an ice age. Without the matching pants but with layers of pants and longjohns spent time outside at colder than -40 and windchills well below -100. I had to walk up the side of a mountain in Korea, the snow was too deep to drive up and three radio systems were knocked out during the storm and I had to unzip the parka a little to let some heat out, at -40.

Thanks All :). I DO have the D-1A blue flight trousers from the '50's. But the A-11C's in size 42 (my size) escape me. I served in Maine in the USMC (Brunswick NAS '83-'86) so I am familiar with extremes in cold ... and I LOVED IT lol. Cheers -Ronbo

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Standard USAF issue to anyone serving in the northern tier. Basically anyone who was assigned to a cold base got issued a parka.

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I can't say what is done today, but back in the 60's the waist length parkas were supposed to be issued to aircrew, base police, vehicle drivers and egress shop personnel. Flight line security and everyone else pretty much got the long parka. There were always exceptions. Lots of us supply guys issued ourselves the short parkas cause they looked better. We were soon shown the error of our ways and had to turn them back in.

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  • 2 months later...

Lee,

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't ground crew or flight line folks also have a reflective strip sewn to the reverse? Just an observation, not a disclaimer :)

 

 

Best,

 

Peter

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phantomfixer

yep Acft maintainers had the reflective tape sewn on parkas and field jackets...then disco belts (reflective belts) were issued...some flightlines get very dark..there you are carrying your box on your shoulder ...walking back to CTK 130 am and you are swing shift....and the grave shift expeditor drives right past you cause he "didn't see you" (read, didn't want to stop).....oh those were the days!!!!

 

seriously the flight line at Ramstein was in the woods....for the 512th, 526th guys.... very dark...reflective tape was the norm....

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Since parkas were equipment items, they would usually stay at the base where originally issued. Reflective tape would be sew on and usually on a garment no matter who it was issued to next,

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I was stationed in Germany in the mid-late 1980s. As an army pilot, I was issued both the N-2 jacket and N-3 parka. They were aircrew specific (at least where I was stationed). Our crew-chiefs received the then-current version of the fish-tail parka.

 

As already noted, most wore the N-2 -- not so much for the length, though. It was the hood -- you could split it so it would lay flat on your back (zipper down the middle of it). The N-3 hood bulked up behind your head/neck too much.

 

Both jackets were considered personal items -- supply didn't want them back when I PCS'd.

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In Alaska, I saw a lot of the HC and C-130 crews wearing the long parka because they could take them off once inside the aircraft.

 

Of note though, blue parkas, like blue flight suits and fatigues were generally worn by general officers, special duty aircrews, security police, missile and transient maintenance crews.

 

Does this parka have either the colored decal or white stencil emblem on the shoulder?

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phantomfixer

I have seen them with the colored Hap Arnold...not so much the white stamp...

we still had blue cold weather gear at Dover AFB in the late 90's...mainly the pants and gloves....

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Beautiful parka and in lovely condition

If anyone comes across an XL sized N3a going begging please shout me

I'd love one of these.

They did two types of fur, the fake fur and the coyote version shown above, which I belive is the earlier version

Does it have a spring loaded zipper ?

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