Gray Leather B-3A USAF Gloves

[viking73]

Well after looking for not too long on eBay, I found a nice used pair of gray leather B-3A flight gloves to go with my Ft. Wolters flight suit posted above. They arrived today and I'm really pleased with them. Below are some pictures.

 

-Derek

[viking73]

Here are photos of the stamping inside. It's all pretty legible with a nice 1967 contract date.

 

Thanks for looking!

 

-Derek

 

[72psb]

Derek,

Nice pair.What next? Knee board,vest,helmet?

Bob

[viking73]

Derek,

Nice pair.What next? Knee board,vest,helmet?

Bob

 

Thanks Bob. Well, I already have a nice Ft, Wolters flown and used white APH-5 helmet. Plus a neat crash and rescue map from Wolters showing all the smaller staging fields around Mineral Wells. I don't believe they wore survival vests, at least not in the photos I've seen. Not sure about a knee board but most likely...

 

For sure I do need a nice pair of black leather flight boots from the same era

 

-Derek

[mohawkALSE]

I can take a couple of pics of the 2 pairs of flight boots my father still has in a couple of weeks when I go home to visit. They had very no frills flat with a diamond pattern repairable soles/heels made by Biltrite. I'll ask him to see if he remembers having a knee board there. I know they were issued more stuff when he got to advanced flight school over at Hunter AAF. I still have the list of items he was issued out. He got a leather flight briefcase there, pilot survival knife and a LPU-2 life preserver since they flew near the water in Savannah.

 

Does that crash map mention all the stage field names? I looked the names up a while back and found each one on Google Earth. I'll have to do that again sometime.

[viking73]

I can take a couple of pics of the 2 pairs of flight boots my father still has in a couple of weeks when I go home to visit. They had very no frills flat with a diamond pattern repairable soles/heels made by Biltrite. I'll ask him to see if he remembers having a knee board there. I know they were issued more stuff when he got to advanced flight school over at Hunter AAF. I still have the list of items he was issued out. He got a leather flight briefcase there, pilot survival knife and a LPU-2 life preserver since they flew near the water in Savannah.

 

Does that crash map mention all the stage field names? I looked the names up a while back and found each one on Google Earth. I'll have to do that again sometime.

 

Tom,

 

I'd appreciate the photos of the flight boots, thanks. I'm assuming they are standard USAF issue?

 

The Wolters Crash Rescue Map does list all the staging fields by name. Most are Vietnamese names. I'll shoot you some pictures since I guess this would be the wrong forum to post them in

 

-Derek

[BlueBookGuy]

Hello,

truly a great pair of gloves, they are used the very right amount.

 

B-3A gloves from the '60s and early '70s are among the most appealing aviator's items IMO, only being a bit surpassed (speaking of colors' shades) by those original USN summer gloves dating back to WW2. I've almost completed my small collection of having one pair of summer flight gloves (only strictly summer leather ones) for each of their variations from WW2 to the '80s, both AAF, USAF and Navy.

 

Here my USAF grey B-3As identical to yours, being worn on my mannequinn of F-101 pilot in South-East asia - same specs, same '67 year, same leather, etc. except for the maker (Steinberg Bros. instead of Mario Papa & Sons). They also were brand new and still tied together when purchased.

 

 

[viking73]

Thanks for the kind words. Wow, your pair was mint, very nice. Any chance you can post a complete picture of your mannequin?

 

I recently picked up another pair, same maker, and they are size 10 with a 1968 contract date I believe.

 

Here is a shot of the outside:

[viking73]

And the hard to read stamping on the inside I'm pretty sure that's a "68".

 

-Derek

 

[BlueBookGuy]

Yes it's a '68 year. And, a '10' size could be great to find - pretty often one can see them being not larger than 8, 81/2, or 9. Always a great item these fantastic B-3A.

 

Here some shots at the guy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[phantomfixer]

Dig the clipboard map..

[viking73]

Great looking display! Really like this mannequin! Thanks for posting those photos.

 

-Derek

[BlueBookGuy]

Very kind indeed, thanx.

[jerry_k]

Hi BlueBookGuy.

 

Nice mannequin but I have one question?

 

USAAF pilot used a USMC first aid kit? It is not a little bit fantasy idea?

 

Cheers,

Jerry

[BlueBookGuy]

Thanx Jerry,

 

maybe the non- detailed markings in its cover is somehow deceptive - container is a more generic one having just the medical symbol on it. The whole came to me complete with 7-8 different first aid items, all original from 1968 and listed on a typed paper sheet.

Do not know if US Air Force had available one precise pouch of its own, like it's instead for the revolver holster and the ammunition carrier (both marked with USAF contract and dates).

 

Franco.

[jerry_k]

Hi Franco.

 

This pouch is a typical USMC Vietnam era, usually used by ground guy. But I would be happy to see one used by a USAF pilot.

 

Thanks,

Jerry

[BlueBookGuy]

hi Jerryy

today it would be maybe different, back then there were too many issues in searching/finding the very correct item in certain instances the ways I had available. This USAF guy was originally intended as a mid-'60s US Army helo crew when mannequinn became available from a clothing shop, but some items I already had got and so I kept them.

 

Later on an Italian collector proposed me two great pieces like the helmet and oxy. mask + the complete BA-18 parachute in bargain for some my airbrush jobs (absolutely no money at all) and I agreed instantly, such a parachute was like a dream in those years of non-Internet. A few minor pieces like the said pouch stayed unchanged, but no issues at all... perhaps this RF-101C pilot had unofficially got some contacts with USMC pilots when he had to emergency-land at Da Nang?..