Jump to content

Blue USAF Flight Suit


VMI88
 Share

Recommended Posts

I picked up several blue USAF flight suits at the flea market today:

 

post-265-1287361761.jpg

 

They came with a bunch of other stuff that had belonged to a USAF medic who served during the 90s. There were some UN berets in the group so I'm wondering if these flight suits might not have been used on a UN mission. The only other uses of blue flight suits I'm aware of -- at least in the modern era -- are special purposes such as NASA pilots or the Thunderbirds. Maybe some of our Air Force veterans can comment on this.

 

I may have some of these suits for sale eventually, but I want to find out what I have first.

 

Bill

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info. The guy was definitely USAF -- I picked up a lot of his insignia and patches as well. I was just curious because you don't usually see blue flight suits on USAF except for special units. I'm still leaning toward use in a UN mission.

 

Bill

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The nomenclature reads:

 

Coverall, Flyer's, Summer

Fire Resistant, Blue, CWU-73/P

 

Civil Air Patrol is a possibility, but there was a whole stash of insignia that came from the same guy, and none of it was CAP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Leatherwringer

"The Royal Blue CWU-73/P Nomex flight suit is standard issue to US Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy aircrewmembers. The body is made of 100% Fire Resistant Aramid (Nomex) cloth that maintains it's fire resistance even when washed. The flight suits feature angled zippered breast pockets, zippered shin pockets for miscellaneous gear and checklist binders, velcro waist bands to adjust sizing. Used flight suits may have Velcro patches or rank insignia attached- Unissued flight suits have only the name tag blank."

post-2-0-89542900-1537112121.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe the Civil Air Patrol used these as well.

 

CAP used a blue jump suit for many years, but it wasn't a flight suit like this. That was an entirly different coverall. This one is probably NASA and even if the original owner was USAF, you can still be a servcie member and be assigned to NASA. A lot of astronauts are USAF or Navy and are assigned to NASA. It's not USAF Thunderbirds nor Navy Blue Angles as both those teams wear a darker blue flight suit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The USAF never used a suit like this. That loser McPeak talked about it in the early 90's, but it never came to fruition, thankfully. They are ugly.

 

Ian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Earlier today I saw a National Geographic feature on TV, "Mega Factories, Apache Helicopter". Towards the ending of the show they showed the Apache helicopters being tested prior to delivery. The test pilots (I believe they were from Boeing) wore flight suits that were this same shade of blue and looked exactly like the one in the pic. They had a US flag patch on the sleeve though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not 2 hours after reading this the other day,I'm watching the Military Channel and I see them rolling the B-2 out and the guides leading it out are in these same suits! To further make things crystal murky....Talking last night with my uncle,( M.P. dog handler,late 60's early 70's) at an undisclosable nuclear missle site and nearby air base, a number of 'Zoomies' according to their duties, including his Lt. girlfriend wore these also.I also remember seeing them around Selfridge Air Base in the late 70's,and even bought a set/pair from post uniform clothing sales.( Igave them to a friend who drag raced when I enlisted in the Army) I confess at that time I had,nor do I today really have any clue about who wore them,but they were definately Air Force.

Sparrow

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks to all for the information on these flight suits -- it's really been an interesting discussion. In addition to apparent use by NASA, test pilots, and B-2 crews, I was able to find a reference online about the 50th Space Wing wearing blue flight suits. It seems these suits are used by USAF personnel in special units who for whatever reason don't wear the standard green or tan flight suits.

 

The one thing I couldn't find was any confirmation of my initial theory that these were used for identification during UN missions. Guess I'll have to strike that one off the list!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The one thing I couldn't find was any confirmation of my initial theory that these were used for identification during UN missions. Guess I'll have to strike that one off the list!

 

I have spent a lot of time around UN pilots and all the ones that I have had contact with wear the flight suit of their country.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...
northcoastaero

I know that the USN used the CWU-73/P flightsuit back in the 1980s-1990s as an optional flightsuit. NASA may have used this

flightsuit also. NASA had many of their blue flightsuits made by flightsuitsltd.com later gibsonandbarnes.com and they were

called the FSL-27/P. The USCG used blue flightsuits along with other blue flight gear items during the 1980s-2000s? They

looked like they could be CWU-73/P, but I always thought the shade of blue was slightly lighter and could be a different suit?

Within the last 10 years, the Civil Air Patrol aircrews started using a dark navy blue Nomex flightsuit, darker than the CWU-73/P.

It replaced the lighter blue optional flightsuit/jump suit for aircrews.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know this topic is old and no one is probably interested any more but here is my take. The Blue Flight Suit was used in the US Air Force in the 1980s and early 1990s in the Aeromedical Evacuation Community. I started My AE Carrer in 1993 and we had transitioned over to the Sage green flight suits by then. We still had a few around the squadron when I got there but they were gone by the time I left 4 years later. These flight suits belonged to an AF Medic so we can be fairly certain he or she was a flight medic at one time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Johnny Signor

What were the various patches you got with them , that may help narow down the use of the "blue" jet Jammies ...............................

A lot of the military aircraft manufacturers "test pilots" also wear/wore the blue ones......................

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wore these in the USN in the 1980s and 1990s. They were worn by everyone and were interchangable with the green ones. They did not denote anything special and were commonplace. We even had crew on the same flight wearing both colors. The blue ones were not well liked in the USN (I did not like the epaulettes).

 

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe the Civil Air Patrol used these as well.

 

The C.A.P. used to use a blue jumpsuit which is a different animal than a military flight suit. The CAP jumpsuit was strictly civilian with CAP insignia. I refused to buy or wear one when I was in CAP. We called that thing a "Smufsuit". I always wore a standard USAF flight suit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Somehow I missed it when this topic was revived after two years! Thanks for all the responses. I think the post on use by air evacuation personnel hits the nail on the head. The guy was a medic and there were aircrew wings in the lot. Thanks again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Johnny Signor

If he has any patches of Aeromedical Evac Sqd's in the lot that confirms it for sure , as that is the "usual" emblems of their ops .

Johnny

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Datil_Mountain_Muse

As Hink put it, they were issued for USN aircrew. I got mine in 1989 or 90 I think. We would wear them when hauling VIP's around I think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

Here's a CWU-73P worn by a Navy flight surgeon who was also a qualified Radar Intercept Officer. This has a Carrier Air Wing Reserve 30 patch. He served with VA-302 in that wing and I know he did one tour as a wing flight surgeon so this may represent that. He saved all of his helmets and flightsuits.

 

bluea.jpg

 

blueb.jpg

 

Here's his other flight suits to put this in context:

 

15.jpg

 

Note that he rolled up the sleeves of all of his flightsuits: I've since noticed that this was common with Naval aviators.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...