Hey guys found this flight bomber style cooper jacket today , just wondering if there is a way to tell the age of it its marked cooper gac 201-01-8101 m on the tag thanks mike

Looks like 2001.

 

http://www.retrospectmag.com/articles/2005/78-the-type-a-2-flight-jacket.html

Cooper jackets with the orange label are civilian jackets made for the retail market. I've got jackets that I purchased in 1994 with the exact same labels. The numbers on the white label do not in any conform to USGI dating formats. The jackets made by Cooper for the USAF are actually labelled with a white "Saddlery" brand label and a white sizing label with the contract number and dates. They are decent wearing-around jackets. Good find. HTH

Tim

CSN could be Civilian Stock Number?

Here is a Cooper label from my 1996 A-2

Are the civilian jackets made to the same specs as the military ones? They are nice looking in any event.

As far as I have been able to find , they're very close if not identical to the USAF issue ones...................

The only difference I've ever observed (2-3 dozen jackets) is that the USAF contract jackets, apart from labeling, have a shield shaped velcro patch on the wearer's right breast for a unit insignia. Both the issue and the civilian jackets have a velcro patch on the left breast for a name tag. Otherwise they are absolutely identical.

To add to the thread further here are the labels from a 1988 contract jacket: