Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
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Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.
Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.

Late 1960's Estimated LARGE US Navy MA-1 Flight Jacket with pilot modifications, used.

Price
$527
Only 1 left in stock!

We now have in stock a U.S. Navy fighter pilot specification MA-1 flight jacket. This item is an actual vintage, estimated to be from a lot in the late 1960s. It is a piece that leaves strong traces of actual use by pilots and allows you to experience the military atmosphere of the time.

The MA-1 is a standard flight jacket and has high historical value, but the MA-1 used by fighter pilots is even rarer. The material is olive drab nylon/ribbed construction, and the collar and sleeve ribs are custom cut to the specifications of the air force at the time. This modification prioritizes wearability in actual combat, and is a detail that suggests a realistic aspect of the pilot's equipment. It is one of the personal modifications that can only be made in the field, which was often done by pilots who did not want interference, especially with gloves.

The jacket shows signs of use throughout, but this is a testament to the authenticity and history of this jacket. The waist rib is damaged, and there are some fraying and repair marks due to age, but these can be seen as "living proof" of the jacket having actually been worn in the field at that time. The specification with the ribs cut off is often a practical custom that prioritized the comfort of fighter pilots, and is especially rare as an individual equipped with US Navy pilots.

About the patches (researching as much as possible about the items of the time)

The most attractive feature of this item is the group of original patches sewn all over the body. Many are period patches originating from fighter pilots and carrier air forces, and each patch has its own historical background. Because U.S. Navy pilots are often transferred, they tend to wear many patches, unlike Air Force pilots. Some, but not all, of these patches are explained below.

Patches on left sleeve and chest

  • U. S.S. Forrestal/ FITRON 11
    → The USS Forrestal was a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier commissioned in the 1960s, and FITRON (Fighter Squadron) 11 was a combat squadron deployed on the carrier that was active during the Vietnam War and into the 1970s.

  • Grim Reapers VF-101
    → VF-101 "Grim Reapers" is a unit also known as a training squadron for Navy fighter pilots. It has a proven track record in training fighter technicians and pilots and is an icon for Navy aircraft pilots.

  • Fighter Model Patches (McDonnell Phantom II / Phantom Phixer)
    → F-4 Phantom II related patches indicate the main fighter models long used by the Navy. The Phantom Phixer patch is a patch for Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps maintenance units.

Patches on the back

  • VMFA-531 USS Forrestal 72 Med Cruise '73
    → Marine Corps Combat Strike Squadron VMFA-531 commemorates the 1972-73 Mediterranean cruise with Forrestal as the mother ship Patch. It represents the history of joint Navy and Marine Corps operations.

  • Patches of cities and ports of call in various countries (Mallorca, Barcelona, Andorra, etc.)
    → Patches with local symbols were made to commemorate ports of call on carrier deployments at that time. These patches were the "memory of the voyage" as the crews described their deployments in their home countries and throughout the Mediterranean.

  • Deck Warriors / ATKRON / VAW-126 and others
    → A variety of identification patches, such as Air Group, Reconnaissance Group, and Anti-Submarine Force, are lined up, revealing the diverse history of naval aviation, including carrier battle group unit structure and aerial reconnaissance aircraft identification.

Overall value of the patches

Many of these patches are piecework and hand-embroidered/stitched items by the crews of the time, and in many cases were left behind as memorials to individual voyages and missions. They are not mere decoration, but rather a record of their career as fighter pilots and unit actions. There are patches that are not fully explained, but this flight jacket is filled with the history of pilots who survived numerous missions and voyages.

Condition.

  • Ribs: Original ribs on both collar and sleeves have been cut/customized. There are some fraying/damage due to age.

  • Waist Ribs: Both sides are damaged and frayed.

  • Body: Nylon has an aged sheen and feel. Patches have been stitched in and threads have popped out.

  • Patch removal: Several patches have been removed and are blank.
    All of these can be seen as proof of actual use and tell more than just stains and tears.

This MA-1 is not just a piece of old clothing, but a witness to the real history of fighter pilots. Each patch is a record of the U.S. Naval Air Deployment and tells the story of the battles in the skies and the footsteps of the pilots and crews of that time. This is a used item and cannot be returned. Please understand.

Size (flat)
No description (estimated LARGE equivalent)
Shoulder width: 47cm
Body width: 60cm
Length: 57cm
Sleeve length: 54cm

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