Bomber and Flight Jackets
What Is a Flight Jacket? Features and Origins
A flight jacket is a short, warm jacket first made for pilots. See its core features, how materials changed and how it differs from a bomber jacket.
A flight jacket is a short, warm jacket first made for military pilots that later became everyday wear. The classic features are a snug waistband and cuffs, a zip front and a collar built to block wind. Many people use "flight jacket" and "bomber jacket" for the same thing, though some sources draw a line between them.
This page is part of our bomber and flight jackets guide.
Key takeaways- Flight jackets were made to keep pilots warm in open or unheated cockpits.- Early models were leather, the warmest were sheepskin, and post-war jets brought nylon.- Knit cuffs and waistband, a zip front and a wind-blocking collar are the core features.- Whether a bomber is the same as a flight jacket depends on which source you read.
Flight jacket meaning in one paragraph
A flight jacket is a casual jacket that started as pilot clothing and then moved into popular culture. Over time it grew into several styles, including the letterman jacket and the fashion bomber.
You will also see it called a bomber jacket or an aviator jacket. One well-known model, the MA-1, is sold under both the "bomber" and "flight jacket" names.
What a flight jacket was used for
It was used to keep aircrew warm. Most World War I airplanes had no enclosed cockpit, so pilots sat in the open wind.
In September 1917 the U.S. Army set up an Aviation Clothing Board and began issuing heavy leather flight jackets. By World War II, some heavy bombing raids flew at 25,000 ft (7,600 m) or higher, where the air could reach −58 °F (−50 °C), and the cabins had no insulation.
Jets changed the job again. A leather jacket soaked by rain or sweat could freeze at jet altitudes, and cramped jet cockpits needed a slimmer, lighter jacket. The full timeline sits on our history of the flight jacket page.
The features that make it a flight jacket
Most classic flight jackets share a short list of parts. Use it as a checklist when you shop.
The A-2 record is held by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, which describes a seal brown horsehide jacket with a brass zipper.
| Feature | Where it shows up | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Waist-length cut | A-2 in the Smithsonian collection | – |
| Snug knit cuffs and waistband | Early Army jackets; A-2 brown knit wool cuffs and waistband | – |
| Zip front | A-2 replaced the A-1's buttons with a zipper | – |
| High collar | Early Army jackets had high wraparound collars and wind flaps | – |
| Flap pockets | A-2: two front flap pockets with hidden snaps | – |
| Shoulder straps | A-2: stitched-down shoulder straps | – |
| Sleeve pocket | MA-1: zipped pen-holder pocket on the left sleeve | – |
Leather, sheepskin or nylon: how materials changed
Each classic model is tied to one main material. The table sums them up.
Sources give different start dates for the MA-1. Wikipedia says it was developed in the 1950s, while Heddels says it reached cockpits around 1949 or 1950.
For each model in more depth, see types of bomber jackets.
| Model | Main material | Dates in our sources | Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-2 | Horsehide, then cowhide (1940) and goatskin (1941) | Adopted 1931 | – |
| Navy G-1 | Goatskin with a mouton collar | Specification from 1940 | – |
| B-3 | Sheepskin (shearling) | Not dated in our sources | – |
| MA-1 | Nylon with polyester interlining | See note below | – |
| CWU-45P / CWU-36P | Nomex | Current U.S. military issue | – |
Flight jacket vs bomber jacket
Sources split on this. Frank And Oak says the two look alike but are not the same jacket. Wikipedia treats the bomber as a style that grew out of the flight jacket and uses both names for the MA-1.
In current fashion use, "bomber" usually means a waist-length jacket with ribbed cuffs and waistband, a front zip and a flat collar, often in nylon. Our page on what a bomber jacket is covers the bomber side in full.
Who wears flight jackets today
Military aviators still do: the Navy's G-1 has been issued from its 1940 start to today. The current U.S. military jackets are the CWU-45P for colder weather and the CWU-36P for warmer weather.
The A-2's status is less clear. The Smithsonian record says the Air Force still issues it, while Wikipedia says its specification was cancelled in 1951.
Off base, flight jackets were taken up by scooterboys and skinheads, then hip-hop fans in the early 2000s, and came back in 2010s street fashion. Top Gun also gave G-1 sales a boost. If you plan to wear one, read how to wear a bomber jacket.
Getting a flight-style jacket made
If stock sizes do not fit you, a made-to-measure jacket is one route. Leather Collection custom leather jackets are hand-stitched to your measurements, and "flight and bomber styles" are one of the listed options. The leather choices on that page are kangaroo, sheepskin and goatskin.
Related guides
- For the buying decision between the two names, read bomber jacket vs flight jacket.
FAQ
What is another name for a flight jacket?
Bomber jacket and aviator jacket are the common alternatives. The MA-1, for example, is called both a bomber and a flight jacket.
Is an aviator jacket good for winter?
It depends on the type. Sheepskin flight jackets such as the B-3 are counted among the warmest. The nylon MA-1 is an intermediate-weight jacket meant for year-round use.
When were flight jackets popular?
They were standard military kit from World War I onward. As fashion they peaked with several groups: scooterboys and skinheads, early-2000s hip-hop, and 2010s street style.
leatheride Editorial Team
leatheride articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.