Wearing a G-1 flight jacket off base?

What are the current regulations in regard to this? A friend of mine
in Chicago said while he was at lunch the other day he saw a Navy
officer in uniform and his G-1 at a fast food joint. He was suprised
to the see the flight jacket, because he was under the impression they
weren't allowed to be worn off base. I figure since the guy was in
uniform and the G-1 doesn't really get used in the air much anymore,
that it was fine to be wearing it.

Thanks,

~Michael

On 10/16/03 4:38 PM, in article
, "Michael"
wrote:

What are the current regulations in regard to this? A friend of mine
in Chicago said while he was at lunch the other day he saw a Navy
officer in uniform and his G-1 at a fast food joint. He was suprised
to the see the flight jacket, because he was under the impression they
weren't allowed to be worn off base. I figure since the guy was in
uniform and the G-1 doesn't really get used in the air much anymore,
that it was fine to be wearing it.

Thanks,

~Michael

There are more important things to worry about but...

My understanding of the current regulations is:

Leather jackets may be worn either with khakis or with a flight suit on or
off base.

The green flight jacket may be worn only with the flight suit or with the
"working khakis" and then only on base.

Of course, I don't get spun up about it since I believe that pilots should
dress like pilots and a flight suit in town (jacket or no) expresses a
positive image to the public.

--Woody

Woody,

You almost got it right. Leather jackets can be worn any where in khakis or
flight suit.

Nomex (green) jacket can only be worn on flight line. You can wear it coming
on base, or leaving base but can only be "seen" in it on the flight line and
the O'club. (Or entering and leaving quarters to or from the flightline.)

There is some leeway made for transient pilots with downed aircraft.

I honestly had a black shoe Chief quote me the regs in an on base Navy
Exchange while waiting on repairs (went and had lunch). I told him "this is
what I arrived in, I wasn't sitting in 40 deg weather for hours in the
transient shack and if he would like, he could accompany me to the Base CO
and discuss it."

Backed down and said, "I guess they allow that, Capt" and walked off.

JD



"Doug "Woody" and Erin Beal" wrote in message
...
On 10/16/03 4:38 PM, in article
, "Michael"
wrote:

What are the current regulations in regard to this? A friend of mine
in Chicago said while he was at lunch the other day he saw a Navy
officer in uniform and his G-1 at a fast food joint. He was suprised
to the see the flight jacket, because he was under the impression they
weren't allowed to be worn off base. I figure since the guy was in
uniform and the G-1 doesn't really get used in the air much anymore,
that it was fine to be wearing it.

Thanks,

~Michael

There are more important things to worry about but...

My understanding of the current regulations is:

Leather jackets may be worn either with khakis or with a flight suit on or
off base.

The green flight jacket may be worn only with the flight suit or with the
"working khakis" and then only on base.

Of course, I don't get spun up about it since I believe that pilots should
dress like pilots and a flight suit in town (jacket or no) expresses a
positive image to the public.

--Woody

Nomex (green) jacket can only be worn on flight line. You can wear it
coming
on base, or leaving base but can only be "seen" in it on the flight line
and
the O'club. (Or entering and leaving quarters to or from the flightline.)

That may be written down somewhere, but I never had a problem wearing the
nomex jacket ANYWHERE on base in my entire career ... going back over thirty
years. That includes the infamous era at Miramar when Field Day Fellows
would post squadron XO's at the main gate to bust anyone wearing their
flight jacket in their car.

These days I wear one anywhere I please.

R / John

"Jake Donovan" wrote in message news:%OKjb.80113$AH4.25335@lakeread06...
Woody,

You almost got it right. Leather jackets can be worn any where in khakis or
flight suit.

Nomex (green) jacket can only be worn on flight line. You can wear it coming
on base, or leaving base but can only be "seen" in it on the flight line and
the O'club. (Or entering and leaving quarters to or from the flightline.)

There is some leeway made for transient pilots with downed aircraft.

I honestly had a black shoe Chief quote me the regs in an on base Navy
Exchange while waiting on repairs (went and had lunch). I told him "this is
what I arrived in, I wasn't sitting in 40 deg weather for hours in the
transient shack and if he would like, he could accompany me to the Base CO
and discuss it."

Backed down and said, "I guess they allow that, Capt" and walked off.

JD

Thanks for the answer JD.

And Woody, this wasn't something I was "worried" about, just something
I wondered about. I've got zero problem with a flyer wearing his G-1
off base, rules permitting or not.

Thanks,

~Michael



"Doug "Woody" and Erin Beal" wrote in message
...
On 10/16/03 4:38 PM, in article
, "Michael"
wrote:

What are the current regulations in regard to this? A friend of mine
in Chicago said while he was at lunch the other day he saw a Navy
officer in uniform and his G-1 at a fast food joint. He was suprised
to the see the flight jacket, because he was under the impression they
weren't allowed to be worn off base. I figure since the guy was in
uniform and the G-1 doesn't really get used in the air much anymore,
that it was fine to be wearing it.

Thanks,

~Michael

There are more important things to worry about but...

My understanding of the current regulations is:

Leather jackets may be worn either with khakis or with a flight suit on or
off base.

The green flight jacket may be worn only with the flight suit or with the
"working khakis" and then only on base.

Of course, I don't get spun up about it since I believe that pilots should
dress like pilots and a flight suit in town (jacket or no) expresses a
positive image to the public.

--Woody

John,

This has happened in the last 2 or 3 years.

I think it was part of the give and take that allowed us to wear flightsuits
anywhere. Something had to give. Just a guess as most of it never made
sense to me.

JD

(I like the one that allows black shoes to wear brown shoes because the
women complained so much that black shoes didn't go with their khakis.
(PLEASE NOTE - that reason is only rumor. What a world!)


"John Carrier" wrote in message
...
Nomex (green) jacket can only be worn on flight line. You can wear it
coming
on base, or leaving base but can only be "seen" in it on the flight line
and
the O'club. (Or entering and leaving quarters to or from the
flightline.)

That may be written down somewhere, but I never had a problem wearing the
nomex jacket ANYWHERE on base in my entire career ... going back over
thirty
years. That includes the infamous era at Miramar when Field Day Fellows
would post squadron XO's at the main gate to bust anyone wearing their
flight jacket in their car.

These days I wear one anywhere I please.

R / John

On 10/17/03 8:36 AM, in article
, "Michael"
wrote:


Thanks for the answer JD.

And Woody, this wasn't something I was "worried" about, just something
I wondered about. I've got zero problem with a flyer wearing his G-1
off base, rules permitting or not.

Thanks,

~Michael

"Doug "Woody" and Erin Beal" wrote in message
...
On 10/16/03 4:38 PM, in article
, "Michael"
wrote:

What are the current regulations in regard to this? A friend of mine
in Chicago said while he was at lunch the other day he saw a Navy
officer in uniform and his G-1 at a fast food joint. He was suprised
to the see the flight jacket, because he was under the impression they
weren't allowed to be worn off base. I figure since the guy was in
uniform and the G-1 doesn't really get used in the air much anymore,
that it was fine to be wearing it.

Thanks,

~Michael

There are more important things to worry about but...

My understanding of the current regulations is:

Leather jackets may be worn either with khakis or with a flight suit on or
off base.

The green flight jacket may be worn only with the flight suit or with the
"working khakis" and then only on base.

Of course, I don't get spun up about it since I believe that pilots should
dress like pilots and a flight suit in town (jacket or no) expresses a
positive image to the public.

--Woody


The "worried about" comment wasn't meant to be pointed directly at you,
Michael. In 17 years of doing this stuff, I'm a bit frustrated at the folks
who *do* make a big deal of it (for various reasons). I can understand your
curiosity factor... Which is why I made the attempt at answering the
question instead of ending the post after the top line.

But since my nerve has been inadvertently touched, allow me a small rant...

The black shoe Navy (and some senior Flag aviators who have forgotten what
it was like to be a JO) have gone a two different ways with flight clothing.

(a) In the past, hold the aviators down by banning them from wearing the
flight suit/jackets anywhere off base. Mighty frustrating having to change
out of the flight suit to get gas while USAF dudes were having lunch at
Burger King in theirs... Thank goodness those days are over.

(b) Currently, they have proliferated it and made it something less
"special" or unique to aviation. Not that I wear khakis very often, but
when I do, I am proud to be a "brown shoe." Nowadays, the black shoes have
the option of wearing brown shoes too (though honestly most don't for the
same reason I don't wear the black ones) BUT many of them opt for the green
Nomex flight jacket (which used to be an "aviators only item) instead of the
(standard) khaki jacket.

It's all part of the blending and melding that's so prevalent in the
military today. Rant over. I feel better.

--Woody

On 10/17/03 1:52 PM, in article ,
"Ogden Johnson III" wrote:

"Doug \"Woody\" and Erin Beal" wrote:

Of course, I don't get spun up about it since I believe that pilots should
dress like pilots and a flight suit in town (jacket or no) expresses a
positive image to the public.

Maybe the flight suits of the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds. I know
the flight suits worn by any number of the pilots in the squadrons I
served in would express anything *but* a "positive image to the
public", were they to be seen in them off-base.

OJ III
[Maj Foo, my OpsO, to Maj Bar, a Wing pogue assigned to fly with us to
maintain currency, "'Slick', when are you gonna survey that flight
suit? I'm ashamed to be seen on the flight line walking out to the
aircraft with you. The plane captains don't want you /sitting/ in
their aircraft, much less flying them. Maintenance Control wants me
to bring the book to you to sign the bird out and in, so you won't
have to enter their shack. ... ... ..."]

Strictly referring to the uniform itself (or organizational clothing for you
purists): When I go to the grocery store in my flight suit, I am
immediately recognized as a pilot by the public. Since 9/11, OEF, and OIF,
it expresses a positive image to the public because they know it's my
business clothes.

If you're referring to the overall condition of the garment, that's a matter
of personal responsibility and command leadership (i.e., the XO needs to
pound a few heads and rattle the supply folks).

If it's good enough to get shot at in, it's good enough to wear to
McDonalds.

--Woody

"I know
the flight suits worn by any number of the pilots in the squadrons I
served in would express anything *but* a "positive image to the
public", were they to be seen in them off-base.

Ah, but you never saw me in my tailored Orange suit with racing stripes.
And then there was the Lehman's Navy Blue suit with "Trust me, I know what
I'm doing" embroidered on the back.

R / John

On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 19:17:19 GMT, "Doug \"Woody\" and Erin Beal"
wrote:

Strictly referring to the uniform itself (or organizational clothing for you
purists): When I go to the grocery store in my flight suit, I am
immediately recognized as a pilot by the public. Since 9/11, OEF, and OIF,
it expresses a positive image to the public because they know it's my
business clothes.

Not that it was a uniform for me, being NASA, but it was my business
clothes at times, too. I did notice people noticing, if you know what
I mean.

I've always wondered what the good folks of Buffalo thought when they
saw our heterogenous group, with USAF, NYANG, NASA, and (at the time)
Calspan name tags and patches on our flight suits and jackets. All of
us were in the standard G.I. green bags, mostly with green jackets,
because that's what we were issued. We spent a fair amount of time
"in public", in restaurants, etc, too.

The only way to tell who was a pilot and who wasn't, beyond general
appearance, was to inspect name tags for wings, come to think of it.
After all, I'm only half an inch too short for military aviation.

Mary

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer