![MA-1 Jacket in petrol](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/MA-1_Jacket_in_petrol.jpg)
The MA-1 bomber jacket (also known as the MA-1 flight jacket) is an American military jacket which was developed in the 1950s.
The MA-1 and its predecessor, the B-15
flight jacket
A flight jacket is a casual jacket that was originally created for pilots and eventually became part of popular culture and apparel. It has evolved into various styles and silhouettes, including the "letterman" jacket and the fashionable "bomber ...
, were originally developed and needed at that time because the characteristics of the new
jet aircraft
A jet aircraft (or simply jet) is an aircraft (nearly always a fixed-wing aircraft) propelled by jet engines.
Whereas the engines in propeller-powered aircraft generally achieve their maximum efficiency at much lower speeds and altitudes, je ...
created new requirements for pilot performance, safety, and comfort.
History
Prior to the invention of jet aircraft, fleece-lined leather jackets were issued to flight personnel. However, the new jets could fly at much higher altitudes and in much colder temperatures than propeller aircraft. If the heavy, bulky leather jackets became wet from rain (when the pilot walked to his aircraft) or from perspiration, the water would freeze at high altitudes, making the jackets cold and uncomfortable. Also, the new jets were more streamlined in design. Cockpits were cramped and filled with new equipment. Speedy, unimpeded ingress and egress from cockpits became even more critical for safety. Rather than bulky leather, a sleek, lightweight yet warm jacket was needed for the new jet technology.
To meet these needs, a new type of flight jacket was developed from the existing B-15 jacket, which was initially produced in cotton, but later produced in the same pattern but in high quality nylon. The B-15 had a wool collar with pile carried over from the earlier B-10 that was found to interfere with straps in practice.
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic.
Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...
had been discovered prior to World War II but it was not used in flight clothing until after the war, possibly because the demand for nylon for items such as parachutes consumed the available supply during the war.
The first MA-1 jackets were issued to United States Air Force and Navy pilots and flight crews. Small numbers were also issued to Army flight personnel. MA-1 jackets first appeared in Europe in very small quantities in the mid-to-late 1950s probably on the black market and at sales of government surplus.
In 1963,
Alpha Industries
Alpha Industries is an American clothing manufacturer founded in 1959 in Knoxville, Tennessee and specialises in American military style and fashion apparel. Alpha makes items such as flight jackets and vests, and has made jackets for the militar ...
won the contract to manufacture the MA-1.
More MA-1 jackets appeared in Europe as Alpha and later Rothco
began to export MA-1 jackets and other military clothing to European Air Forces and commercial customers.
Characteristics
The MA-1 was designed by the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
to serve as an intermediate weight flight jacket for use all year. This was accomplished by manufacturing the MA-1 from very high quality nylon fabrics and polyester interlinings. The lightweight nylon design allowed the pilot to wear the jacket open and be comfortable in warm weather. Upon entering the aircraft, the pilot could zip the jacket closed and be afforded ample protection against the cold conditions encountered in flight.
The MA-1 underwent design modifications during its long history of use but the classic highly functional design has remained basically the same. The original design was contained in United States government military specification "MIL-J-8279." Changes to the jacket were periodically made by the Air Force because of the introduction of new textiles, new sewing techniques or new aircraft cockpit design. The military specification was amended to reflect the changes which was signaled by adding a letter to the Mil. Spec. For example, MA-1 specifications progressed from Mil-J-8279 to J-8279A, then J-8279B, J-8279C, et cetera. The most important revision, Mil-J-8279F, was issued in November 1978. The final revision before being phased out by the United States military is "Mil-J-8279G" and "Mil-J-8279G AMENDMENT-1", introduced in March 1988 and October 1990 respectively. These two final revisions were designated for ground crew only as fire-resistant CWU-36/P and CWU-45/P were issued to aircrew.
The MA-1 was initially produced in midnight blue and sage green. Blue was the original color used by the military, but it was soon replaced by green. During the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
(1950–1953) mixing flight clothing from multiple time periods and colors was not unusual. Presumably, the green was eventually adopted because it blended more easily with the environment should the pilot need camouflage protection on the ground. During the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, there were variant commercial copies of MA-1 in
camouflage pattern which were purchased by American servicemen. Official versions with a
safety orange
Safety orange (also known as blaze orange, vivid orange, OSHA orange, hunter orange, or Caltrans orange) is a hue. Safety orange is used to set objects apart from their surroundings, particularly in complementary contrast to the azure colo ...
interior were
reversible: interior pockets had snaps and could function when flipped to the outside, the front zipper had a large fob allowing zipping from either side. Downed or lost airmen hoping for rescue could reverse the jacket and reveal the bright high-visibility anti-camouflage orange as a locating-aid for their searchers. While no longer issued by the United States military, the MA-1 remains popular among many United States-allied armed forces (e.g. Israel, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Taiwan (ROC) and Thailand).
Civilian use
MA-1 jackets have become fashionable worldwide, especially in the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom. Many American clothing manufacturers, formerly military contractors now produce a variety of colors in addition to the traditional.
Because the MA-1 Jacket not only keeps the wearer warm, but is highly comfortable, the jacket is very popular in Europe and Australia during winter. The jacket is also worn in North America, where it is commonly known as a ''bomber jacket'', especially in areas with cold weather. These jackets became popular in the late 1970s with
punks
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture ...
,
mods and
skinheads
A skinhead is a member of a subculture which originated among working class youths in London, England, in the 1960s and soon spread to other parts of the United Kingdom, with a second working class skinhead movement emerging worldwide in th ...
. During the 1980s the jackets had extensive exposure in style magazines such as
The Face
The face is a part of the body, the front of the head.
Face may also refer to:
Film
* ''The Magician'' (1958 film) or ''The Face''
* ''The Face'' (1996 film), an American television film
* ''Face'' (1997 film), a British crime drama by Antonia ...
and ''
i-D'', often reimagined by clothes designers of the time.
The MA-1 is also in use in several police forces and security agencies where cold weather is a part of everyday life. They were chosen over several other designs primarily for the sturdy construction and the heavy insulation needed in cold temperatures.
See also
*
Blouson
A blouson or blouse jacket is a jacket that is drawn tight at the waist, causing it to blouse out and hang over the waistband. Originating in military uniforms of the mid-20th century, versions continue to be used as part of military and poli ...
*
Letter jacket
In sports or activities in the United States, a letterman is a high school or college student who has met a specified level of participation or performance on a varsity team.
Overview
The term comes from the practice of awarding each such parti ...
*
MA-2 bomber jacket
The MA-2 bomber jacket (also known as the MA-2 flight jacket or CWU-45 flight jacket) is an advanced version derived of the original MA-1 bomber jacket that was originally designed for the American military during the 1950s. ''CWU'' stands for ...
*
Valley Apparel L.L.C.
Valley Apparel L.L.C. is a United States brand of clothing consisting of Flight jackets and Military tactics, military outerwear manufactured in Knoxville, Tennessee for the United States Armed Forces. Founded in 1959 and independent since 2000, ...
, an earlier manufacturer
References
* Cirker, Alan D. THE ALPHA STORY: 50 YEARS OF AN AMERICAN MILITARY CLOTHING COMPANY. Baker Hill Publishing, 2009. 131pp.
* Imai, Kesaharu. SUIT UP!: THE FLIGHT JACKET. World Photo Press (Japan), 1993. 367pp.
* Imai, Kesaharu. FLIGHT JACKET ALL CATALOG. World Photo Press (Japan), 1994. 223pp.
* Maguire, Jon & Conway, John. AMERICAN FLIGHT JACKETS. Schiffer, 1994. 277pp.
* Nelson, Derek & Parsons, Dave. HELL-BENT FOR LEATHER: THE SAGA OF THE A-2 AND G-1 FLIGHT JACKETS. Motorbooks, 1990. 160pp.
* Thompson, Leroy. UNIFORMS OF THE INDO-CHINA AND VIETNAM WARS. Blandford Press, 1984. 160pp.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ma-1 Bomber Jacket
1950s fashion
Jackets
American military uniforms
Aircrew clothing
United States Air Force uniforms
skinhead
category: punk fashion
Military equipment introduced in the 1950s