Leather Flight Jacket

[08Dawg]

19 hours ago, attakmint said:

You got to pick?  We passed our sizes along to that one civilian who runs the squadron and she ordered them for us...

Sounds like Pops is the winner.  Glad to be rid of that terrible pleather smell too.

The first one, no.  The second one I got a letter from my RA and went to base supply and chose it myself. 

[viper154]

I was looking at the Pops, as a AFSOC guy rocking OCPs most the time I found a guy on eBay that is selling the Cockpit USA jackets they were issuing before these new red ish shit things they have now. Has all the gov tags and such. I think it was $200, been wearing it all winter on TDY, I have had no issues. The Pops jackets are much nicer but I didn't want to spend $400 for something I wear a couple times a year. 

[herkbum]

Speaking of Pops , what is the current status of The Alley and getting to Pops' store? The store was awesome and had plenty of leather goods. Also bought one of their leather barn jackets.


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[Fuzz]

47 minutes ago, herkbum said:

Speaking of Pops , what is the current status of The Alley and getting to Pops' store? The store was awesome and had plenty of leather goods. Also bought one of their leather barn jackets.


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Last I heard, no one is allowed off base so Pops opened a store on base. Can't have any of their knock off stuff on base though.

[Goblin]

Last I heard, no one is allowed off base so Pops opened a store on base. Can't have any of their knock off stuff on base though.

The on base store is legit. Plenty of jackets and other items.

[the g-man]

Last I heard, no one is allowed off base so Pops opened a store on base. Can't have any of their knock off stuff on base though.

Fact. Store is shared with the rug guy and a couple other alley vendors in a space right next to the commissary.

Also of note, there is a new joint that is best described as Turkish Chipotle right next to the base gate. Called Iza grill, highly recommended.


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[baileynme]

Fact. Store is shared with the rug guy and a couple other alley vendors in a space right next to the commissary.

Also of note, there is a new joint that is best described as Turkish Chipotle right next to the base gate. Called Iza grill, highly recommended.


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Attached restaurant is good as well but I digress. Pop's on base is awesome, he'll still custom make jackets including pin up girls or whatever logo you can email him. Highly recommended.


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[Swizzle]

See Safak at Pop's. I've been a customer since 1988 and still have the custom jacket he made me in great condition. PM him through the website for better results and shipping stateside. 

[polcat]

What have you guys done or plan to do with your jackets once out of the Air Force? Donate, sell, keep and wear it?

[HuggyU2]

Good question.  Hmmm...

I got mine years ago... sent it to Turkey with an MC-130 friend, who got the usual mods done... and have never worn it one day the entire time I've had it.  

I'll keep it, though.  Maybe I'll get a custom paint job on the back, and start wearing it when I fly WWII taildraggers.  

[Motofalcon]

I've got a nice Dark Horse leather jacket, but since I probably won't wear it anymore after I get out, I was thinking I would go full Navy-style and take all my different patches from all my flying tours (all my old nametags, wing/sq/deployment/tdy patches, airframe, flying hours, etc) and put them all over it, so that jacket shows my entire flying career. I figure it's a better way than a shadow container to keep/show off the stuff that really matters to me. And you never know, maybe when I'm old and crusty I'll wear it to airshows or hobbling around the BX mall with my retiree hat...

[Mike Honcho]

Coolest thing I've seen was a dude give his to his son on retirement.  His wife and daughter got the standard flowers and gifts. He said "I don't have flowers for you. But I do have this."  Assuming kids are part of the equation of course. 

[polcat]

All great ideas.

[TreeA10]

Order a leather nametag with just a set of wings. Remove the Command patch and put your favorite squadron patch on. Wear. Leaving it hanging in the closet seemed like such a waste. 

[FlyinGrunt]

I was thinking of doing that, but instead adding velcro on the sleeves to basically do the same config as a green bag.  Along with my fur collar and such.

[Stitch]

On 11/10/2017 at 9:40 AM, TreeA10 said:

Order a leather nametag with just a set of wings. Remove the Command patch and put your favorite squadron patch on. Wear. Leaving it hanging in the closet seemed like such a waste. 

Wear it to pancake fly-in's, OSH and such in post mil GA life flying RVs, -172s, etc

[Whitman]

Just surprised my dad with a FedEx leather jacket handmade at Pop's Leather (on base store) in Turkey.  Extremely high quality and he is very happy.  Went with the built in holster option and the lamb wool liner. 

https://www.popsleather.com/prod_v2.php3?prod=192

 

[HerkStud]

Anybody know the current status of pops leather? Website link doesn’t work. Does anyone have a recommendation where to get a leather flight jacket modified these days? Thanks

[M2]

35 minutes ago, HerkStud said:

Anybody know the current status of pops leather? Website link doesn’t work. Does anyone have a recommendation where to get a leather flight jacket modified these days? Thanks

Call 'em!  +90 322 346 50 11

For what it's worth, Google says they're still open!



I was last at Incirlik in 2015, and there was no going off base; but Pops had a shop on base between the BX and Commissary!

[Swizzle]

1 hour ago, HerkStud said:

Anybody know the current status of pops leather? Website link doesn’t work. Does anyone have a recommendation where to get a leather flight jacket modified these days? Thanks

poptr@popsleather.com

Safak can help you out with your custom leather needs. His father custom made me a jacket in 1989, then in 2012 Safak made me a new, from scratch A2 with three different zipout liners. Still have both.

He made me an awesome shotgun case too as well as shoulder holsters (CCW and over jacket) Send him all the dimensions, pictures, materials preference, colors, and custom pockets, etc...and you'll be amazed with what comes back.

 

 

[ItnStln]

On 12/16/2021 at 10:57 PM, HerkStud said:

Anybody know the current status of pops leather? Website link doesn’t work. Does anyone have a recommendation where to get a leather flight jacket modified these days? Thanks

The website has been down for a while so I am wondering that as well.

[HerkStud]

On 12/17/2021 at 12:15 AM, Swizzle said:

poptr@popsleather.com

Safak can help you out with your custom leather needs. His father custom made me a jacket in 1989, then in 2012 Safak made me a new, from scratch A2 with three different zipout liners. Still have both.

He made me an awesome shotgun case too as well as shoulder holsters (CCW and over jacket) Send him all the dimensions, pictures, materials preference, colors, and custom pockets, etc...and you'll be amazed with what comes back.

 

 

Thanks, I sent an email last week but no response yet. 

[ItnStln]

On 12/20/2021 at 2:35 PM, HerkStud said:

Thanks, I sent an email last week but no response yet. 

Did you ever get a response?

[PCHFlyer]

On 11/9/2017 at 4:07 PM, polcat said:

What have you guys done or plan to do with your jackets once out of the Air Force? Donate, sell, keep and wear it?

I have the early 90's Orchard issue A-2. Like an earlier poster, I passed on the original tan "vinyl-y" first vendor.  I was able to pick mine off the rack at supply, and found one with a rich dark brown leather (there was a lot of color variation). I had the usual mods done by Pop's at Incirlik. It was unwearable without those mods, IMO especially the side-entry pockets. Then, it sat in my closet for almost 30 years until.. now. I never liked the "Top Gun wannabe" look of wearing an issue jacket in public, but I took the velcro completely off, and now it looks better without, having aged a bit. I'm going to work on the shape with a little careful wetting and heat gun to relax the button-down look of the collar, but I've been wearing it a lot recently, although on CA the jacket season is short.

[8Cylinders]

Thread revival:

I'm my unit's RA and trying to find a way to purchase Pop's jackets for our folks, problem is regs have changed and I'm having trouble with the GPC office being okay with buying them to begin with. Looking for some help from folks on here. I took a look at the 36-2903 and it now says "A6.5.2. Leather A-2 Flying Jacket. The Leather A-2 Flying Jacket is authorized for ground wear only unless prohibited by MAJCOM supplement." which was new to me, I was under the impression we could wear them flying, but I also never went out of my way for answers. The GPC office would be cool with it if we could justify it under reporting instructions, so far only CENTCOM specifies that it must be the MASSIF jacket. The GPC office wants to help me, but they want some form of reg that can justify buying A-2s for wear, and it's getting hard because so far it seems like they're really just for wear on the ground which is something the GPC can't authorize. I was thinking maybe using PACAF's reporting instructions since we do exercises out that ways.

I'm open to ideas.