Flight Suit Questions

[GSXR6Racer]

Ok so here I am getting ready to go to Vance, and I am looking at my flightsuit I am wondering, "How do I iron that thing?" So I investigate AFI 36-2903 and I can't find anything on proper wear, then I do the search on here, and all I find is ROTC kids wearing theirs to class. So my question is how do i iron this thing properly, do I put creases in the arms and legs? or no creases? and is there any easy way of doing that you guys know of? Thanks in advance

[Guest KoolKat]

"How do I iron that thing?"

Don't make me look bad, b*tch! You don't.

[Guest kottlows]

Um, try washing it again. A day of flying in the Oklahoma heat should also do the trick but your bag probably won't smell clean and fresh after that.

-WARHAWK-

[Murph]

To take the wrinkles out put it in the dryer for 10 minutes.

[Jkarl]

FYI...Your not supposed to iron or put them in the dryer, it ruins the fire rating on it.

[Ram]

Originally posted by Jkarl:

FYI...Your not supposed to iron or put them in the dryer, it ruins the fire rating on it.

You can machine wash and dry it, just don't use any fabric softener.

[Toro]

Originally posted by Jkarl:

FYI...Your not supposed to iron or put them in the dryer, it ruins the fire rating on it.

Yeah, my wife told me that after I had been throwing them in the dryer for several years.

Toro - "Where'd you hear that load of crap from?"

Mrs Toro - "It's on the laundering instructions on the tag."

Toro - "These things have laundering instructions?"

According to the instructions you can actually throw them in the dryer, just on low heat - doesn't have anything to do with the fire rating. They say not to use bleach, starch, and fabric softener because it will deteriorate the flame resistance. They also say not to iron it because then you are a tool.

[Guest medik6]

ready to go

Coming from a wife, you need to wash it inside out and zipped up to keep the fuzzies off and then you should hang it up to dry. Not because you are suppose to but because it keeps it looking nice longer. If there are a lot of wrinkles you need to get out spray them with a spray bottle until they are a little damp and then throw it in the dryer for 10-15 min and your wrinkles will be gone.

[Guest hockeymv]

Yeah.. once the fuzzies show up, take your Mach 3 to them. Helps some. Plus, the mere idea of 'shaving a flight suit' is funny, but it does make your flight suit look less like an old dish towel...

[Ram]

Originally posted by hockeymv:

Yeah.. once the fuzzies show up, take your Mach 3 to them. Helps some. Plus, the mere idea of 'shaving a flight suit' is funny, but it does make your flight suit look less like an old dish towel...

The "combat fix" for the fuzzies is to take the velcro backing of your nametag and running it along the surface of the fabric. The velcro picks up the fuzz boogers.

[ViperStud]

If you get to the point that you need to whip out the Mach 3 to keep it looking good, the f*&3^ing thing is done. Go to your CC and get three more issued. Nobody said the things were supposed to last forever.

Mine were once split no kidding from my taint to the small of my back during tweets, and I found it out in the flight room. One of my bros was like "hey dude wtfo?" I felt around back and it was split wide open, and I was briefing in 20. I grabbed the scheduler's stapler and headed to the handi-crapper down the hall. About 69 staples later the seam was kinda together and I briefed, flew, debriefed and went home with only 1 or two noticing. Flexibility is the key to air power or something. Guess if I had ironed it more it would have held up better. Seriously though we don't iron helmets but AFI 36-2903 says to put them through a bowling bowl polisher every 100 flight hours.

[Guest kottlows]

One the subject of bags, is there any cure for a flight suite that like to show it's zippers, STS? It seems like they were designed to have the material cover the zipper (keep flames off it?) so I imagine a flight suite with the zipper exposed down the front isn't that safe. Should I just take it back to supply and get a new one?

-WARHAWK-

[Guest FCI]

Originally posted by Warhawk:

One the subject of bags, is there any cure for a flight suite that like to show it's zippers, STS?

Zip the flight suit all the way up and then iron the freak out of it. Worked on all of my bags before we had an ORI.

[Mark1]

When I showed up to training about 6 months ago they issued flight suits and I picked out a 42L. It didn't really fit but it was the best I could do. I'm 6'3'' and 180lbs with [apparently] abnormally long legs and the suit is too short. Its uncomfortable to walk around in, plus my shins are horribly exposed to the hazards of in flight fires!! If I lose my shins I don't want to go on living.

Will the AF issue or pay for custom fitted flight suits if necessary (I doubt they would consider it a necessity in my case, but it can't hurt to try). If not, any place I could get some? I can't be the only one with this problem.

[B-O-double-Z]

There are plenty of pilots who are 6'3" or over. You just need to get a bigger flight suit.

Try a 44L or 46L. The extra width will allow it to drape off your shoulders a bit and result in some extra length in the process. You'll look fine in a flight suit that's a little too big.

Nothing looks worse than a guy wearing a flight suit that's too small or tight. Even if you are a fat-ass, you can generally get a bigger flight suit and won't look like such an embarrassment.

[Guest lakefisher]

call some local tailors, and see if they will alter it. for starters, the folks who sew on patches alter shirts should know where to send you if they can't do it. make sure it's done "real nice", so you won't catch flak over it.

if it's a comfort issue, good luck getting the AF to alter the flightsuit(s). but if it makes it hard for you to run, they might do it. also might be worth mentioning the as-issued do not protect you like they should (exposed shins).

back in the day......... getting OTS uniform issue, Lackland altered my overcoat to make the sleeves a bit longer. A few years later, for some reason the AF did not have size 13 summer flying boots, so I was measured for some custom boots. a month later they arrived, with my name written in ink on the inside. :D

[ 02. January 2006, 07:53: Message edited by: lakefisher ]

[Mark1]

Just request a bigger size. They make others

Some things go over my head, like Batmans phone number, but I'm aware of the fact that there are different size flight suits. I didn't pick out a 44 or 46 because I'm already swimming in a 42. When I said lanky I meant it.

I'll try the bigger size next time though and suffer with that and then decide which way I prefer it. I'll look into alterations and custom suits also. Thanks for the advice.

Now I'm sitting here wondering if I should call this number just to find out what it is, but I'm too scared.

[Guest miznitch]

Just get a bigger suit- I am the exact same size as you- 6'3" and 180 pounds. I got a 46L and had the torso, sleeves and legs taken in. The length was fine, but it looked like I was wearing a curtain! The seamstress can make everything so it is not so loose on you. It should run you about $25-$30 a suit, but it is well worth the money to have something that fits comfortably.

[Guest SkoolBusVMI04]

I'm a guard dude, recently activated to fly down range. I put my request for my desert gear in months ago and received everything...except a flightsuit. The follow-up visit to the friendly folks at our supply shop left me dumb founded. They tell me that my flightsuit is on the way, but not to expect it until June. Like 7 months from now, June. They're not being much help, so it appears I need to take matters into my own hands to make sure I'm ready to go. I'd borrow one, but all my bros at the unit are flying the same thing, so I'm outta luck as far as that goes. Any suggestions of where I might be able to get one?

[brabus]

Can't your commander tell them to get their shit together and issue you the stuff you NEED for deployment? I know a lot in the AF doesn't make sense, but how the hell can they deny you something so basic as a flightsuit that you must have to do your mission. It seems a "nice" word from an O-5+ could change that wait time.

[Guest Robes]

Have the supply folks talk to another nearby base.

[sputnik]

I think proper gear is on one of the pre-deployment checklists, if it ain't signed that's a fair amount of egg on your face to your unit when they can't give you orders.

If nothing else, just deploy with green bags. The first time you show up to fly it will embarrass the living fvck out of everyone and they'll square you away. Been a long time since I robbed a downrange supply shop, but typically they had five million of everything, not that you want to wait but should be able to get it pretty quickly after you get down there. Not to mention the downrange CC's asking your CC wtfo when you tell them your unit was unable to provide you with deserts.

By the way, I would never sell anything like that on ebay. But if you had some ripped, stained desert flight suits, you'd be amazed what people will pay for them.

[Mambo]

Don't forget to bring a copy of whatever paperwork from home station supply that says the flight suits are on back order. Depending on where you are going and what the supply situation is, you should be able to get a request letter from your deployed CC to get your stuff once you get there.

[Guest Johann]

Don't feel bad, my Reserve C-5 sqdn wore green bags during the entirety of OIF. We didn't get desert bags until we converted to C-17s.

FWIW, just wear your green bags to the sandbox. If nothing else, you can be different than everyone else and they'll probably think you're

a Reservist.

Now that I think of it, just tell them you are a Reservist and that your sqdn doesn't have any money for desert bags.

[JarheadBoom]

THREAD RESURRECTION

I was discussing flightsuits with someone earlier today (it was a BORING day...) and the 1-piece/2-piece issue came up. I didn't have an explanation beyond "The 2-piece is not compatible with ejection seats" to explain why we don't wear 2-piece flightsuits.

So my question is...

What makes a 2-piece flightsuit incompatible with an ejection seat? Is it as simple as the wind blast after punching, or something else entirely?