| A flight suit is a full body garment, worn while flying a | | | | reduced the effective bombload that could be carried. |
| powered aircraft such as military airplanes and | | | | With the era of jet flight and improved focus on |
| helicopters. These suits are generally made to keep | | | | safety, however, fully fire-retardant materials were |
| the wearer warm, as well as being practical, and | | | | required. It was also simpler to make a one-piece suit |
| durable (including fire retardant). Its appearance is | | | | when it would potentially have to fit over existing |
| usually similar to a jumpsuit. A military flight suit may | | | | clothing or various types of under-garments. |
| also show rank insignia. It is sometimes used as a | | | | Also, with the coming of jet flight came the |
| combat uniform in CQB or VBSS situations, for its | | | | development, in Canada, of the G-suit, a special kind |
| practicality.europe"> sizeAs aviation developed in | | | | of flight suit (worn alone or in combination with a |
| unheated open cockpits, the need for warm clothing | | | | traditional flight suit) that protected the wearer from |
| quickly became apparent, as did the need for multiple | | | | the physical stress of acceleration by compressing |
| pockets with closures of either buttons, snaps, or | | | | the body to keep blood from pooling in the legs. As |
| zippers to prevent loss of articles during maneuvers. | | | | the pilot executed high-G combat maneuvers, his |
| Various types of flight jackets and pants coverings | | | | blood would literally be pulled from his head and shift |
| were developed and, during World War I, leather | | | | downwards into his lower body, starving the brain of |
| two-piece outfits were common among pilots to | | | | oxygen and causing a blackout. The G-suit was |
| ward off the chill caused by propwash and the cold | | | | designed to allow some retention of blood in the |
| of low-oxygen high altitude flying. Leather quickly | | | | pilot's head, allowing him to execute high-G turns for |
| became the preferred material due to its durability | | | | sustained periods of time. |
| and the protection it offered against flying debris | | | | In the 1950s and 1960s even more specialized suits |
| such as insect strikes during climb-outs and landings, | | | | needed to be developed for high-altitude survelliance |
| and oil thrown off by the simple rotary and inline | | | | (such as with the U-2 and SR-71 aircraft) and space |
| motors of the time. | | | | flight. These would include full pressurization, and |
| By the time World War II started in earnest, | | | | would be the precursor to today's space suits. |
| electrically-heated suits were introduced for patrol | | | | The current flightsuit that is standard for most Air |
| and bomber crews who routinely operated at high | | | | Forces is made of Nomex, a fabric made from spun |
| altitudes above 30,000 feet, where air temperatures | | | | aramid that is lightweight and fire resistant. The flame |
| could get so cold that flesh could freeze instantly to | | | | retardant capabilities of this material make it ideal for |
| any metal in which it came in contact. As pressurized | | | | protecting aviators in case of a fire. The suit is often |
| cabins came into operation, the necessity of wearing | | | | green in color, with multiple pockets for specific |
| bulky leather and shearling jackets and pants began | | | | pieces of gear (such as a clear plastic pocket on the |
| to fade. For example, pilots, navigators, and | | | | thigh intended to house a map of the aircraft's |
| bombardiers of a B-17 operating in Europe in 1944 | | | | planned flight path) but color, style, and cut vary |
| would wear their officer's uniforms under an A-2 | | | | greatly from country to country. The current model |
| flight jacket comfortably due to the enclosed and | | | | flight suit for the US military is the CWU 27/P and is |
| heated cabin, but the waist gunners would have to | | | | available in sage green and desert tan. Commercial |
| wear electrically-heated suits as they fired their guns | | | | flight suits for civilian flying are also available, and are |
| through open window gunports. When the | | | | frequently used by helicopter crew (including |
| Superfortress was introduced in the fight against | | | | non-pilots such as flight engineers and nurses), |
| Japan, along with remote-controlled coordinated gun | | | | aerobatic pilots, and others who desire a practical |
| turrets, the fully-pressurized crew cabin made the | | | | "uniform". |
| necessity of bulky flight gear obsolete. | | | | NASA astronauts have worn one-piece flight suits |
| Where bomber pilots could get away with wearing | | | | when in training or on flights in their NASA T-38s. The |
| their dress uniforms as flight gear, fighter pilots | | | | current flight suit worn by astronauts is Royal blue, |
| needed a uniform that functioned in the tight | | | | made of Nomex. The now common "shirt-sleeve" |
| confines of the typical fighter plane cockpit. The | | | | environment of the orbiting Space Shuttle and ISS |
| AN-S-31 flight suit was developed for the US Army | | | | has resulted in much more casual attire during |
| Air Corps and featured two button-down breast | | | | spaceflight such as Shorts and polo shirts. In the |
| pockets and two button-down shin pockets that | | | | pre-Challenger era, shuttle crews wore light blue flight |
| could be accessed from the sitting position. The US | | | | suits and an altitude helmet during launch/reentry. |
| Navy used a slightly different model that featured | | | | Apollo Crews wore white 2-piece beta cloth uniforms |
| slanted pockets with zippers. The material used was | | | | during non-essential activities and the full A7L |
| either wool or tight-weave cotton for wind | | | | pressure suit during Launch, TLI, Lunar Ascent |
| resistance and fire protection. | | | | Decent, and EVAs. Mercury and Gemini crews wore |
| The need for short-duration fire protection was | | | | their pressure suits for the duration of the mission |
| demonstrated early during that war. As technology | | | | with the exception of Gemini 7. |
| advanced, the fire-protective flight suit, helmets, | | | | Pilots and flight crews use several colors of flight suit. |
| goggles, masks, gloves and footwear were designed | | | | NASA crews, for example, wear blue flight suits as a |
| and used. The footwear often could be cut to | | | | sort of functional dress uniform during training. The |
| appear like civilian shoes in the country where the | | | | orange suits that they wear during launch and |
| crew member would land if shot down. | | | | reentry/landing are designed for high visibility should |
| Flak jackets were also developed to give bomber | | | | there be an emergency recovery. White suits are |
| crews some protection from flying shrapnel, though | | | | worn during space walks to control temperature. |
| these increased the overall weight of the airplane and | | | | |