This is my Grandpa's flight suit from when he was in the Air Force. He was very active in his work, so he moved around every year or so. Even my Dad was born in Japan due to his job. My grandpa served during the vietnam war. He named his Plane, a F-4D model made by McDonnell Douglas, after his daughter, or my Aunt, Allison, who was born while he was in vietnam. I asked my grandpa about his experiences as a pilot, and he said that the flight suit was the main uniform for a casual day and that they would wear a regular uniform for "Formal ceremonies or less tedious work such as desk work." The flight suit in the picture was made to protect normal clothes from getting dirty. Eventually, the flight suits became composed of "Nomex". This was a very hardy material that protected the user from a fire that could arise in the cockpit of the plane. The color of the suit depended on the area you were flying in. they did this so you could match your environment in case you had to bail from your plane and hide. Since my Grandpa worked in Vietnam, his suit was green, but now most suits are sand-colored to fit the Middle-Eastern Terrain. He was lucky enough to had not been shut down. His plane did have a few bullets in it occasionally and once his wing caught on fire, but he landed in Thailand safely. if he did not land safely, my dad would have not been born and i would not be doing this Project, so thanks pops!

– Andrew Cooper

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