A-2 Leather Flight Jacket

A-2 Leather Flight Jacket / Bomber Jacket

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The A-2 Leather Flight Jacket was standardized as a replacement for a previous model, A-1 by the US Army Air Corps. It is also referred to as a "Bomber Jacket".

Throughout the war, only airmen could obtain the A-2 through regular channels. However, the popularity of the A-2 Leather Flight Jacket had grown to the extent that private manufacturers were making and selling them as close to the original specifications as feasible. This enabled other armed forces personnel, who were otherwise not eligible to obtain them through official channels, to possess them. 

The Army decided to stop purchasing leather jackets in 1943 and replaced them with cloth ones. This only increased the popularity of the A-2 Leather Flight Jacket and made it that much more of an icon.

Even today, an original war time issued A-2 Leather Flight Jacket can be seen on several auction sites going for between $800 to $5000. An original jacket in wearable condition will usually go for over $1000.

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Original Specifications

The A-2 Leather Flight Jacket had several distinguishing characteristics: 

1. A snap-flap patch pocket on either side that does not have hand warmer compartments.
2. A shirt-style snap-down collar.
3. Shoulder straps.
4. Knit cuffs and waistband.
5. A back constructed from a single piece of leather to limit stress on the garment.
6. A lightweight silk or cotton inner lining with a leather hang strap (not a loop) and military spec tag attached just below the back collar.

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Appearance in the media

The A-2 Leather Flight Jacket never went out of style, and thus the demand for it never faded. To meet this demand, production of the jacket never really ceased. Its appearance in movies and Television shows have only helped improve its popularity and keeping it alive as a fashion icon. It has however, moved away from the original war-era specifications in varying degrees, depending on the manufacturer.

A-2 jackets came to represent the American armed forces man. Iconic actors like Gregory Peck and John Wayne were seen in some of their best remembered roles on-screen wearing A-2s.

The A-2 also took on the avatar of a motorcycle jacket by the 1950s. Henry Winkler ("Fonzie" on the TV show Happy Days) constantly wore a variation of the A-2 jacket in the show.
World War II films such as The Great Escape and Patton also featured the A-2 extensively.
Bob Crane's character of Colonel Hogan in the popular TV series Hogan's Heroes was also dressed in his A-2 in every episode of the show. 

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Recreating the A-2 for the general population

Several private manufacturers catering to purists undertook the job of designing and constructing highly authentic reproductions that were as close to the original war era A-2 Leather Flight Jacket as possible.

This was done by painstakingly duplicating wartime patterns from dissected originals, using correct hides, all-cotton thread, and even actual the World War II-era-old stock Talon zippers. 

The more closely a jacket is made as per the original war time specifications, the more expensive it usually turns out to be. The jackets that meet most of the specifications usually cost $800 or more. 

Some of the major ways the A-2 Leather Flight Jacket has been modified are:

1. Over-sized shoulders and sleeves intended for layered loose clothing underneath, 
2. Non-specification hand and pen pockets - remember that the original only had patch pockets.
3. Softer materials like lambskin. 

Reference: Wikipedia

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