Levi’s Men’s Faux Leather Aviator Bomber Jacket: It’s warm and features multiple pockets with snap closures, upper zipper pockets, welt pockets, and a hidden interior pocket.

Oakley SI Jupiter Squared Aviator Sunglasses for Men: The lenses provide optical clarity and razor-sharp vision as well as clarity and protection against impact and UV light.

SOJOS Retro Aviator Sunglasses for Women: The lenses filter out sunlight reflected glare and protect eyes from long term damage by blocking UVA and UVB rays.

Four-Channel Remote Control Airplane for Beginners: This classic airplane has a simple operation mode that only needs to press the switch and pull the stick to easily control the aircraft’s aerobatics. (Only good on 7/16)

MiiKARE Airplane Travel Essentials Phone Holder: This essential travel phone holder is designed to free up your hands and enhance your travel experience. It features multi-directional and 360-degree rotation.

Protective Hard Shell for MacBook Air: This shell from SoonJet fits snugly like a second skin, allows easy access to all ports and ensures smooth opening and closing. (only good on 7/16)

Small Portable Charger with Built-in Cables: Sethruki boasts that this is the slimmest and the smallest of portable chargers with cables, weighing only 122 grams and shaped like a credit card. (only good on 7/16)

Editor’s note: This article is not intended as an endorsement of the products listed, but rather as a list of options that may be of interest.

The post Top 7 Prime Day 2024 Deals for Pilots appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The treasure was a World War II-era A-2 leather jacket that belonged to Jack L. Martin, her father-in-law. She never knew him. He died when his son Bob—Anne’s husband—was 13. The jacket had been worn once or twice by Bob, who passed away a few months ago. For the most part, according to Anne, it has been in a closet for more than 20 years.

“I don’t know what to do with it,” she wrote. “I thought you might understand the history it contains? Feel free to say no.”

Was she kidding? There was no way I could say no. This is more than acquiring a cool jacket for my collection. This was a chance to preserve a piece of history and help a friend learn more about a family member. I replied with an enthusiastic “yes.” A few days later, the jacket arrived in a box. Also included were airline pilot wings, cuff links (more on them later), and photographs from 1911 showing the first airplane to visit Deming, New Mexico.

The jacket, made of horsehide, was dry and stiff with age. The first order of business was to nourish and moisturize the leather to rejuvenate it. I double-checked with a friend who does jacket restoration for a living. A list of products was suggested: saddle soap, Neatsfoot oil or Cadillac Boot & Shoe Leather Lotion. I applied them liberally with clean hands and repeated those steps several times. 

Please take my advice: Never store a vintage jacket on a coat hanger. Store it flat in a clean cloth bag in an airtight container.

History Lesson

Learning a jacket’s history begins with the interior label. This jacket sports a label reading, “Type A-2, drawing no. 30-1415, A.A.F. (Army Air Forces) Contract.”

Online sleuthing led to Acme Depot, a comprehensive A-2 website run by Marc Weinshenker, a self-described serial hobbyist who has been interested in flight jackets since 1990.

“With a particular concentration on A-2s,” he said. Weinshenker collected for a time and along the way picked up a lot of information, much of it from the book The Type A-2 Flight Jacket Identification Manual by Gary Eastman. This book is the gold standard for the jacket collector. According to the numbers on the label, this jacket was made by Cable Raincoat Company in Boston. Cable Raincoat was one of 14 manufacturers contracted by Uncle Sam to make the flight jackets during WWII.

“The contract was given to Cable Raincoat Company in 1942, and some 50,000 jackets were made,” Weinshenker said.

The pilot name tag is the WWII single-line design featuring the their first and second initials and last name stamped into a strip of leather sewn on the left side of the jacket. Below it is a very faded and worn leather squadron patch. Time had not been kind to Martin’s, and the design was illegible. There are flecks of yellow, blue, and red paint in the leather circle.

Palmer Martin provided me with a black-and-white photograph of Captain Martin wearing the jacket. In the photo, he is in a military uniform. The patch was once some sort of anthropomorphized animal—I’m guessing a tiger based on what appear to be stripes—standing on its hind legs. The image is obscured by the lighting in the photograph. A man wearing a B-6 flight jacket is next to Martin, and they are standing beside an aircraft. Based on the aircraft in the background, it appears they are posed next to a North American T-6 Texan or the Navy variant, the SNJ trainer. 

I consulted with a friend who restores warbirds for living, who pointed out the “U” on the fuselage of the aircraft in the background. 

If the aircraft were indeed T-6s, that marking would indicate that the aircraft were based at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas. Avenger Field was an Army Air Corps base and home of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs).

If, however, the aircraft are SNJs, the “U” would indicate the photo was likely taken at the airfield in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Could it be that Captain Martin taught WASPs to fly the Army way?

We could only guess. His obituary noted he was born on December 8, 1920, and that he learned to fly while still in high school at Wiley Post Airport (KPWA) in Oklahoma. He served five years in the U.S. Army Air Corps, but there were no details on where he served or when he separated from the military. He spent some time on the faculty of the University of Southern California College of Aeronautics. 

In 1950, he swapped the classroom for the cockpit and became an airline pilot.

The Airline Career

Martin joined the Flying Tiger Line, one of the first cargo carriers. These wings—metal and, slightly tarnished with age—are attached with a straight pin back, the kind that puts a hole in your shirt. These wings mean commitment.

• READ MORE: The Mystery Of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739

Captain Martin enjoyed an exciting career. He was the pilot operations manager of the airline’s eastern division when the Flying Tiger Line was the primary contractor for the building of the Defense Early Warning Line—known as the DEW Line—from January to May 1956. The Cold War was underway and the purpose of the DEW Line was to give the U.S. an early warning of Soviet nuclear missile attacks.

“Martin flew over [400] hours within the Arctic Circle and Canada flying material and supplies to temporary landing strips where the early warning line was being constructed,” his obituary said.

The gold cuff links in the box are the shape of a Boeing 707. Martin was pilot-in-command of the Boeing 707-349C, also known as the “Rockwell Polar Flight,” that flew all the way around the Earth from November 14 to 17, 1965. It was the first aircraft to fly around the world passing over both the North and South poles.

The PoleCat, as the aircraft was known, established several world records for jet transports.

For his part, Martin was awarded the International Record Achievement Award at the annual Wright Brothers memorial banquet in Los Angeles in 1966, and in 1967 he was invited to sign the Fliers’ Globe of the American Geographic Society in New York.

At the time of his death in February 1970, Martin was the director of flying for the Flying Tiger Line.

I am hopeful that someone reading this story knew Captain Martin and will be able to tell us more about his aviation career. If so, you know where to find me.

The post Finding an Aviation Legacy Through Captain Martin’s Jacket appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Discovery Flight

Most flight schools offer these introductory flights as a means of attracting new clientele. The flight is usually about 20 minutes to half an hour, and the client, under the watchful guidance of a flight instructor, gets to fly the airplane. Some flight schools offer discounts around the holidays—the $99 discovery flight is very popular. Gift certificates for discovery flights are also an option.

If you purchase one of these flights, make sure to ask what type of airplane is used for the intro flight. Oftentimes,the flight school will use the aircraft in its fleet with the lowest operating cost—such as a Cessna 150—which can limit the size of the person taken on the flight. Do not be surprised if the school asks for the height and weight of the client, as there are fewer things more disappointing than going to the airport expecting to fly and finding out it is not possible because the holder of the gift certificate cannot fit in the aircraft. Cost: $99 and up.

Block Hours

Nothing says “I love you” like block hours of aircraft rental at an FBO or flight school. Many schools offer a block rate for training, so take advantage of this and put money on the pilot’s account.

Block hours are not just for aircraft—there are some FBOs that have AATDs (advanced aviation training devices) that allow customers to book block time in them as well. The latter is greatly appreciated in the winter months, when flyable days become the exception rather than the rule. Cost: $200 to $1,000.

Aviation-Themed Ties

You probably know someone who is or soon will be interviewing at the airlines or an FBO for a pilot job. Help them dress the part with an aviation-themed tie. Keep it classy, keep it understated. You might even want to get them two: one with images of World War II warbirds or vintage GA aircraft and one with jets. Ties like these can be just the right accessory for an aviation-related job interview or a holiday party. Cost: $25 and up.

Aviation Flashlight

An aviation flashlight with multiple colored bulbs—red, green, white—is always appreciated. You can never have too many. Be on the lookout for flashlights that have a clip that allows them to be attached to a collar or shoulder harness for hands-free operation. Another option is the flashlight with a magnetic base or a rotating head that allows the beam to be targeted hands-free in a specific location—these are especially appreciated during maintenance operations. You get bonus points if you include a pack of batteries with the flashlight. Cost: $10 to $80.

Flight Jackets

Flight jackets and pilots go hand in hand. At the lower end of the financial scale are the cotton and nylon blends in the MA-1 and A-2 styles. They come in a variety of colors ranging from traditional military colors (olive, blue, and black) to the more fashionable options of pink and maroon. Some are preloaded with “mission patches” while others leave plenty of blank space so your aviator can add his or her own.

Leather jackets are more expensive. Keep in mind the classic World War II styles, such as the A-2, B-15, and B-3, run smaller by modern standards, so you may want to buy a size up from what the person usually wears. If you purchase the jacket second hand and it smells a little “vintage,” you can refresh it by placing the jacket in an airtight plastic bag along with fresh-scent dryer sheets. Leave the jacket in the bag for about a week to dispel any odors. Vintage leather jackets are more expensive and, depending on the age, more delicate—keep this in mind if you are looking for a jacket that will be worn. Cost: $55 to $1,200.

Aviation Spark Plug Holder

If you are shopping for an aviation mechanic or owner who maintains their aircraft, consider an aviation spark plug holder as a gift. Working on an aircraft engine is a precise task and having a spark plug holder makes it that much easier. Gift certificates to aviation tool supply companies are also appreciated. Cost: $35 to $100.

Hot Wings Runway Playset

For the younger aviation fan—and the young at heart—there are all sorts of aircraft toys on the market.

Die-cast metal toys are particularly popular, especially for CFIs who use them as teaching tools. The Hot Wings company makes several play sets that range from individual aircraft with a piece of foam rubber “runway” all the way up to a hangar and control tower with runway and ramp extensions. Cost: $11 to $30.

Citizen Promaster Blue Angels Skyhawk Watch

A wristwatch has been synonymous with aviation since the 1920s. Pocket watches just weren’t terribly practical in open-cockpit aircraft because they could be dropped too easily. In addition, the watch had to have a large face (because you’re reading it as you bounce around the cockpit) and large buttons and knobs that would allow you to make adjustments while wearing flight gloves. If you’re looking for a modern pilot watch for a gift, consider the Citizen Promaster Blue Angels Skyhawk A-T.

This watch features a stainless-steel case chronograph, perpetual calendar, dual time zones, alarms, a countdown timer, a digital backlight and UTC display, and power reserve. This watch utilizes Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology, which means it is powered by light; therefore, it never needs a battery. The watch also has a pilot’s rotating E6B-style slide rule bezel. This model appears in a stainless-steel case and bracelet. The dial features the colors and the insignia of the Blue Angels, the Navy precision flight demonstration team. Cost: $600 to $750.

Flight/ Gear Bags

Pilots always need a gear bag. Find one that fits your pilot’s needs, or get this as a gift for yourself. Do you need a place to put an iPad? Do you need one with two headset pockets? Washable bags made from nylon or another fabric are wonderful because they are easy to keep clean. The more expensive leather bags look more professional, though, and they tend to be more durable. The bags can also be personalized with a monogram.

It’s not uncommon for pilots to have multiple gear bags—you may one day find that you have more than you need. Suggestion: If this is you, consider donating that extra gear bag to your local foster care system. The children who are in foster care often lack luggage, and when they are moved from place to place, they are frequently forced to carry their belongings in trash bags. These kids already feel disposable—think what it could do for their self-esteem to have a gently used nylon gear bag to carry their belongings. Cost: $20 to $250.

Collectible Ornaments

Collectible aviation tree ornaments are very popular. Each year, Sporty’s Pilot Shop has a new design—this year it is an Ercoupe, celebrating the classic single.

Hallmark has been in the game for decades as well—expect to see a Republic RC-3 Seabee from them. For models from past years, search eBay and Amazon. Cost: $19 to $35 (more for past years).

Pivot EFB Mounts

Pivot makes several mounts to hold electronic flight bags (EFBs). These devices provide both instrument protection and make for a neater cockpit. These devices are easy to install and remove with a universal mounting system so upgrading or exchanging devices is quick and simple. Cost: $150.

Aloha Pilot Shirts

In the spirit of “aloha,” or affection and fellowship in Hawaiian, Pilot Quarters recently released a series of polo, casual, and camp shirts suitable for pilots sharing the joy of flying. Within the Hawaii Collection, sectional charts from the islands are screened onto cloth in a variety of colors and routes. Men’s, women’s, and youth sizes and styles are available. Cost: $48 to $75.

This article was originally published in the December 2022/January 2023 Issue 933 of FLYING.

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