Saw a flight instructor in an Indy Jacket the other day

[Mark Brody]

I was leaving a flight simulator the other day, and I noticed an instructor's jacket looked very familiar. It was a lot like the A2 only it was lacking the knit cuffs/waist, epaulets, and it had a pleated back with adjustment straps at the waist. Whether he knew it or not, he was wearing an Indy jacket - no doubt about it. Without mentioning the man in the hat, I told him I liked his jacket and asked where he got it. Though he couldn't remember exactly where, he said he was looking for a "pre-A1 jacket", whatever that means. Having looked at the A1, I think he meant "A2". Anyway, he continued describing his search for the jacket, and said he had been looking for a jacket like the guy in the movie wore, as he made a whip cracking motion with his wrist. Only then did I tell him that I, too, had an Indy jacket, and that he was spot on with his purchase.

I never did get the name of the jacket. It would have been rather awkward to pull on the back of his collar to see the label. It had the same kinda dusty appearance as the U.S. Wings Legend Cowhide jackets, only lighter. It was also a much baggier cut that most of the jackets I see posted here. So, he may not have scored highly with screen accuracy, but the jacket had all the details right, and must have been quality construction as he said he'd had it for several years. More than enough to make any casual fan happy for life.

[Ravenswood]

Hmmm, sounds like the Cooper Sportswear's Indiana Jones jacket that came out in the late eighties. I have two of those. One of which is my very first Raiders style jacket, and another is a "direct" replacement that I picked up on a steal from an online auction. VERY thick leather, water gets into it easy, so I tend not to wear them out in the rain.
I could go on, suffice it to say I should create thread for the Coopers that I have. One is worn beyond hope, and the other is mint.

Anyway, that's the one that jumps to my mind

[Ravenswood]

Did it look like this one?



http://i775.photobucket.com/albums/yy33 ... CN3917.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://i775.photobucket.com/albums/yy33 ... CN6365.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Mark Brody]

Crazy what a difference the flash makes. It was kinda light and reddish like that last picture, dusty like the first two, and definitely not shiny. I can't be certain, but I don't think it had the snap closures on the storm flap. The guy wearing the jacket had a few more pounds on him than you, so it's hard to make a comparison of fit. I do not think it was a Disneyland jacket, but I could be wrong. I'm not one of those people that can identify where and when a jacket came from by a single glance.

[Ravenswood]

I'm not one of those people that can identify where and when a jacket came from by a single glance.

I hear ya there! There are some of us on the board who could probably spot an Expedition a mile away, and alternatively those who can spot an Indy jacket, and the buck stops there It's nice to get my head out of the sand every once and a while and remember the trenches from whence I came, where I couldn't tell a Todd from a Wested from a Flight Suits, etc.

On that note, having just received my Wested Hero, I decided to go down memory lane and try on all of my Indy jackets in a row, just to do some contrasting and comparing. I had four Westeds (not including the Hero) and the Cooper, and I just tried them on, one after another, in front of a mirror. To my surprise, the ALL looked remarkably the same! I know, saying that isn't too much of a stretch (barring the Cooper for the leather type mostly, but also for the oversized cut, which is why I gravitated towards that one for the one you saw), but years and years of obsessing over where this strap is, that seem is, or what length the sleeves or back is, I couldn't help but notice how even I was having trouble telling the difference.....between my OWN jackets!

[Mark Brody]

My Wings Legend is my second Indy jacket. The first was a Custom Wested that I was so displeased with I turned around and resold it. Other than the hide, the jackets are all so similar, it's hard to tell the difference unless you have them on hand to try them on and see how they fit. There are a few obvious details that anyone can catch (snaps and buckles/D-rings), but they're all essentially the same jacket - not differing in much more than quality and fit.