Flying suit

[John Harper]

Anyone have any suggestions on where to get a proper flying
suit, the one-piece kind with lots of zipper pockets? My
acro instructor gave me a couple of URLs but neither of
them seems to work (flyingsuit[s].com and
government[something].com - I remembered it when I
tried it!). Would be nice to have something you can sure
will keep the pocket contents in place when doing -ve G
stuff...

Thanks,

John

[DSowder]

>Anyone have any suggestions on where to get a proper flying
>suit, the one-piece kind with lots of zipper pockets? My
>acro instructor gave me a couple of URLs but neither of
>them seems to work (flyingsuit[s].com and
>government[something].com

Try flightsuits.com. Whaddya want all those pockets for anyway?

Doug Sowder

[greg]

"John Harper" > wrote in message
news:1076897402.740173@sj-nntpcache-5...
> Anyone have any suggestions on where to get a proper flying
> suit, the one-piece kind with lots of zipper pockets? My
> acro instructor gave me a couple of URLs but neither of
> them seems to work (flyingsuit[s].com and
> government[something].com - I remembered it when I
> tried it!). Would be nice to have something you can sure
> will keep the pocket contents in place when doing -ve G
> stuff...
>
> Thanks,
>
> John
>
Georgia Outfitters for about $35.00/pair.
http://www.georgia-outfitters.com/page31.shtml Poly cotton blend only (No
Nomex). At that price I bought several pair for working around the hangar
in. Look pretty good too. They say on the web site they don't have sage
color in stock but when I asked on the phone I got it. They apparently can
special order that color and get it to you in a few days. I bought blue and
sage. I recommend the sage as the blue is really dark, almost black

gpa

[Andrew Boyd]

(DSowder)

> Whaddya want all those pockets for anyway?

Indeed. Pockets are empty for acro, otherwise it's
going to end up in the tail, and quite possibly jam
up the elevator. It's happened many times, including
on vertical downlines. Pop quiz: what would you do
in that situation? (hint - trim).

You would be amazed at the long list of stuff that
I have personally fished out of the tails of aerobatic
aircraft: business cards, maps, barf bags, sunglasses,
seat belt loops, pens, AN nuts, washers & machine screws,
etc.

If you must get a flight suit, I might suggest a
hot pink skin-fitting spandex flight suit with a
built-in cup, for safety of course. I will guarantee
you that you will make quite an impression with the
ladies as you swagger across the ramp in such a getup :-)

--
ATP http://www.pittspecials.com/images/oz_down.jpg

[John Harper]

"DSowder" > wrote in message
...
> >Anyone have any suggestions on where to get a proper flying
> >suit, the one-piece kind with lots of zipper pockets? My
> >acro instructor gave me a couple of URLs but neither of
> >them seems to work (flyingsuit[s].com and
> >government[something].com
>
> Try flightsuits.com. Whaddya want all those pockets for anyway?

Let's see, I'm sure there's some FAR thingy about having my certificate
and medical with me. A pen seems like a good idea too. Maybe a
spare pair of glasses since my optician is a bit hazy about negative
G requirements (although so far they've stayed put). It's true that
just one zipper pocket would cover all that. So if anyone knows
of a good source of flight suits with just one zipper pocket, that would
be fine too. Preferably not in pink spandex, at least not until I've
lost some more weight (which I need to if I want to fly the Pitts
anyway).

John

>
> Doug Sowder

[John Harper]

"Andrew Boyd" > wrote in message
om...
> Indeed. Pockets are empty for acro, otherwise it's
> going to end up in the tail, and quite possibly jam
> up the elevator.

Err... that's the idea of the zips...?

> You would be amazed at the long list of stuff that
> I have personally fished out of the tails of aerobatic
> aircraft: business cards, maps, barf bags, sunglasses,
> seat belt loops, pens, AN nuts, washers & machine screws,
> etc.

Sounds similar to the list of stuff I'm still finding on the
floor of my plane since hitting a severe downdraft and
going negative G for several seconds. I found a flashlight
that I lost ages ago.

>
> If you must get a flight suit, I might suggest a
> hot pink skin-fitting spandex flight suit with a
> built-in cup, for safety of course.

Is this something to do with the hooker harness? Although
it seems to work just fine even if you don't look anything
like a hooker.

(Actually the harness holds my trouser pockets completely
shut anyway, so in truth I don't really need the suit. But my
instructor thinks it's a good idea, and the warbird guys all
wear them).

John

[ShawnD2112]

I would try Flighsuits.com, as others have suggested. I bought my helmet
through them and, although I had some problems with specification, delivery,
and customer service, I'd think about trying them again. You can also find
a lot of new and used USAF flightsuits at airshows and surplus stores.

Give some thought to the material, too. One of the only things about flying
the Pitts that scares me is the risk of fire, either in flight or on the
ground if something goes wrong. I don't want to survive a crash only to
burn in the wreckage. Low probability, I know, but it's one of my mild
phobias. Cotton burns, but doesn't melt and turn to goo on your skin.
Nomex doesn't burn at all. It won't save your life, probably, but it may
give the rescue team a few more seconds you wouldn't have had otherwise, or
it may save you a year in a burn unit. But that's just my $.02 worth. I
also don't ever plan to crash...

And the pockets are handy as hell (he says after fishing his cellphone out
of the tail of the Pitts, and only knew it was there because someone called
while he was moving the airplane)

Shawn
Pitts G-BKVP


"John Harper" > wrote in message
news:1076897402.740173@sj-nntpcache-5...
> Anyone have any suggestions on where to get a proper flying
> suit, the one-piece kind with lots of zipper pockets? My
> acro instructor gave me a couple of URLs but neither of
> them seems to work (flyingsuit[s].com and
> government[something].com - I remembered it when I
> tried it!). Would be nice to have something you can sure
> will keep the pocket contents in place when doing -ve G
> stuff...
>
> Thanks,
>
> John
>
>

[rgb]

Here I 'll wear anything u want if u let me fly your Pitts ;o)

:o)

John Harper wrote:

> "DSowder" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>>Anyone have any suggestions on where to get a proper flying
>>>suit, the one-piece kind with lots of zipper pockets? My
>>>acro instructor gave me a couple of URLs but neither of
>>>them seems to work (flyingsuit[s].com and
>>>government[something].com
>>
>>Try flightsuits.com. Whaddya want all those pockets for anyway?
>
>
> Let's see, I'm sure there's some FAR thingy about having my certificate
> and medical with me. A pen seems like a good idea too. Maybe a
> spare pair of glasses since my optician is a bit hazy about negative
> G requirements (although so far they've stayed put). It's true that
> just one zipper pocket would cover all that. So if anyone knows
> of a good source of flight suits with just one zipper pocket, that would
> be fine too. Preferably not in pink spandex, at least not until I've
> lost some more weight (which I need to if I want to fly the Pitts
> anyway).
>
> John
>
>
>>Doug Sowder
>
>
>

[DSowder]

> Pockets are empty for acro, otherwise it's
>going to end up in the tail, and quite possibly jam
>up the elevator. It's happened many times, including
>on vertical downlines. Pop quiz: what would you do
>in that situation? (hint - trim).

But which way? Kinda like the question of how to use trim to help if you don't
have enough down elevator for a clean inverted spin entry.

Doug Sowder

[Klein]

On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 10:55:56 -0800, "John Harper" >
wrote:

>
>"Andrew Boyd" > wrote in message
om...
>> Indeed. Pockets are empty for acro, otherwise it's
>> going to end up in the tail, and quite possibly jam
>> up the elevator.
>
>Err... that's the idea of the zips...?

The zippered pockets also keep you from looking too much like an
escapee from the local jail.

www.flightsuits.com is a good choice. I've bought both helmets and
flight suits from them. Good stuff. Also, while buying a nomex suit,
don't forget to buy some of their nomex gloves. These could give you
a couple of seconds more use of your hands to help escape the fire.

Klein G.

[Jamie]

The FAR says your certificate and medical must be "made available to the
appropriate
authority on demand". If you are out for a local flight, leave it in the
hangar, and if they meet
you on landing, take them into the hangar and show it to them.

On cross country flights, pens, extra glasses, etc. go in the baggage
compartment.

My logbook, the aircraft and engine logs are in a fireproof box at home.
They are
irreplaceable documents, and I will not carry them in the airplane.

The only folks I know of that show up at IAC contests in flight suits are
Unlimited pilots
who have all their sponsor's patches that make them look like NASCAR
drivers.

The only people that look good in flight suits are Chandy Clanton and Patty
Wagstaff.

Jim KLick
S1S N9JT
Intermediate pilot and National Judge

> > Try flightsuits.com. Whaddya want all those pockets for anyway?
>
> Let's see, I'm sure there's some FAR thingy about having my certificate
> and medical with me. A pen seems like a good idea too. Maybe a
> spare pair of glasses since my optician is a bit hazy about negative
> G requirements (although so far they've stayed put). It's true that
> just one zipper pocket would cover all that. So if anyone knows
> of a good source of flight suits with just one zipper pocket, that would
> be fine too. Preferably not in pink spandex, at least not until I've
> lost some more weight (which I need to if I want to fly the Pitts
> anyway).
>
> John
>
> >
> > Doug Sowder
>
>