Naval aviator & NFO attire while underway

Just started reading Sherwood's new book "Afterburner," about naval
aviation during the Vietnam War. While examining ready room photos of
various naval aviators and NFOs, I noticed many of them are *not* wearing
flight suits. Instead, they're wearing trousers, a web belt and a long
sleeve shirt that buttons up the front. (Sometimes this garb seems stiffly
starched. Other times it's sweat-stained and quite wrinkled.) The same
holds true for guys depicted in photos found in other books, such as the
two-volume series on MiG killers.

By way of contrast, whenever I see current day naval aviators and NFOs in
various TV documentaries shot while underway they are *invariably* wearing
flight suits in the ready room, dirty shirt wardroom, etc. Can anybody
explain the change in underway attire between the Vietnam era and today?
Is this controlled by a regulation? By the skipper? By some unwritten
tradition?

Many commands had a rule that flight suits were only for flying and alert
standby. Also, spending a warm day in a Nomex flightsuit was an itchy
experience. Aviation Working Green trousers with khaki shirt and necktie
(sometimes) were usually acceptable as Uniform of the Day for aviation
officers and Chief Petty Officers. Many wearers, myself included, didn't
even own a green blouse because flight jackets were locally allowed with
greens. The Navy Relief Thrift Store usually had plenty of trousers in
stock.

Aviation Working Green was (is?) an optional uniform, not prescribable as
Uniform of the Day.

Rick

"Paul Michael Brown" wrote in message
news
Just started reading Sherwood's new book "Afterburner," about naval
aviation during the Vietnam War. While examining ready room photos of
various naval aviators and NFOs, I noticed many of them are *not* wearing
flight suits. Instead, they're wearing trousers, a web belt and a long
sleeve shirt that buttons up the front. (Sometimes this garb seems stiffly
starched. Other times it's sweat-stained and quite wrinkled.) The same
holds true for guys depicted in photos found in other books, such as the
two-volume series on MiG killers.

By way of contrast, whenever I see current day naval aviators and NFOs in
various TV documentaries shot while underway they are *invariably* wearing
flight suits in the ready room, dirty shirt wardroom, etc. Can anybody
explain the change in underway attire between the Vietnam era and today?
Is this controlled by a regulation? By the skipper? By some unwritten
tradition?

pmb- While examining ready room photos of
various naval aviators and NFOs, I noticed many of them are *not* wearing
flight suits. Instead, they're wearing trousers, a web belt and a long
sleeve shirt that buttons up the front. BRBR

ahhhh, 'green bag syndrome. Depends on the command and CO. I have been in
squadrons where you had better be in khakis if not on the flght sked and others
where we didn't wear anything but a 'bag', as soon as the ship got underway.

Remember tho that in the USN, a flight suit is 'flight gear', not a 'uniform',
unlike the USAF, where it is.


P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)
Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye Phlyer

On 01 Jul 2004 13:03:20 GMT, (Pechs1) wrote:

Remember tho that in the USN, a flight suit is 'flight gear', not a 'uniform',
unlike the USAF, where it is.

Fortunately relieving us the embarrassing necessity of wearing a
scarf!

Ray

ray- Fortunately relieving us the embarrassing necessity of wearing a
scarf! BRBR

No kiddin' I wore one of those silly things while on USAF excange duty. Great
JOs, great jets, scary upper echelon and rules.
P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)
Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye Phlyer

"No kiddin' I wore one of those silly things while on USAF excange duty.
Great
JOs, great jets, scary upper echelon and rules.

P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)"


Got any good stories about the AF JOs, jets, upper echelon or rules you'd
like to share with us?

Tom

geezzzer- Got any good stories about the AF JOs, jets, upper echelon or rules
you'd
like to share with us? BRBR

Nothing major, Just stood tall before the wing commander for things like
rolling up my sleeves, wearing brown boots, flying too close when coming into
the overhead..

Many JOs leaving at this time(late 70's) for the airlines. Not a lot of happy
campers but really good pilots. I think there was more than a little SAC
tainted guys around that saw how wierd SAC was during the SE Asia war games.

Plus some O-6s that were transitioning to the F-4 for the first time that were
pretty scary. A B-52 suadron CO that was going to an F-4 wing in Germany.

How they chose their COs still amazes me. Wing Commander picks his COs. When
the Wing Commander is new all sorts of O-5s show up suddenly to rush those
jobs.

My Ops officer went across the state to a O-2 base to try to get a squadron
there, flying Cessna push-pulls, which were all down for shucking their aft
prop, taking off the tails...
P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)
Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye Phlyer