Everyone who visits this site knows how much I love flight jackets, and you really can't get a more definitive pattern than the L-2B. Much lighter and (in my humble opinion) more wearable that it's MA-1 elder brother, the L-2B really is the archetypal jacket if you're into flight wear. And this is really the definitive version, when this jacket really came of age in the skies of Southeast Asia. So the story goes (and I may be wrong), in the late 50s Fruhauf Flying Apparel invented the rescue orange lining for its flight jackets. The Air Force had learnt hard lessons in Korea with the colours of jackets for downed pilots, and whilst green was great for not getting shot at, it also made it hard for rescuers to spot you. Earlier L2-B patterns had a green/brown silk lining, but in with this 1960 iteration the lining was changed to the now famous rescue orange, which could be flipped and reversed when the rescue chopper approached. A military classic was born, and a design feature that would go on to become a punk, and eventually, streetwear icon.
This particular example dated 1961 was made by Skyline. Its patched to a USAF Lieutenant Colonel called Arthur L Consta who, records show, was stationed with the 8th Tactical Bomber Squadron at Phan Rang Air Base in 1969. Consta had a long and illustrious Air Force career serving in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. During WWII he was shot down behind enemy lines flying a P47 Thunderbolt. He parachuted into Belgium and, with the help of villagers, he walked back to the allied front line. He later graduated from Air War College in Montgomery, Alabama and served as attacheacute to the Venezuelan Air Force at the U.S. embassy in Caracas, Venezuela. Arthur retired as squadron commander from McClelland AFB in 1975. Read more about him here. Seemingly something of a B-57 Canberra pilot, he flew in Vietnam with 8th Tactical Bomber Squadron, who flew close-air-support, and night interdiction missions against the Ho Chi Minh trail.
This is one of the best and most complete L-2B jackets I've seen, especially with the history. Beautifully patched with in-theatre made tape and japanese made patches. This one is truly hard to beat.
Condition
This is in used, but amazing shape, but a few tiny nips to one cuff it's perfect. One of the best examples I've come across.
Size
- Tagged a size large and fits true to size
- Pit to pit 25"
- Shoulder to shoulder 18"
- Shoulder to cuff 25"
- Collar to hem 23"