4/7/2023 0 Comments Fighter pilot suitThe first time I had to wear it was on a deployment flight from Germany to England over the North Sea. As you might guess, it is very uncomfortable. We first put on an under layer jump suit, then the poopy suit, then an oversized flight suit and oversized boots. The integrated booties keep the water out of the feet area, and tight elasticized wrist and neck openings seal the suit to those areas. It looks like one-piece footed pajamas for toddlers and is made of heavier duty, not-so-flexible rubberized material. This works fine for relatively warm water, but a dry suit is necessary for colder water. A wet suit, as used in scuba diving, fits snugly against the body, is rubbery and flexible, and actually allows a thin layer of water to enter between the suit and the body. Once I started flying the F-15, I was fitted with an anti-exposure dry suit, also called the poopy suit, for missions over cold water. So I learned that the right balance of clothing for me on a cold day was a thermal top and my summer jacket. The heat and the twisting and turning around the sky made me nauseated. With the combination of a bubble canopy acting like a greenhouse and the physical exertion pulling Gs, I was a hot mess. I also made sure to stuff my stocking hat and winter gloves in my jacket pockets. On the first really cold day in pilot training, I followed this advice and geared up with thermal underwear top and bottom, and my heavy quilted winter Nomex jacket. In Air Force life support training, we learned to always “dress for egress.” In other words, wear the clothing you would want (need) to have on in case you ejected and had to spend more time than you would like on the ground waiting for rescue.
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