Swiss flightgear in general

Message 1651, March 21, 2004
Hi all, SIWA and a couple of his friends have played around a bit with their collections at the Swiss Air Force Museum. As a result you can see different combinations of flightgear used throughout the years and in different types of aircraft. There are a few artificialities in the pictures but they give an overall impression of how the flightgear of the Swiss Air Force has developed over the years. Enjoy!
Cheers, Bluelight

All pictures are thumbnails. ©SIWA
01651 swiss messerschmidt 1940s_tn.jpg (13343 bytes)01651 swiss p-51 1950s_tn.jpg (13043 bytes)01651 swiss vampire 1950s_tn.jpg (12787 bytes)01651 swiss pilatus p-3 1970s_tn.jpg (13592 bytes)
Left: Messerschmidt or Bücker pilot from the 1940s. The goggles are German-made D+R 1943 and the rest of the gear is unmarked, probably Swiss-made copies of German gear.
Middle left: P-51 Mustang pilot from the 1950s. Helmet is a US-made A-11 with A-14 oxygen mask, T-30 throat microphone, B-8 goggles and AN-6531 sunglasses. Life vest is a US B-3 and the suit is unidentified (Swiss). The shoes are standard issue Swiss military shoes.
Middle right: DeHavilland Vampire pilot from the 1950s. Helmet is a Swiss-made 'Stoffhaube' (simply means 'cloth helmet') patterned after a British Type B or C helmet. Oxygen mask is a British Type H and goggles are US B-8. Flying suit is a US-made MB-2, gloves are Swiss PA-253-0, and shoes are standard issue Swiss military shoes.
Right: Pilatus P-3 pilot from the 1970s. Helmet is a Swiss-modified US-made Gentex H-5 with a British Mk.2 visor, MS22001 oxygen mask and Swiss-made PA-520 sunglasses. Life vest is a French-made Aerazur 33, the flying suit is a Swiss-made 'Fliegercombi 1950' and the gloves are Swiss PA-257. Shoes are Swiss-made Pilotenschue Model 63.

01651 swiss hunter 1960s_tn.jpg (13312 bytes)01651 swiss hunter 1970s_tn.jpg (12502 bytes)01651 swiss hunter 1980s_tn.jpg (12718 bytes)
Left: Hawker Hunter pilot from the 1960s. Helmet is a British-made Mk.1 with Type H oxygen mask and Swiss PA-520 sunglasses. Anti-G trousers are US-made CSU-3/B modified to be used a a flotation device with added nitrogen pressurized bottles activated by the pilot in the really unusual (in Switzerland) ditching. Flying suit is a Swiss-made 'Fliegercombi 1950', gloves are Swiss PA-253-0, and shoes are standard issue Swiss military shoes.
Middle: Hawker Hunter pilot from the 1970s. Helmet is a Swiss-modified US-made Gentex H-5 with a British Mk.2 visor, MS22001 oxygen mask and Swiss-made PA-520 sunglasses. Anti-G trousers are US-made CSU-13A/P modified to be used a a flotation device with added nitrogen pressurized bottles activated by the pilot in the really unusual (in Switzerland) ditching. The flying suit is a Swiss-made 'Fliegercombi 1950' and the gloves are Swiss PA-257. Shoes are Swiss-made Pilotenschue Model 63.
Right: Hawker Hunter pilot from the 1980s. Gear is essentially the same as the 1970s Hunter pilot except that the flying suit is a Swiss-modified US CWU-27/P and sunglasses are US-made HGU-4/P.