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The Cool Video Thread

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PhantomTweak:
The gloves, not to mention the rest of the flight suit, are designed, first and foremost, to protect the pilot's hands and wrists from fire. All other concerns are strictly secondary. Like fine adjustments of knobs, pressing of switches, pulling cigarettes out of the package, and so on. Cutting the fingertips, or even the fingers, of them degrades that capability. How much, I can't say.
By the way, having been electronics most of my career, I can tell you that as analog, or resistive type rheostats (adjusting knobs) age, they can get twitchy. Harder to do fine adjustments with, jumpy, and so on. At least with bare finger tips, you have a finer touch on them.
I am quite certain that if they were discovered by an officious, non-pilot type, like a QA officer, or higher up in the Safety Department, there would be words had, or probably a Safety Stand-Down.
But you do what you gotta to get the job done. The guys that cut the finger tips, or again fingers, off are betting that either they won't be involved in a fire, or if they are, they won't be injured too badly with just that little bit of their glove missing. BUT, they can do the small, little, high dexterity jobs this permits. As needed.
Just make sure they get stuffed into a pocket before you come off the flight line after the flight. Leave no evidence :D
And remember, it's always better to ask forgiveness than permission. More effective, too.  ;D

Thanks very much, micro, for giving us your perspective on all this. It really is appreciated, not to mention informative.
Pat☺

SpazSinbad:

--- Quote from: micro on April 18, 2018, 07:29:39 am ---Spaz, you might get a kick out of this: Today, while in-flight, I brought up the fingertip discussion to my copilot. He got out of flying Prowlers/Growlers last year. He informed me that the new US Navy issue flying gloves actually are manufactured with the tips missing on the first three fingers. Go figure! Have a look...

https://www.amazon.com/Wiley-G312XL-Aries-Flight-Foliage/dp/B007XR9VC6

--- End quote ---

AMAZING! Wow - Thanks for that info. Must be a really twiddly knob issue for sure. Thanks all for your info / input. Yep fire is / was a real worry....

Scrolling down the page at the URL I see other examples such as NOMEX - now that is gold for fire resistance.

PhantomTweak:
Those Nomex gloves, the green, full finger, no adjustments strap, leather palm, ones. Those are the only ones I personally ever saw on Marine Pilots. They're also the ones I have a couple-3 pairs of, for riding motorcycles. I don't ride any longer, but I've still got the gloves. Those are the ones I was talking about when I said I had trouble getting cig's out. The leather palms gave me a great grip for riding, though.
Got a flight suit I was issued off-the-books when I went through SEER School down in Pensacola. Had to wear it for the pool "stuff", and the week in the swamps.
At least they let me wear my own boots. The Viet Nam style boots are a LOT easier to swim in than the issue boots back then. I did swim qual in them in boot camp, though. Seemed like it took them a week to dry after that, although I've never had a pair fit better. Nifty little trick. Soak em in hot water, wear them dry. Custom fitted boots. Did it for every pair I got since then, too.

Those were the days, weren't they? :D

Have fun all!
Pat☺

SpazSinbad:
Back in my day (late 1960s early 1970s) the RAN FAA (Fleet Air Arm) had steel capped black suede flying boots with zippers up the side (as well as permanent laces never used) for easy boot removal when in water if required. Steel caps were specifically for the Sea Venom Martin-Baker Mk.4 seat and protection from the front instrument panel. All RAN FAA aircrew wore them. Envy of all but when wet and after a bit baggy. :-)

We started out with pigskin gloves with a short wrist length. Replaced by Nomex Gloves - with no leather - and very scratchy early nomex flying suits. Soon replaced by less scratchy nomex and nomex gloves with long wrist length which was a pain when wearing a watch that needed looking at during low level nav. So then the watch was over the wristband but beware taking off gloves before removing watch. Oh dear. In my day I don't think we ever had any leather in the nomex gloves but I could be mistaken.

Victory103:
We didn't have them when I was USN aircrew nor have I seen them issued as an Army aviator (full fingered are for sale at BX/PX/NEX). I do have 3 colors of the standard flight gloves, OD green, Tan, and spooky guy black! Also the "jungle" boots are not approved for flight anyway, but agree with the comfort after breaking them in properly. I got to do SERE "C" up in Brunswick, ME in Sept.

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