Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 333:
Description
USAF Type MA-1 Intermediate Flight Jacket, MIL-J-8279D, Size X-Large, Alpha Industries, Inc., Contract DSA 100-69-C-0113, dated 19 July 1968, Vietnam War period A genuine Vietnam-era U.S. Air Force MA-1 flight jacket in sage green nylon, manufactured under military contract by Alpha Industries, Inc., dated 19 July 1968 on the interior label, sized X-Large. No separate biography accompanies this lot; its interest rests in the manufacturer’s tag and the documented specification revision it represents, MIL-J-8279D, rather than in any named recipient or unit assignment. The MA-1 emerged in the early 1950s as the U.S. Air Force sought a lighter, more functional replacement for the bulkier cloth and leather intermediate flying jackets of the World War II and Korean War generations, such as the B-15. As jet cockpits grew tighter and mission profiles demanded greater freedom of movement, the MA-1’s slim nylon shell and knit closures became standard flight gear across the service. The reversible Indian Orange lining, retained in this Revision D example produced between 1965 and 1970, was a deliberate safety feature: a downed airman could reverse the jacket to expose the high-visibility orange shell, dramatically improving his chances of being spotted by search-and-rescue aircraft over jungle or open water in Southeast Asia. This revision also marks a transitional point in the type’s development, phasing out the earlier chest oxygen mask retention tabs seen on preceding models as flight equipment configurations evolved through the Vietnam War years. The jacket displays a sage green nylon shell with two slanted, snap-fastened front pockets and a zippered sleeve utility pocket sized for cigarettes or a pencil, closed by a metal zipper fitted with a leather pull tab. Ribbed knit forms the collar, cuffs, and waistband. The interior label, still legible, reads Jacket, Flying, Man’s, Intermediate, MA-1, MIL-J-8279D (USAF), Size X-Large, Stock No. 8415-818-7354, DSA 100-69-C-0113, 19 July 1968, Alpha Industries, Inc., with interlining of 100% wool pile and 100% cotton backing. The reversible Indian Orange lining remains bright and clean throughout the body interior. Condition is very good overall for a jacket of this age and type. The nylon shell retains good sheen and color with only light creasing consistent with storage and handling, and the zipper components and snap hardware appear intact. Small moth nibbles and holes are visible in the knit waistband near the main zipper closure, while the ribbed cuffs show only minimal fraying and remain largely sound. A solidly documented, dated example of the classic Vietnam-era USAF flight jacket, its Alpha Industries label and 1968 contract anchoring it firmly within the celebrated MA-1 lineage born of Cold War jet aviation and search-and-rescue doctrine.
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