F-16.net

Enthusiast Joined: Jun 22, 2005 Posts: 34 Status: Offline

I've always wondered why Viper pilots always rolled their flight gloves. Maybe everyone does it and I haven't noticed, but my uncle who is a former B-52 pilot told me stories about pilots who ejected from their aircraft and their wrists were burned b/c they rolled their gloves.

F-16.net Sponsor

This message from our sponsor will disappear if you log on as a member.

SOP is to put the sleeves of the gloves underneath you're bag sleeves with your watch on the outside between the edge of the gloves and arm sleeve.

I roll up my left glove so I can see my watch. Don't know anyone who puts thier watch over their glove.

Gus

Enthusiast Joined: Apr 19, 2005 Posts: 50 Status: Offline

I never had my glovetails tucked inside my sleeves. The only exception to that might be the ACDE ensemb. Hmmm...might be a good time to check my currency while I'm thinking about that...

Twoop

Yeah, I only roll my left glove when I fly so I can see my watch. There are stories about guys having burns on their wrists b/c that's the only part of their skin that's exposed. I heard it was in a crash and subsequent fire though, not an ejection.

Enthusiast Joined: Jun 05, 2005 Posts: 25 Status: Offline

I do roll up the left one too but I know guys who fly without gloves. how about that? first time I noticed I thought this was some cool skinned glove.

rolling up the left glove really helped once when I needed to change one of the 'gears down' bulbs. Putting a wrist watch over the glove makes it quite hard, because first you need to get rid of the watch, then take off the glove, finally fix the broken thing, and at the same time fly the jet, talk through the radios. So simply roll up the left one, take it off easily when needed. And the most important of all, IT LOOKS REALLY COOL. Thumb

How often do you see USAF pilots wearing the RAF white leather gloves?

Is it possible the photo shows a RAF exchange pilot.
I have seen a few photos recently of pilots flying USAF aircraft wearing RAF gloves, and was surprised as well.

Enthusiast Joined: Dec 21, 2005 Posts: 27 Status: Offline

Actually I've seen a few Raptor and Eagle pilots do it here at Langley. It is a matter of personal preference. Some of the older guys in the 27th wear them for comfort, I guess they are just more appealing to the hand.

Quote:

Is it possible the photo shows a RAF exchange pilot.
I have seen a few photos recently of pilots flying USAF aircraft wearing RAF gloves, and was surprised as well.

Maybe, I dunno who the pilot is for sure. (USAF/RAF) I have seen USAF pilots wearing them though. I have worn a pair of the RAF gloves and they are nice.

I would think that pilot is USAF considering he is on the cover of "Eye of the Viper" and there are no exchange pilots in that book.

-Aaron

Newbie Joined: Dec 29, 2005 Posts: 16 Status: Offline

Are those white gloves or the light brown desert gloves?? Looks like he is wearing his brown desert bag. As far as rolling gloves up, I was told during my egress training for an incentive ride that you should pull your sleeves over the gloves and velcro them tight around the wrists in order to avoid being burned in the event of an ejection. And we actually had a pilot in the unit that would do that and wear his watch on the outside of his sleeve, the rest of the pilots in the unit rolled them up though!! Shrug

Those are brown desert gloves dude.

TenguNoHi wrote:

I would think that pilot is USAF considering he is on the cover of "Eye of the Viper" and there are no exchange pilots in that book.

-Aaron

Here is the description of that photo from www.af.mil

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- An F-16 Fighting Falcon refuels from a KC-135 Stratotanker in the skies near Iraq on March 22. The F-16s are from the 35th Fighter Wing "Wild Weasels," Misawa Air Base, Japan.

http://www.af.mil/photos/index.asp?galleryID=3&page=18

The pilot wasnt from luke. That also explains why he is wearing a desert flight suit as well. He's flying, most likey, somehwere over Iraq on a SEAD of DEAD mission.

F-16.net

Forum: F-16 Procedures

Why is it that Viper pilots roll up their gloves?