Air America Uniform Items  

The Clothing

Like any airline Air America, Inc. had rules and regulations for uniforms worn by pilots, flight and ground crew.  The regular airline runs and dignitaries saw the more formal uniforms. Most often pilots and air crew wore the light gray shirt and darker gray pants with an Ike-style jacket.  One pilot reported to me that he flew T-28's wearing a Hawaiian shirt (you decide). 

Pilots and crew were issued shirts made on Taiwan. They were then most often given a bolt of cloth, zippers and buttons and then went to a local tailor to have the jackets and pants custom-made.  Remarkably there is a lot of uniformity despite all the places these were made. The uniforms we've been able to identify are found in several forms:

• Issue gray uniform shirts - Pilot and Crew Uniforms
• Private purchase gray uniform shirts and dark pants - Pilot and Crew Uniforms. Most vets have told us they were told which local tailors to go to in order to have the uniforms made.
• Issue off-white and dark-colored Ground Crew Uniforms with Air America on the back -- both one and two piece
• Custom-Made informal uniforms such as 4-pocket jackets in a light gray color
• Stewardess uniforms consisting of a gray jacket, shirt, pill-box cap and ivory blouse.
• Formal uniforms worn on regular passenger runs complete with sky- blue tie!
• Issue overcoats and a "cape" with red/orange lining
• Party shirt and custom tailored/embroidered clothing
• Camouflage shirt/pants usually duck-hunter pattern sometimes worn by air crew (privately obtained)
• A "tiger stripe" camouflage flight suit attributed to Air America

If anyone is willing to share a copy of the Uniform Regulations Manual with me I'd greatly appreciate it. 

Uniform Requisition for Local Tailor
Courtesy Mike Horetsky and Michael Hasco	Courtesy Mike Horetsky and Michael Hasco
Uniform	Uniform
Ben F. Coleman (11/16/28-7/25/72) in Air America Uniform	1st Pattern Uniform Shirt
Classic 2nd Pattern AAM Shirt/Pants Set (note pocket hanger)	Classic 2nd Pattern AAM Shirt/Pants Set (note M-2 carbine and helmet)
Who Said Flying Was a Clean Business?	Classic AAM Shirt/Pants Set
Courtesy Ward Reimer	Courtesy Frank C. Bonansinga
Classic AAM Shirt/Pants Set -- 1968
Courtesy James Dodds
Classic AAM Shirt/Pants Sets
Class A Uniform (Wings are Silver) Peter Woo Tailor	Class A Uniform (Wings are Silver) Peter Woo Tailor
Courtesy J Pearson	Courtesy J Pearson
Courtesy J Pearson
Same Class A Uniform Worn by CAT (uniform hardware was switched)
Class A Uniform, Overcoat (large) and Hat Buttons	Class A Uniform Overcoat
1st Pattern Jacket	1st Pattern Jacket in Use
Courtesy G Snyder	from Wings of Air America -- by Terry Love (excellent reference)
2nd Pattern "Ike" Jacket	2nd Pattern "Ike" Jacket Back
2nd Pattern Jacket Collar Detail	2nd Pattern Jacket Tailor Tag from Peter Woo's -- Taipei
2nd Pattern Shirt Note: Epaullettes and added sleeve pocket	2nd Pattern Shirt Note: Epaullettes and added sleeve pocket)
Issue Shirt (note holes for 1/2 wing)	Issue Uniform
Shirt/ 2nd-Pattern Pants Sets	2nd Pattern Shirt Tags
2nd Pattern Uniform Pants (interior leg pocket)	Note Leg Pocket on Uniform Pants (interior leg pocket)
2nd Pattern Shirt	2nd Pattern Shirt
3rd Pattern Uniform Pants - NOMEX (interior leg pocket and take-up tab on leg)	According to an ex-AAM Rotary-Wing Crew Chief these were "issued" after 1970 and replaced the cotton uniforms (Jackets and Pants) - (Laos-made)
Flight Attendant in Uniform -- Hat, Blouse, Skirt, Jacket and Senior Flight Attendant Pin
Air America Flight Attendants All passenger flights flown under Part 121 were required to have flight attendants on board. This required that for aircraft of over 19 seats up to 49 seats required one flight attendant. This is even if the seats were empty. Air America flew a DC-4 from Tachikawa to Misawa to Chitose to Misawa and back to Tachikawa. Additionally there was a flight that went from Tachikawa to Misawa and then to every base in Korea. This flight was a one on one pilot relief for the Air Force. Other flights included: Tachikawa to Iwakuni and back to Tachikawa, Tachikawa to Wakkanai to Chitose and back to Tachikawa.
AAM Stewards and Stewardesses Wearing the Full-Size 1/2 Wing!
Air America Ground Hostess -- Location Unknown
AAM Security Team at VTE
Off-White Ground Crew Jacket (worn by Supervisors and Leads)	Off-White Ground Crew Jacket (worn by Supervisors and Leads)
Tag from Off-White Ground Crew Supervisor Jacket	Off-White Ground Crew Supervisor Jacket
	Courtesy Ward Reimer
Off-White Ground Crew Supervisor Jacket and Cap	Off-White Ground Crew Supervisor Jacket and Cap
Working on the "Panama Canal" in the Dark Colored Ground Crew  Uniform	Off-White Ground Crew Supervisor Uniforms and Hats
Courtesy Ward Reimer	Courtesy Ward Reimer
Dark Colored Ground Crew  Uniforms
Courtesy Ward Reimer
Shirt - 2nd Pattern Pants - Cap	Captain Epaulettes For Jacket -- on dark grey
	4 stripes -- Captain/Pilot in Charge 3 stripes -- First Officer 2 stripes -- Kicker/Crew 1 stripe -- Flight Attendant (see above)
Captain Epaulettes Cloth -- Top For Shirt - on light grey	Captain Epaulettes Vinyl -- Top For Shirt - on light grey (vinyl wouldn't rot)
Courtesy L. Margolies	Courtesy L. Margolies
Early Captain Epaulettes Cloth -- Blue/Silver	Early Captain Epaulettes in Use
Flight Officer Epaulettes Cloth and Vinyl
` Courtesy N.Nguyen
Custom-made Shirt from Vientiane, Laos Attributed to Air America Crew Member -- note patch/wings
Courtesy Brenz Collection	Courtesy Brenz Collection
Courtesy Brenz Collection
Tiger Stripe Flight Suit Attributed to Air America Helo Crewmember	Spot Camouflage Jacket Attributed to Air America Helo Crewmember
Flight Jacket (USAF Issue - 1971 no insignia)	Flight Helmet
	Courtesy B. Emblin
Private Purchase Flight Jacket (from Vientiane, Laos - no tag, note pockets)	Private Purchase Flight Jacket (from Vientiane, Laos - no tag, note pockets)
Private Purchase Flight Jacket in Use
Courtesy Gene Hasenfus
Survival Vest -- USAF Issue Worn by AAM Crew Chief	Survival Vest Contents
Courtesy J. Dodds	Courtesy J. Dodds
Courtesy J. Dodds	Courtesy J. Dodds

ORIGINAL AIR AMERICA, INC. ITEMS
Formal Pilot Hat	Black Pilot Cap		Air Crew Cap		Ground Crew Cap
Wings	Uniform Items		Hat and Cap Badges		Paper Items
Passport Stampings	Flight Logs - Thailand/Laos		Flight Logs - Vietnam		Cool Stuff
ICCS Air Services, Inc.			Aircraft
AAM-Related Links		Items Needed for Upcoming Book		Other Links
Home	Contact Us!				Wanted Items

I'm always looking to buy original items.

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