Flight Suits

Flight Suits

The history of the flight suit begins with the birth of powered flight and has changed as aviation and space flight have evolved. The original flight suits were a two piece suit intended to provide warmth and serve as a uniform. These suits were bulky and cumbersome to move in but were necessary to provide adequate protection from the elements since the aircraft provided no protection from the extreme cold of high altitudes.

At the end of World War II heated and pressurized aircraft were more common reducing the need for bulky flight suits. With the major problem of protection from the extreme cold resolved flight suits were designed to be more functional with multiple easy access pockets and protection from fire.

The increased speed of the jet engine put additional G forces on pilots so the flight suit was augmented with an anti gravity suit intended to keep blood from pooling in the extremities and the pilot blacking out. This suit was invented by a team of Canadians led by Dr. Wilbur Franks.

Space travel brought a new set of conditions and the flight suit was modified to provide protection to the astronauts. Through the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab missions the flight suit was modified to provide the appropriate amount of protection and flexibility.

Today’s military pilots wear an olive drab suit that is similar to the suits worn at the start of the jet age. However, advancements in materials and fabrics have increased the durability and fire protection compared to the suits of the early 50’s.

Modern astronauts wear several suits depending on the stage of the mission. Launch and landing phases of a shuttle mission require a bright orange suit. The color is used to aid in recovery in the event of an accident and the suit is designed to provide protection from the elements. The suits worn during EVA’s are white and the color is used to help regulate astronaut body temperature. On earth NASA astronauts are seen wearing a traditional blue flight suit.

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