Men's Sheepskin Flying Jackets

A sheepskin flying jacket is what RAF and USAAF crews wore at altitude in unheated aircraft. One hide with the wool left on, turned so the fleece sits against you and the leather takes the weather. Nothing made since has beaten it for warmth, which is why the shape has barely changed in eighty years.

Flying jacket, flight jacket and pilot jacket all mean the same thing on this page.

What a B3 flying jacket actually is

The B3 is the heavy one. Thick sheepskin body, a deep fleece collar you can turn up over your ears, and leather straps across the throat to pull it shut. It was built for bomber crews sitting in open positions at twenty thousand feet. If you want the warmest coat we sell, a b3 sheepskin jacket is it. For the rest of the range, including coats and shearling collar styles, see our men’s sheepskin jackets.

The B6 and the RAF Irvin are lighter takes on the same idea, cut closer to the body with a smaller collar. Easier to live with day to day if you are not actually flying anywhere. The A2 and G1 are leather rather than sheepskin, and those sit with our bomber jackets.

Why a real sheepskin flying jacket costs more

Every jacket here is real sheepskin. One hide, wool still attached, which is why these are heavy and why they cost more than a leather shell with a fake fleece glued inside. A faux shearling flying jacket feels lighter in your hand and flattens off after one winter. Real wool springs back when you press it.

Where anything we sell is faux we write faux on the product page. On this page, nothing is.

Brown or black flying jacket

Brown is the original and still the one most men buy. A mens brown leather flying jacket goes with denim and looks better as it ages. A black sheepskin jacket is the smarter option if you wear mostly dark clothes and want it to work over something other than jeans. Cream and ivory fleece against a dark hide is a newer combination and it photographs well.

Flying jackets with a hood

An aviator jacket with a hood was never part of the original B3, but a fur lined hood is genuinely useful in a British winter. We sell both, hooded and not.

How a sheepskin flying jacket should fit

These are bulky, and there is no getting round that. Thick hide, then wool on top of it, so a flying jacket takes up more room than anything else you own. Most men stay with their usual size and wear a jumper underneath rather than sizing up. Measure your chest over a jumper rather than over a shirt, then check the table on the product page.

Looking after a sheepskin flying jacket

Do not dry clean it unless the cleaner handles sheepskin specifically, and most do not. If it gets soaked, hang it somewhere with air moving and leave it alone. Heat ruins sheepskin. No radiators, no tumble dryer, no hairdryer.

Made to order, and how long it takes

Your jacket is cut and stitched in your size once you order, which is why it takes longer to arrive than ready made stock. The delivery date on the product page is the real one. UK delivery is free. The women’s versions are on our shearling jackets page.