Alpha Industries MA-1 Blood Chit Jacket MID-WEIGHT Suitable for mild or colder winter climates ranging 25F to 40F PRODUCT DETAILS The MA-1 BLOOD CHIT jacket is one of a kind to be worn with pride. Alpha's MA-1 flight jacket with "Blood Chit" sewn on the inside lining was a type of flag that contained a message in several languages identifying an airman as a U.S. Aviator if they were shot down, to aid the airman in avoiding capture and in being returned safely to U.S. Forces. A reward was offered for this assistance. This is a classic flight jacket made for the military for over 40 years and features nylon flight satin outer shell with reversible orange nylon lining with the Blood Chit sewn into it, front closure storm flap, knitted collar, cuffs, and waistband and Alpha signature zippered utility/pencil pocket. If you are looking for a quality jacket that isn't just like the one everyone else has, then this is certainly worthy of your consideration. Just think of all the conversations you can have with this jacket. 100% nylon outer shell and 100% polyester interlining (dry clean only) Alpha Signature Zippered utility/pencil pocket Double Pull Tab on Heavy Duty Zipper Two snap flap-close front pocketsTwo snap flap-close inside pockets Vietnam era silk blood chit sewn on orange liner PRODUCT HISTORY Introduced by the mid-1950s, the MA-1 became the flight jacket of U.S. Air Force and Navy pilots and ground crew. Designed for use in temperatures of 14-50 degrees F, the MA-1 had a 100% wool knit collar, waistband and cuffs. The MA-1 discarded the mouton fur collar of its predecessor, the B-15, because it interfered with the parachute harness worn by aviators. Other features of the jacket included a tab that the oxygen mask was clipped to, tabs to hold the headset wires in place and the original U.S. Air Force decal. These features were eventually removed from the flight jacket as it was adopted by other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and equipment for pilots changed. An addition to the jacket in 1960 was the reversibility to show off an Indian Orange lining. The reason being if a plane crashed, the pilot could reverse the jacket to the orange side to signal rescue personnel. Alpha Industries' first government contract for the MA-1 was awarded in 1963. We started producing the MA-1 flight jacket for the civilian population in the 1970s. Black was added to the military sage green requirement. The jacket has evolved over the years but it is still one of our top sellers and today we produce many variations on this classic flight jacket. Alpha Industries MA-1 Blood Chit Jacket