Cockpit USA 21st Century A-2 A Full Rider Review
The Cockpit USA U.S.A.F. 21st Century A-2 Jacket, from $595, rated 5.0 from 31 reviews is the jacket most people should buy from this brand. It is the A-2 flight pattern in its current form rather than a wartime reproduction, built in the United States in goatskin, and it holds a 5.0 rating from 31 reviews at the time of writing. It is also the Cockpit jacket most likely to be worn weekly rather than kept for occasions.
The pattern, and why it lasted
The A-2 is a waist-length leather jacket with a shirt-style collar, knit cuffs and waistband, and two patch pockets. It was designed to be worn in a cockpit, which is to say in a confined space where a long hem and a bulky collar get in the way.
That constraint is why the pattern still works eighty years later. It is short, it is close through the body, and it does not fight a seat or a seatbelt. Very few heritage garments survive because they were correct rather than because they were nostalgic. This is one of them.
Goatskin, and what it does
Goatskin is the traditional A-2 leather and it behaves differently from cowhide. It is lighter for its strength, it has a pebbled grain that hides scuffs, and it stays supple rather than getting board-like in cold. What it does not do is develop the heavy patina that horsehide fans are looking for.
If you want a jacket that looks visibly older every year, this is not that jacket, and a horsehide pattern from another maker is the better choice.
On a motorcycle
Honestly, it is a jacket that can be ridden in rather than a riding jacket. There is no CE armor and no armor pocket, the knit cuffs and waistband let air in at speed, and the leather weight is chosen for the pattern rather than for abrasion.
A rider who wants the look with riding intent is better served by a purpose-built jacket with armor pockets. For short trips, town riding and everything off the bike, it is excellent and it will outlast several textile jackets.
Gloves that suit it
Double-Diamond Touchscreen Gloves, from $143, rated 4.92 from 87 reviews. Deerskin touchscreen, the period-correct pairing
ILL DOZER Outseam Gloves, from $129, rated 4.9 from 99 reviews. The modern outseam option if comfort matters more than looks
Frequently asked
Is this a reproduction?
No. It is the current pattern rather than a wartime reproduction. The brand does build reproduction models separately, including a Top Gun G-1.
How should it fit?
Close through the chest with room for a shirt, and ending at the top of the belt. Military patterns run closer than modern casual jackets, so check the chest measurement.
Will it work in cold weather?
It is a three-season jacket. For actual cold, the sheepskin B-3 is the pattern in this range designed for it.
