The Flying Tigers and the A-2 Flight Jacket
- jamesjordan
- Jun 28
- 4 min read
Before Pearl Harbor, before the United States officially entered World War II, a group of American pilots was already fighting — and dying — in the skies over China and Burma. The American Volunteer Group, which flew under the Chinese flag and earned the name 'Flying Tigers' for the distinctive shark-mouth nose art on their P-40 Warhawks, became one of the most storied fighter groups in aviation history. And their A-2 flight jackets told that story in leather.
Who Were the Flying Tigers?
The American Volunteer Group was organized in 1941 by Claire Lee Chennault, a retired U.S. Army Air Corps officer who had been advising the Chinese Air Force. With permission from the Roosevelt administration — granted covertly to avoid provoking Japan before the U.S. was ready for war — Chennault recruited American military pilots who resigned their commissions to join the AVG as civilian contractors.
The group began combat operations in December 1941 — just days after Pearl Harbor, though their recruitment and training had begun months earlier. Flying Curtiss P-40B Warhawks painted with the now-iconic shark mouth design, the AVG achieved remarkable kill ratios against Japanese air forces over Burma and China, protecting the crucial supply route known as the Burma Road.
The A-2 in AVG Service
The pilots of the AVG were former U.S. military aviators, and many came equipped with A-2 flight jackets from their previous service. Others acquired A-2s through military supply channels available to them as contractor pilots working with allied forces. The A-2, with its clean leather construction, practical pockets, and durability in field conditions, was ideally suited to the jungle-edge airfields from which the AVG operated.
Unlike the high-altitude B-3 worn by European theater bomber crews, the A-2 was appropriate for the altitudes and climate of the China-Burma-India theater. The tropical heat at low altitudes meant heavier insulation was unnecessary, but at operational altitudes — and particularly at the high altitudes sometimes used for navigation and combat — a leather jacket provided meaningful protection.
Decoration and Identity: The AVG Blood Chit
One of the most distinctive items associated with Flying Tigers A-2 jackets was the blood chit — a cloth panel or card sewn to the back of the jacket or carried by the pilot. Written in Chinese and several local languages, the blood chit asked local civilians and resistance fighters to help any downed American pilot and return them to Allied forces in exchange for a reward.
The blood chit was a survival tool in a theater where a downed pilot faced hundreds of miles of jungle, mountains, and occupied territory. Some pilots sewed them directly to the back of their A-2 jackets. Others carried them in the jacket's interior pocket. Either way, the A-2 was literally part of their survival kit.
Squadron Patches and Personal Markings
Flying Tigers A-2 jackets became canvases for remarkable personalization. The AVG organized itself into three pursuit squadrons — the Adam and Eves, the Panda Bears, and the Hell's Angels — each with distinctive insignia. Pilots often wore their squadron patch on the breast of their A-2. Kill markings, sometimes using Japanese flag symbols, were occasionally painted or patched onto the leather.
These decorated jackets survive today as irreplaceable historical artifacts, and they inspired the tradition of painted and patched A-2s that persisted through the entire WWII American air war.
The Flying Tigers Legacy in American Aviation Culture
The Flying Tigers became legends almost immediately — Hollywood produced a film with John Wayne as a Flying Tiger pilot in 1942, while the group was still in combat. The shark-mouth P-40, the leather A-2 jacket, and the jungle airfield became iconic imagery of American volunteer courage and skill. When the AVG was formally disbanded and absorbed into the U.S. Army Air Forces in July 1942, the legend only grew.
Cockpit USA's Flying Tigers A-2 Jacket
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the Flying Tigers?
The Flying Tigers were the American Volunteer Group — a unit of American pilots who flew for China against Japan before the U.S. officially entered WWII, operating December 1941 through July 1942.
What aircraft did the Flying Tigers fly?
The Flying Tigers flew Curtiss P-40B Warhawks, painted with distinctive shark-mouth nose art and Chinese Air Force roundels.
What is a blood chit on a flight jacket?
A blood chit is a panel or card sewn to or carried in a flight jacket, written in local languages, asking civilians to assist and return a downed pilot to Allied forces in exchange for compensation.
Why is horsehide preferred for A-2 jacket reproductions?
Horsehide has a tighter grain than cowhide, making it more resistant to abrasion and moisture. It was the original material specified for WWII-era A-2 jackets and remains the most historically accurate choice for reproductions.
