Private purchase Luftwaffe leather flight suit. The uniform consists of a leather flight jacket with silver bullion Oberleutnant's (1st Lieutenant) shoulder straps, zippered leather flying breeches and fleece lined leather flying helmet. The non-regulation, double-breasted, short-waisted, flight jacket is made of light-weight brown leather. The external buttons are brown hard rubber with an impressed basket weave pattern, and the internal buttons are a mixture of plastic and alloy construction, with the proper bright yellow aviator/paratrooper waffenfarbe on the shoulder boards. An aluminum Luftwaffe eagle/swastika insignia is pinned to the jacket's right breast, and the left breast has a pair of pre-positioned decoration mounting loops (typically for a qualification badge) between the pockets. The heavy brown leather flight breeches bear the maker's tag of "Leder-Teichert" of Hamburg, have zippers on the fly and ankles and two zipper pockets, with the legs below the knees fabricated separately from the rest of the pants and showing contrasting inner lining. The brown leather flying helmet is very similar to the Siemens 101 model in external appearance, but in features is closer to the 1930s pattern K33 flight helmet, having no on-board electronics (no earphones or contact microphone), while still being fitted with numerous straps and clips to secure goggles and oxygen mask, as well as a soft white leather sweat pad in the forehead area along with the white wool inner lining. The uniform probably dates from the late 1930s and is definitely an officer's private purchase item; while on-board radio gear was virtually mandatory for aviators and crew by war's end, many single seat aircraft pilots, fighters and air crewmen did without as a matter of course in the 1930s. Most fighter pilots favored these private purchased leather jackets as evidenced by period photographs.

Very fine to excellent overall, with some minor wear on the jacket and flight helmet, and some stitching loss on the crotch of the breeches. The general condition of all three pieces is very fine. A one-of-a-kind Luftwaffe officer's flight uniform. Formerly of the George Petersen Collection and the Putnam Green Collection.