AVIATOR ID SEARCH

Radu,

Your remarks well noted and I will revert with
an update at a later point in time .

Since you mentioned a couple of book titles which
I dont have the fortune to posses them yet, maybe
you mind to tell me if the airmen near the FW-189
is wearing an immersion suit ( hypothermia water
protective related type ) or just a flyers coverall.

I saw that suit mostly on those who crossed the
channel and those who headed on extended
missions over water.

Thanks
Alex

Yugit, the pilot in front of the 189 is wearing a garden-variety run-of-the-mill Sommerfliegerkombi flight suit. This was used on all fronts.
I am not sure what you mean about an "immersion suit" but the main item that pointed that someone was about to fly over water was a flotation device/lifevest, either kapok-filled or inflatable.
Hth
Radu

Radu

Immersion suit is one thing and life preserver is an other
thing. Immersion suit is to protect the airman while
ditching into the cold water ( against hypothermia) means
protecting the body against loss of heat and insulation against
moist , the life preserver or so called life jacket is to sustain
airman body during floatation.

Seeker

Thanks for the scan

This post has been edited by yugit on November 29, 2011 02:02 pm

Yugit,
I think that everyone here got what an "immersion suit" may be... the clue may possibly be in the name, i.e. a "suit" intended for "immersion".

What I do not understand is why you think that the suit in that picture is an "immersion suit" especially after you stated that you have Prodger's book on flying clothing, which illustrates it clearly from Pg.84 onwards. Just reading the book you said you have should answer all your questions about that suit.

The other volume of Prodger's two-part work on flying clothing and pilot survival gear shows a few types of life preservers (as well as dingies and survival-at-sea equipment).

HTH
Radu

Radu

I didnt say I have all volumes, pse review my post, secondly
I have only one volume and at the page 84 and onwards there's
nothing described what you just stated but RAF escape box and boots....etc
so don't rush to judgement on something I didnt say or you may think I said.

This suit was worn extensively over water ops thats why I have
asked...and because is no where in my book, period

This post has been edited by yugit on November 29, 2011 03:13 pm

Yugit,
You told me that you opened your Prodger book and there you found "information about the helmets and goggles".

There are two Prodger volumes on RAF and Luftwaffe pilot equipment, which are separated into one volume on "Flight clothing" and one volume on "Flight gear".

The helmets and goggles are explained in the Prodger book about "flight clothing". Apart from describing the helmets and goggles, that volume also explains the suits, and that Luftwaffe standard run-of-the-mill suit that baffles you appears on page 84.

Now, you say that you only have the volume on "flight gear", which actually does not explain the helmets, goggles or flight suits. This is the volume that covers safety and survival gear. Yes, on page 84 this book is has British boots. That book is no good as a reference on helmets. It is good for parachutes, dingies, flares, rations, etc, but not helmets.

That suit has always been associated with the Luftwaffe bomber crews. It has nothing to do with water. It is standard equipment. If you ever watched any movie about the Battle of Britain, you will see it all over the place. The movie Battle of Britain has it in almost every scene showing a German bomber crew. Also, in any wartime photo of the interior of a German bomber, the crew is wearing that suit. Google it! In fact, that suit is so synonimous with Luftwaffe bomber crews that it is almost as instantly-recognisable as the "coal-scuttle" helmet.

In any case, I said what I had to say, you can choose to believe me or not.

Radu

GUYS!!!! I NEED INFO ABOUT THIS PILOT! NOT THE ENCICLOPEDIA OF GERMAN HELMETS AND GOGGLES!

Another short info: Ciovica died during a training flight with he's student Ionescu V.

Seeker,
There are a number of inconsistencies in relation to the ribbon that made you think he was the bearer of the Iron Cross.
First of all, he stands in front of a I.A.R.80-B of the series 291-300 wearing cockades. The series 291-300 was manufactured in February 1943. So, a combination of the type of aircraft and markings indicates that the photo was taken after September 1944. Had it been an earlier-type of I.A.R.80, one could have made a plausible argument that the photo was taken before May 1941, alas, no chance... So, how wise was it to wear German awards at a time when Germany was the enemy? Are "enemy sympathisers" popular with brothers in arms? Just wondering...
Also, in as far as I understand from the person who gave me the photo, Constantin Ciovica got his pilot licence (No.2939) on 27.02.1946. So, there is no single chance, not even the slightest, that he was awarded an Iron Cross in 1946 when the Communist party was gaining in popularity and all "fascists" were getting into all kinds of troubles.
I suspect that the ribbon is something else. If that is indeed an Iron Cross ribbon (which makes him either very brave or very stupid), then it ain't his.
HTH
Radu

I will make a short statement because is getting out of topic. Like anyone
else I saw the Battle of Britain and you can imagine that after many years
of research I neither gamble or exagerate with my statements.

The summer flyers coverall you've mentioned may have been a
standard equip.but if you would start a new topic I can get you
a duzin of photos of bomber pilots and crews wearing a
wide varitey of other summer coveralls types ,period.

Yugit, you are pertectly entitled to disagree.
I said all I had to say on that matter.
Radu

Just found 2 other fotos in my collection with Ciovica. On the back of the one with PWs is written Fotografiat la un avion PWS tip Polonez. Elev cap. C I Ciovica



Uploaded with ImageShack.us




Uploaded with ImageShack.us

One of the airfcraft is wearing crosses and the other is wearing cockades (or it seems so... it is unclear) while he was a "student". Looks like he began his pilot course around the time when the change of national insignia took place.
Radu

This post has been edited by Radub on November 30, 2011 12:16 pm

Can someone give me information about this man?
Caloianu Ghe?

Thanks!

Horia sunt corecte datele de brevetare cu mentiunea "brevetat pilot de vanatoare pe avion IAR-80".

Datele accidentului in care Ciovica I.D. Constantin si-a pierdut viata:
Centrul de Intructie al Aeronauticii Focsani.
In ziua de 20.07.1949. s-a executat un zbor de instructie pe Nardi Nr.162, instructor Slt. Ciovica Constantin, elev Ionescu V. angajati in viraj urmat de vrie, membrii echipajului morti, avionul reformat.

Dan Antoniu