The first Navy flight jacket on the first Naval Aviator

[Treetopflyer]

This is LT Theodore Ellyson, the first Naval Aviator.
http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd338/treetopflyer3/Pictures/Ellyson-1.jpg
Any ideas as to what kind of jacket he is wearing? It looks like some sort of pull over or perhaps it zips in the back and the strap hanging over his left should helps zip him up.

I know that early aviators had to provide their own gear so I am presuming that this is custom made.

 

[Metatron]

Might be some kind of motoring/workshop garment...

 

[Treetopflyer]

Perhaps, but it is Shearling lined which I find odd since it seems to be open directly to the wind from the bottom. It doesn’t seem like a very practical garment, curious as to why he would have chosen this jacket.

 

[ron521]

I doubt that the jacket even has a zipper, as the zipper was first put on a jacket by Schott in the 1920's. The airplane appears to be much earlier than that date. The jacket itself was probably not designed for aviation, but perhaps some type of arctic wear which was pressed into service.

 

[Dinerman]

The bigger pic shows more context- that he's on water- that he's wearing summer shoes. Looks as though the jacket has something similar to the beavertail found on a Denison smock, in this case, I would assume to keep the wind out?

 

[jack miranda]

Caption: "You're s*$!ing me, right?"

 

[Adcurium]

Caption: "You're s*$!ing me, right?"

HA!

 

[Phantomfixer]

My first thought was of an Alaskan/ explorerers coat.