Pilot Edward Gardner’s flight suit

Eddie Gardner, American, 1888 - 1921 · 1918-1919

Pilot Eddie Gardner wore this leather flight suit during his stint as an airmail pilot. The suit was manufactured by A.G. Spaulding and Brothers, originally located in Chicago, Illinois. Flight suits were essential gear for the early airmail pilots. The airplanes used for the service had open cockpits, which left pilots exposed to frigid temperatures. This suit included a diagonal pocket compartment on the pilot’s left front breast that could be used to carry items which the pilot might want to access quickly while in flight.