Avirex - Leather jacket - Vintage

AVIREX G-1 VINTAGE 1980s FLIGHT JACKET – SPEC. 7823 (AER)
Iconic model featuring a “Blood Chit” back patch, a USAAF chest patch, and an “Escape Map” lining.

--- ITEM DESCRIPTION ---

A rare and excellent example of a genuine heavy-leather G-1 pilot jacket, produced by Avirex Limited (New York) in the second half of the 1980s (1986 copyright on the inner lining). The jacket faithfully follows U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics specifications (Spec. 7823 AER), incorporating historic visual elements from the China-Burma-India theater of war (AVG / Flying Tigers).

TECHNICAL AND CONSTRUCTION DETAILS:
- Leather: Sturdy dark brown full-grain leather with its original period “distressed” finish (factory-controlled aging).
- Collar: Soft honey-colored synthetic shearling collar in excellent condition.
- Back: Large sewn-on leather patch depicting the famous “Blood Chit,” with Chinese rescue characters and a hand-painted stylized Nationalist flag.
- Front / Shoulder: Shaped heraldic patch on the left shoulder/chest featuring the embossed and gilt “Winged Star” insignia of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF).
- Inner lining: Fine technical satin fabric printed throughout with an aeronautical escape map (“Escape Map” of the Pyrenees and the French-Spanish border).
- Fastenings and pockets: Heavy metal center zipper with original leather pull tab; two large front patch pockets with shaped flaps and button closures. Brown rib-knit elastic cuffs and waistband.

--- CONDITION (DETAILED REPORT) ---

- Exterior: Very good. The leather retains its full structural integrity and suppleness, along with an authentic patina that makes a striking visual impression. The patches (back and shoulder) show the natural, age-appropriate cracking of the original gilt paint, which attests to the piece’s authenticity and period. The cuffs and elastic waistband are intact, firm, and free of holes or wear.
- Interior: The satin lining is generally sound and the map print is crisp; there is some fraying/tearing of the fabric localized to the upper collar area, just below the collar label (documented in detail in photographs). The flaw is strictly confined to the inner lining, is not visible from the outside, does not compromise the jacket’s integrity, and can easily be reinforced by a seamstress with an invisible stitch.
- Size label: The original fabric size tab beside the main label is worn/frayed with age and