The Snapshots in Time Collection

Portrait of a French Aviator in Winter Flying Coat, WWI French Pilot Album

Portrait of a French Aviator in Winter Flying Coat, WWI French Pilot Album

Bundled against the cold in a heavy fur-collared coat and fur cap, this man, likely a French military aviator, poses for a portrait during the winter months of World War I. Open-cockpit flying exposed pilots to extreme cold at altitude, making warm coats, caps, and collars essential equipment for the earliest generation of combat aviators on the Western Front. Project: 218542