Flying helmets

[biggles5128]

All those years of riding motor bikes and I would never have considered not wearing a helmet. The guys and gals in the lighter aircraft and ag pilots were them... why don't we see them used in other sport aircraft??? Just giving this some thought, it would be a little uncomfortable but reassuring if that day came (like on a bike) where it may probably save your life. Whats your thoughts?

 

 

[facthunter]

I use them in Drifters. Doing aeros maybe. Comfort is a factor and the more you are insulated from the world around you the less you are aware of. I'm not a big fan. Think I'd consider a flame proof suit before that. Nev

 

 

[cscotthendry]

I think a hemet is useful in an open cockpit like a trike etc. also think it's important in a combat situation where stray pieces of airplane may be flying about. In an enclosed cockpit in a rec aircraft, too hot, heavy and uncomfortable. If one is thinking of crash protection, wrapping oneself in bubble wrap might be useful.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Some helmets are very expensive so maybe the cost is a factor ?

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

I have considered wearing a helmet, but getting one to mate up with a good headset is a problem. There are several on the market, but I'd like to try one before I buy. Meanwhile, my plan B is to have a layer of styrene over all hard surfaces near my noggin.

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

Got one!...

 

 

 

[djpacro]

I have one like that Bubbleboy but I don't call it a real helmet. I wore a hard hat for some flying quite a few years ago. I still wear a fire-resistant suit and a parachute when doing serious aerobatics.

 

Like many things, consider the risks, pay your money and take your choice.

 

 

[seb7701]

I share your thoughts on the safety aspect of helmets Biggles - have often thought if it is good enough in a drifter, then why not in a Tecnam? 'Tis a hard one, as one wonders just how many times a fatality has occurred where a head injury was the only 'deciding' factor in the survivability aspect. I am thinking it is not that often, although if I found evidence to the contrary, I would be easily convinced into strapping on a Gentex of some sort.

 

 

[VFR Pilot]

If your worried about bumping your head or maybe killing yourself then harden the f----- up. If you think your going to crash then you probably will.

 

Most injuries are internal or a snapped neck anyway.

 

Helmet laws suck

 

 

[M61A1]

I wear an older jet helmet with built in headphones and boom mic. It has a movable visor which I've found handy when the sun is low. I wear it mainly because I've read of quite a few fatalities that would have been easily survivable if the pilot had have been conscious (water /fire), but didn't survive because they bashed their head and were knocked unconscious.

 

 

[biggles5128]

If your worried about bumping your head or maybe killing yourself then harden the f----- up. If you think your going to crash then you probably will.Most injuries are internal or a snapped neck anyway.

Helmet laws suck

I would suggest that you have not been flying for very long and with an attitude like that i would go out on a limb and say that you may be a danger to yourself and others in the sky. There are old and there are bold pilots but not too many old bold pilots. I don't mean any offence just my gut feeling.

 

 

[VFR Pilot]

You miss understand me biggles, I am old but not bold. I am a very careful pilot and in no way a danger to myself or any one else! In fact I have seen plenty of cowboys in planes out there that are very dangerous.

 

I have been riding motorcycles all my life, for as long as I can remember, and the only injury I have had was a broken collar bone when I was 14 years old. I can't stand wearing helmets and If I had a choice I would only wear one when riding in built up areas. Other people are a danger to me not the other way round. So come back in off that limb and dont judge me so harshly. I would be very disappointed If I had to wear a helmet wile flying my plane.

 

You asked for my thoughts

 

 

[biggles5128]

You miss understand me biggles, I am old but not bold. I am a very careful pilot and in no way a danger to myself or any one else! In fact I have seen plenty of cowboys in planes out there that are very dangerous.I have been riding motorcycles all my life, for as long as I can remember, and the only injury I have had was a broken collar bone when I was 14 years old. I can't stand wearing helmets and If I had a choice I would only wear one when riding in built up areas. Other people are a danger to me not the other way round. So come back in off that limb and dont judge me so harshly. I would be very disappointed If I had to wear a helmet wile flying my plane.

You asked for my thoughts

Yes VFR, on motorcycle helmets, its strange how we need legislators to make these laws to protect heads that aren't smart enough to want to protect themselves.....

 

 

[M61A1]

Yes VFR, on motorcycle helmets, its strange how we need legislators to make these laws to protect heads that aren't smart enough to want to protect themselves.....

I have always been against legislation forcing people to protect themselves, but I always wear protection (helmet & gloves on a bike and helmet in my aircraft), not because I think I'm going to crash, but because Murphy's a bitch. It means the difference between walking away unhurt and losing skin, and even losing just little bit skin hurts for a few days.

[lark]

There was an interesting article along with statistics in "Flight safety" magazine a few years back (Cant find it at the moment). Basically it pointed out that in all rescue service helicopters and military operations use of helmets is compulsory. The various benefits of a helmet is well documented in the article. I don't suggest they be made compulsory. However after reading the article, it is something worth thinking about. It may not save your life. However, even prevention of concussion would be a worthwhile outcome.

 

 

[biggles5128]

Yes Lark, thats sort of what I am getting at. I don't think we need to legislate the use of them in aircraft however as per the original question, how many are already using them and what were the pros and cons. Even with the harness tight, it would still be possible to sustain a momentary loss of control due to a bump on the head from severe clear air turbulence.

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

I can't stand wearing helmets and If I had a choice I would only wear one when riding in built up areas.

The problem here lies with socialised healthcare we have in Australia. I agree you should be free to ride without a helmet if you wish but only on condition you agree to pay for all your medical costs in the event of an accident that resulted in any head trauma.

 

I believe head trauma is a significant problem in light aircraft accidents, there have been many instances of folk dying in lightly damaged aircraft due to head impact. Maybe one day airbags will become common.

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

If your worried about bumping your head or maybe killing yourself then harden the f----- up. If you think your going to crash then you probably will.Most injuries are internal or a snapped neck anyway.

Helmet laws suck

Ya kidding right?Google 'head injury raccoon eyes' and have a look at the images, that's what happens if you don't have a helmet (on a bike)! Most motorbike injuries are actually head injuries and/or severe gravel rash (read tearing the flesh from the bone).

 

PS: I'm not a fan of legislating the wearing of helmets in any vehicle (including motorbikes).

 

 

[seb7701]

Anyone who says that 'helmet laws suck' usually prattles on with the whole 'I've been riding all my life' crap- the comments go hand in hand. The fact is and I will insert the IMHO disclaimer here, we unfortunately DO need to protect people from themselves, because I have better things to spend my tax dollars on than the Medicare expenses involved in keeping some dill on life support who would have rathered have the wind in his or her hair, than to wear a helme which would have protected them from the OTHER dill who ran a stop/giveaway sign and took them out and turned them into a vegetable from a head injury.

 

As for built up areas only, yeah, sure the chances are greater and more likely with other traffic around, but I can rattle of the stacks I have knowledge of in country areas from 'roos and other causes which, in the most recent case, resulted from a fatality.

 

I am not suggesting compulsory wearing of lids in aircraft, but I would not dream of bagging out someone who wishes to. I also just remembered the XXXX Pitts special which went down at Gatton some years ago- vertical climb, radio popped out and nailed the pilot in the forehead and knocked him out I think?

 

As for the "harden the f----" up comment for someone wanting to protect themselves, go read some accident reports from piper cubs and pay some attention to the cross braces and pilot's heads. Withc comments like that I am guess you picked on the kids who wore shin pads at soccer at school.....nice....

 

 

[metalman]

I have a leather type helmet for open cockpit flying , more for protection against the elements and to keep my headset from moving , before starting the test flying on my aircraft I considered using a proper helmet , I bought one only to realise it needed a specific headset combo to fit onto the sides, in the end I just went nude headed as so far so good.

 

 

[Ivan B]

I also ride motorcycles and would not even sit on one without a helmet ATGATT. But I would never use a helmet in a car unless on a race track. I am new to RA and maybe you guys know somthing I don't. I understand there are managed dangers and even the best pilot under the best circimstances could be involved in an incident. It should all be about choice. Do you choose to be involved in a dangerous sport and how do you choose to best manage the dangers beyond the mandatory regulations. Would I choose to continue flying if a helmet was mandatory? YES. Would I choose to fly with a helmet or should it be mandatory? NO. The other problem with a helmet is heat. In a closed aircraft your head would get very hot even with all the vents open. Motorcycles and open aircraft have a lot of airflow. Closed aircraft have very little airflow and I would be worried about the negative effects of heat.

 

 

[seb7701]

Helmet in a closed cockpit, without airflow, is a very pertinent point! As I think I mentioned, I don't think anyone is suggesting mandatory wearing of lids, as this is purely a 'Do you reckon it might be a good idea' kind of question.

 

 

[facthunter]

Head contact with parts of the panel in front are common in crashes. Early aircraft had leather padding. In an aircraft you have a seatbelt to keep you in which is nothing like a motorcycle where you often get propelled into Armco trees etc with nothing around you, for protection. The seatbelt is required to stand very high "G" forces and the weight of the helmet would be taken by the neck in a collision where the force would come from the front in most instances. There is loss of sensory perception too, hearing/visual peripheral. and the comfort factor, weight, fit, engine noises/vibration not good for hours at a time in a helmet. In an enclosed cockpit of reasonable strength, I would not see it being a positive unless wearing a parachute and doing low level aeros or pylon racing, mustering etc

 

 

[Downunder]

When people think "helmets", they generally think of motorcycle full face types.

 

I would like to see a skateboard/snowboard type helmet for light aircraft use. Look on ebay for examples.

 

Thse would be ideal in cockpits. Lightweight and well ventilated.

 

Headset cutouts or mounts would be needed. If something was available like this I would be very interested.

 

I am against it being compulsory but would like to see it encouraged by the RAA as part of a greater safety culture.

 

 

[M61A1]

Head contact with parts of the panel in front are common in crashes. Early aircraft had leather padding. In an aircraft you have a seatbelt to keep you in which is nothing like a motorcycle where you often get propelled into Armco trees etc with nothing around you, for protection. The seatbelt is required to stand very high "G" forces and the weight of the helmet would be taken by the neck in a collision where the force would come from the front in most instances. There is loss of sensory perception too, hearing/visual peripheral. and the comfort factor, weight, fit, engine noises/vibration not good for hours at a time in a helmet. In an enclosed cockpit of reasonable strength, I would not see it being a positive unless wearing a parachute and doing low level aeros or pylon racing, mustering etc

Yes, head contact with the panel is common. Due to the compact design of my 95.10, it wouldn't take a lot to get head contact with the panel.If I remember correctly, in Bill Whitney's light aircraft design course, he is quite adamant that, by design , the panel should be out of reach of one's head, he also mentioned that it's surprising how far the body will extend (in a crash)even with a shoulder harness. The vertical tube right behind my head in a Drifter also concerns me.

Proper aviation helmets are usually lightweight (unless you have one those "you beaut" Top Owl setups with NVG's), have a built in headset, which also acts as noise suppression, and are designed not to restrict peripheral vision. Most have two visors, a clear and tinted, so goggles and a headset are completely redundant.

 

The downside is that they are expensive, mine is a cheap second hand one.

 

But as you suggest, if I was in a spacious enclosed cockpit, I probably wouldn't bother unless I was carrying out inherently risky operations. I would hate to see it become mandatory, 1. because management in this country never get it right 2. then we would all be forced to use stuff made to a special standard with special lifing criteria, and it's already getting too expensive.