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Do You Wear a Helmet?

I've been wearing helmets doing other activities for coming up on 50 years and feel very comfortable with them. I don't yet have one for flying, mainly because I have not invested the time in trying them. When I go to the shows, the booths are usually very busy, and I'd like to try on several models and sizes.

All the arguments against helmets we hear in this thread were common across other activities before their use became completely normalized - motorcycling, bicycling, rock climbing, snow skiing, skating, ...

I'm happy this kind of thread keeps coming up, as it reminds me I need to get off my a++ and get myself a helmet. Or two, one for my GIB as well.

BTW - I wear a flight suit - perhaps we need a thread on that topic! :D
 
I have a HGU_55 helmet but I haven't got around to wire it up for ANR yet. There are always two camps of opinions about using helmet but I've been using it for the last few decades, either riding bicycles or motorcycles. My plan is to wear the HGU-55 when I fly my RV8, even after phase 1. I don't worry about messing my hair, since I have so little remaining.
 
You're running mogas in an IO-540?
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If I thought the use of mogas would elevate the risk of flying, I would ditch the idea of using it, rather than make up for it with a helmet.

There is no doubt that on rare occasions a helmet may be a life saving accessory, much like a fire suit or a parachute.
Sort of like a gun, if you need one and you don't have one you may never need one again.
 
JDeanda said:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cFbF4bfU_sA&pp=ygUXUGF1bCBCZXJ0b3JlbGxpIGhlbG1ldHM= Here’s a link to Paul Bertorelli of Avweb’s thoughts on helmets. As usual, he offers some info and a few statistics while not offering firm conclusions, preferring to leave the decisions to the viewer. I seem to recall he made an earlier video about helmets, I’ll see if I can find it.
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My attitude toward helmets is pretty much the same as Paul's. For some flying...it makes sense, but I don't do that kind of flying anymore and I'm not inclined to wear one in my RV-9A for many of the reason's he mentioned.
 
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Helmets.....to be or not to be.......

rv8ch said:
I've been wearing helmets doing other activities for coming up on 50 years and feel very comfortable with them. All the arguments against helmets we hear in this thread were common across other activities before their use became completely normalized - motorcycling, bicycling, rock climbing, snow skiing, skating, ...
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OK: since I kind of opened this thread up initially, allow me to pontificate a little. I wear a helmet cycling (that's bicycling). In the however many decades I have been cycling, I have had to replace my helmet twice from a fall: once hitting some sand and going down; once during a criterium race when the cyclist in front of me went down. He went to the ER with a cracked skull. Yes, he had a helmet on. I wear one skiing. In the times I have fallen, my head usually contacts the (not so soft) Snow at some point during the fall. The one fall I had to replace the helmet: run into by a snowboarder. (How a snowboarder introduces themselves to you: "Uh, sorry, dude"). Technical rock climbing: wear one. Motorcycling (don't do that much anymore; see below): helmet. I see people, fewer all the time, who don't wear helmets. My favorite are the parents cycling with their kids, all of whom have helmets, except the adults!?!:confused::mad:

Flying: no one expects to need a helmet when flying. One argument is that they would wear one if back country flying. When the fan stops on your cross-country, you will suddenly be back country landing. You won't need it during your usual flying activities; you might if those usual activities become more exciting! I'm in the front seat of SuzieQ. I'm going to get to the wreck first. And be the recipient of whatever decides to work it's way through the canopy. I like having that extra layer of protection.

From where do I speak? In my previous life, I was a physician working Urgent Care/Trauma/ER for nearly 35 years. I saw the results of people wearing helmets :) and the results of those who chose not to. :eek: Why I don't ride motorcycles much anymore. Will they protect you against everything? Of course not. They just increase your chances of making it through and untoward situation significantly.

I'm happy this kind of thread keeps coming up, as it reminds me I need to get off my a++ and get myself a helmet. Or two, one for my GIB as well.
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Good plan! We will be getting my regular PIB a helmet soon.

BTW - I wear a flight suit - perhaps we need a thread on that topic! :D
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Oh, Mickey! We've open up a big enough can of worms here!:D

Yes, I wear one. Is it to look cool? I take it off as soon as I am out of the airplane. Except maybe at a fly-in: then it might be to look cool! :D
I wear a speed suit when I am time trial racing (cycling). To look cool? No: to go faster. I wear a "kit" when I'm road riding/racing. I wear a ski suit when I'm skiing. To look cool? No: to stay warm. I wear a pair of coveralls when I am working on dirty stuff (cars, airplanes). To look cool? Definitely not! :D No: to stay clean. I wear all those for a specific purpose. My flight suit has a specific purpose: to maybe give me a few more seconds to get out of a bad situation.....:eek: I also have a 5 point harness....doesn't do much with "normal" cross country....except in Wyoming.....;) IMHO; YMMV

That's the cool thing about doing what we do: we build our airplanes they way we want them; we can dress however we want as well.....
 
Well, I never wore one when I was flying Pipers and Cessnas and Socatas. And for most of my adult life, I've driven convertibles and never wore one then, either.

So, nah, not for me (but again, I don't engage in some of the more risky types of aviation, like low-level aerobatics, backcountry, pipeline patrols, etc.).

But I do have 5-point harnesses to help prevent those "flail injuries" to the head from contacting the instrument panel.
 
Thanks to all for this topic.

Whether you elect to use or not, helmets make great sense in our mundane, light aircraft, private aviation ops. The speeds are potentially harmful, yet we don't enjoy the safety factors engineered into our automobiles or larger aircraft. We don't have thick glass, crush zones, air bags, padding, nor inside volume (space) to dissipate the forces.

The problem I see is that there really isn't a helmet specifically engineered for the light aircraft, private pilot. I mean, do we really need a re-purposed military grade helmet or a thousand dollar plus, custom fitted, carbon or Kevlar helmet? I don't think so. Light aircraft helmets don't need to be bullet proof, filled with Temperfoam, have mounts for cameras, or be fully head covering. They only need to protect from light impacts and from a forceful windblast, plus carry our coms.

Most of us light aircraft pilots would benefit from something similar in construction to a pedal bike plastic helmet. Requirements would be for it to be low profile, light weight, thinly padded, well ventilated with built-in round-mounts to accommodate popular headset ear cups and an integrated visor. The most important feature would be the integrated optical grade, shatter resistant visor. The thing that worries me most in the GA environment is not a head injury, but a bird coming through our thin canopies.

I have just described something like the Sky Cowboys helmet. Paramotor pilots also use helmets similar to the description. There are numerous videos showing paramotor pilots DIY'ing their own helmets for about $100. However, all of these are adaptations of helmets originally designed for other applications. If there were commercial helmets purpose built for the light aircraft, private pilot cockpit, I think more of us would wear them.

Oh, I just saw this on Amazon for $80. I wonder if...
 

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Helmets...ya or nay.....

Radioflyer said:
Thanks to all for this topic.Whether you elect to use or not, helmets make great sense in our mundane, light aircraft, private aviation ops. The speeds are potentially harmful, yet we don't enjoy the safety factors engineered into our automobiles or larger aircraft. We don't have thick glass, crush zones, air bags, padding, nor inside volume (space) to dissipate the forces.
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Good points. It has been said in this thread that people don't wear a helmet in their cars. Apples are not like oranges, other than being somewhat round...and a fruit....:rolleyes:

The problem I see is that there really isn't a helmet specifically engineered for the light aircraft, private pilot. I mean, do we really need a re-purposed military grade helmet or a thousand dollar plus, custom fitted, carbon or Kevlar helmet? I don't think so. Light aircraft helmets don't need to be bullet proof, filled with Temperfoam, have mounts for cameras, or be fully head covering. They only need to protect from light impacts and from a forceful windblast, plus carry our coms.
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True, there is no helmet specific for light aircraft, unless you don't consider a ag spray plane a 'light aircraft'. Every ag pilot I have ever known would not fly without a helmet. The first pilot I saw when I started flying was a Cub pilot who flew for BLM as a 'coyote-regulation' team. Do these pilots do dangerous things close to the ground? Yep. But consider: when we are landing where we did not plan to, we are likely traveling at a relatively high rate of speed, probably 70mph at a minimum, and will come to a sudden or rough stop before things get quiet. That would not be a "light impact". :eek: Helmets need to be something that protects your melon from those impacts. As well as whatever might be coming at you through the canopy.

Most of us light aircraft pilots would benefit from something similar in construction to a pedal bike plastic helmet. Requirements would be for it to be low profile, light weight, thinly padded, well ventilated with built-in round-mounts to accommodate popular headset ear cups and an integrated visor. The most important feature would be the integrated optical grade, shatter resistant visor. The thing that worries me most in the GA environment is not a head injury, but a bird coming through our thin canopies.
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I wear a cycling helmet almost daily and they are NOT for the high-impact environment we would be subjected to. You need something that stays in place when you are getting tossed around in the cockpit. The Sky Cowboys DIY helmet would be a great alternative. Their already-made ones are a little pricy but the DIY seem to be the same helmet with you putting your com unit in it. They look like they would be the helmet for "light aircraft" we might be looking for. They do not accommodate the newer Bose headsets.

If there were commercial helmets purpose built for the light aircraft, private pilot cockpit, I think more of us would wear them.
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Indeed! The Sky Cowboy helmets might be the ones! Their site quotes the FAA: The FAA determined aircraft accidents are 50% more survivable when wearing a helmet for pilots and passengers alike... Again, these helmets might be a great alternative.

I am very happy to be wearing mine when I fly. It is a HGU-55 from Flighthelmets.com which are also used in the military. It is very protective, is NOT coming off my head in a ruckus, and has a great visor that is another layer of protection in addition to the canopy. I also want roll-over protection when there is only 1/4 inch of plexiglass between me and the possibly fast-moving ground. :eek: They are a little more pricy than when I bought mine. :rolleyes:

Oh, I just saw this on Amazon for $80. I wonder if...
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Um.......no. That is a glorified hard hat and is made for things that might fall from a tree or whatever else on a construction site. The suspension system is not adequate for our use and would likely not stay in place when the noise happens......:eek:

IMHO; YMMV.....of course....
 
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I've never worn a helmet in an airplane and have no plans to start now, unless somebody builds a time machine and and I can go back to become a bush pilot, water bomber, or world class aerobatics pilot. In those arenas I think it makes a lot of sense.

There have been a few comments in this thread to the effect that there's very little rollover protection in an RV but I'm going to disagree. One of the reasons I pulled the trigger on building my 7 was seeing how well my buddies RV6 held up when he flipped it on landing. The airplane was a write off, but he walked away with just some bloody shins where they hit the underside of the panel. Also of note is that it sat there upside down for several hours and never leaked a drop of fuel, which was also pretty comforting.
 

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Pilot's choice.....

Desert Rat said:
I've never worn a helmet in an airplane and have no plans to start now, unless somebody builds a time machine and and I can go back to become a bush pilot, water bomber, or world class aerobatics pilot. In those arenas I think it makes a lot of sense. There have been a few comments in this thread to the effect that there's very little rollover protection in an RV but I'm going to disagree. One of the reasons I pulled the trigger on building my 7 was seeing how well my buddies RV6 held up when he flipped it on landing. The airplane was a write off, but he walked away with just some bloody shins where they hit the underside of the panel. Also of note is that it sat there upside down for several hours and never leaked a drop of fuel, which was also pretty comforting.
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See post 109......:)
 
Desert Rat said:
... One of the reasons I pulled the trigger on building my 7 was seeing how well my buddies RV6 held up when he flipped it on landing. The airplane was a write off, but he walked away with just some bloody shins where they hit the underside of the panel. Also of note is that it sat there upside down for several hours and never leaked a drop of fuel, which was also pretty comforting.
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Terry, you've got to give us more that that! Do you know what happened to cause the flipover?
 
I wear one every time I fly - a custom spec'd BoneHead Composites helmet. One pilot friend made fun of me the first couple of times he saw me. That's it - no one else ever said a word, except to ask where I got it and how long they take. A few other pilots have followed me.

As many have said, add helmets to the never ending debate list. But my position is clear - I will wear it. On one of my first test flights, we engaged the AP and found that it was wired backwards. Despite the four point harness, I still hit the ceiling. With a helmet it hurt a lot less than just a headset. Hit the door with my head once in bad turbulence. Same thing. If you have one, why not wear it?
 
rv8ch said:
Terry, you've got to give us more that that! Do you know what happened to cause the flipover?
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Sure; Tailwheel RV6 at his home airpark which is a 2,500' grass strip. The airplane had just got buttoned up after a condition inspection and he hadn't flown for a while. He had blasted off and gone to another airport a few miles away to get landing currency back. This happened when he came back home. He thinks he landed with his feet already on the brakes. Thats what he told the FAA. Grass bruising on the runway supports that.

The bruising in the grass matched the mains and went for about 100' or so before you could start to see prop strikes in the dirt. That went on for about another 20' then over she went.

Several of us were hanging out in the hangar and saw the whole thing, albeit from mid-field. Two of us hopped on a 4 wheeler and beat feet up to where it was and by the time we got there, maybe 90 seconds after, he was already standing outside the airplane.

He's about 6' tall, maybe 6'1" and didn't even bump his head as near as I can recall. Like I said, I think his only injury was some scuffed shins. I don't remember whether the airplane had 4 point or 5 point harnesses.

On a side note, It wasn't leaking anything, so I crawled back into it to shut off the fuel and master and it was incredibly disorienting trying to figure out where everything was and which way to turn it since it was upside down and I was right side up.
 
Well this is another one of those conversations where everyone will chime in with a different opinion. Some for and some against. I'll throw in just a couple of comments.

I think most people participate in different types of events and they use the equipment that is the norm. Catchers use shin guards or whatever. When these items are established then they are not questioned any longer. If tomorrow everyone started wearing flight helmets then you would see new pilots start to wear them too independent of whether they actually helped from a safety point of view. The opposite is also true. If no-one wears a flight helmet then more than likely few will adopt the practice. So good for those folks that question the norm. Just some food for thought.

It wasn't that long ago that you would never hear a person wearing a helmet skiing unless they were a downhill racer of some type. Now it has become more common.

I've thought about a flight helmet myself, but I haven't decided it I'll go down that path. Its another evaluation of risk that each of us can make.
 
Desert Rat said:
... He thinks he landed with his feet already on the brakes. Thats what he told the FAA. Grass bruising on the runway supports that.
...
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Thanks Terry. Glad the injuries were minor. Something to think about during the landing prep - feet in the right place.
 
rv8ch said:
Thanks Terry. Glad the injuries were minor. Something to think about during the landing prep - feet in the right place.
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Yeah. I only have about 25 hours of tailwheel time at this point, but the friend who signed me off is very experienced tailwheel guy and had me verbalize "feet off the brakes" every time we turned final. He pointed out that when you instruct in a tailwheel, having somebody land with their feet on the brakes is pretty much the only thing the instructor has no way to save."

Anyway- I've derailed this thread enough. Back to the topic at hand. Yes I wear a helmet when I ride a motorcycle. No I'm not wearing a helmet when I fly.
 
Helmet Cooling

If they had helmet models that could accommodate cooling airflow, I would consider it. It may make those battery powered air conditioner units practical if it's only tasked with cooling the head. Without that option, the safety impact from being miserably hot, drenched in sweat (especially in the eyes) during the summer months may make the helmet a detriment.
 
The Helmet Debate.....with popcorn!!!

FlyNSoCal said:
If they had helmet models that could accommodate cooling airflow, I would consider it. It may make those battery powered air conditioner units practical if it's only tasked with cooling the head. Without that option, the safety impact from being miserably hot, drenched in sweat (especially in the eyes) during the summer months may make the helmet a detriment.
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Well, someone does make a helmet that has cooling airflow: look at the Sky Cowboy's site. I have no connection with them but think they might make a good product. And their helmets have vent holes.

That said, I have over 1200 hours in SuzieQ, all of which have been with a helmet: an HGU-55, such as worn in the military. Mine was custom-fit as I have an unusual head shape. It is very comfortable and I have never ONCE have been uncomfortable in it, even in the heat of Summer! I have not been 'miserably hot, drenched in sweat (including the eyes)' and have been in the hottest of Summer weather. Multiple trips to OSH come to mind. Hot AND humid! I do wear a cloth skull cap with it which probably makes it more comfortable than without. I have never talked to anyone who wears one who has those complaints. If they were that bad, the military would have come up with an alternative. Watch https://youtu.be/W2HsTbTY-uw if you want to see one in action. (VERY cool video regardless!)

In my previous life, I saw my share of head injuries. Getting killed from a blow to the head was usually not the most common injury but, of course, can happen. If the injuries are that bad, other injuries would have contributed to that. CHI: closed-head injuries are what a helmet helps to limit. Those can be anything from mild to severely disabling. Why is there so much attention paid to football helmets these days? I am old enough to remember when face masks were not required in hockey for goalies! In fact, helmets were not required. Who remembers Terry Sawchuck? There is a picture below of his face prior to the mask requirement. Now: NHL requires the use of helmets. Helmets for skiing used to be a rare sight. Now it is rare to see someone without one. And avoiding a CHI is the main reason.

SO: no one is required to wear a helmet while flying. Remember when airplanes just had a single seatbelt? Again, the great thing about being the pilot of a E AB aircraft is we can chose what we do and what we don't do. I have a 5 point harness system. I wear a Nomex flight suit. I wear Nomex gloves. I wear a helmet. All my personal choice having seen what I have seen in my career. It is no longer my concern that most pilots don't: I no longer work in the ER....

My popcorn has cheddar cheese flavoring on it......:p;):cool:
 

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I wear an HGU-55 as well for pretty much every flight - it's no less comfortable than the Bose A20s I wear for work and it's quieter. I replaced the electronics in mine with a stereo ANR from Headsets Inc. and recently refinished the entire thing, trading the standard issue gray for red (color matched to my aircraft) along with new black edgeroll.

I like the visor; it blocks the sun without limiting my vision. I like having the option for an O2 mask; it works higher than a cannula and doesn't make my nose itchy after just a few minutes of use. Most of all, I like that if I need to jettison the aircraft my head is protected if it should contact the stabilizer on the way down (read up on the P-51 & T-28 midair from a while ago - especially the part about how the P-51 pilot's helmet had some paint from the Mustang's h-stab).

I've taken grief from only a couple of people over the 10 years I've had it; they and their smooth-brained comments get left on the ground.

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