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Do You Wear a Helmet?

jjhoneck

Well Known Member
Mary and I have ridden motorcycles for 30+ years. We wouldn't dream of riding without a brain bucket -- not even down to the bathroom at the FBO. I've been down once, and the very FIRST thing that hit the pavement was my pumpkin head, ahead of my hands, shoulder, and knees. Without a helmet that day, I'd be goofier than I already am...

Yet, for whatever reason, it never occurred to us to wear one in all the years of flying -- until we got an RV. Then, all that...gorgeous glass...over our heads (and not much else) made us start to think...What are we DOING? If this thing flips, our brains are smeared all over the runway.

So...do any of you guys wear helmets when flying? If so, why? If not, why not?

Thanks!
 
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I modified a Giro Mt. Bike helmet with a Lightspeed Zulu built in.
Wear it sometimes for the more edgy flights. Probably won't have it on the day I need it.
 
I wear a helmet when I ski, not when I fly. If I flip the plane and hit my head I likely have other bigger issues.

Tim
 
I'm not worried about the flip so much.....but a bird in the beak does have me pondering the helmet question. My house/garage is blanketed with helmets from my 'other hobbies'. Motorcycle, motocross, skydiving, snowboarding, cycling, multiple car racing helmets etc...and I've put some of them through some serious testing with my head still in one piece, so why haven't I picked up a flight helmet yet? I can't say for sure. A bit of worry about scratching the canopy certainly. Mostly to avoid looking like a fighter jock wanna be I suppose.

I wonder....if I bought a helmet but put a sticker on it that says "I'm not as cool as I look"....would anyone believe it? Nah, probably not. Of course I am. How about "Does this helmet make my ego look big?" Hey, I kinda like that one.

Seriously though, I am considering an Oshkosh helmet purchase.
 
I'm really torn on this issue. If there was ever a sport where a helmet makes sense, it's flying an RV. With practically no roll protection, and a fairly high chance of an (eventual) off-field landing, there is no doubt that it would be a great safety enhancement.

On the other hand, the hassle, the heat, the discomfort, and the inevitable ridicule that comes with wearing a helmet in an RV is a powerful deterrent that has (so far) overcome my common sense assessment.

As with hockey, bicycling, and motorcycling, I suspect that until it becomes "cool" to wear helmets, most people won't. That's why I was wondering how many RV owners currently wear them?
 
I try to always wear a Helmet... IMHO it is far more important than say a parachute in an RV.

I drew this up sometime back: Helmets in GA

However, every person's attitude to risk is different, and a different decision making process will usually be better than relying on a helmet ;)
 
Not flying yet but I have a helmut and plan to use it no matter what someone may say, especially during the flight test mode. I would hope that everyone here respects an individual's choice to protect themselves.

I have a one-size-fits-all David Clark helmut for the passenger too should they want it. Birds strikes, and tip-overs are my concerns. I expect it to be quieter than a standalone passive headset. The built-in retractable sun visor also works very nice with my prescription glasses. It will keep the sun off my head too but I hope it will not get too hot in the summer.

I never wore a helmut when downhill skiing. No one did at the time and I never thought about it. Always wore one for riding the motorbikes though and wouldn't have it any other way.

Bevan
 
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I have a couple of questions on this subject

1- Out of all of the RV's that have flipped over, how many of the pilots or passengers ended up with bad head injuries? I haven't heard of any outside of severe accidents/crashes where a helmet wouldn't of helped.

2- How many of the individuals who wear helmets will also wear their helmets when riding in a convertible car?

I personally believe that I'm not living my life on the edge just because I drive a Corvette and fly an RV without a helmet. I do realize that certain activities carry risk, but flying or driving without a helmet isn't one of them IMHO.
 
Bird strike more than flip, for a flip I have the roll bar behind & above my head,and a 5 point harness.There will be blood in a bird strike,hopefully the birds and not mine.Eye protection is a must,and in an RV hearing protection too.as the wind & noise will be a distraction. As for cool,well riders look stupid on a high performance sport bike without a helmet these days.The motorcycle industry has done a good job of integrating helmets into there overall design.Helmets make sense when you consider consolidating eye glass,headset,oxygen and in advancements like heating and cooling in one unit.Now how to make it look really cool?IMHO
 
If there was ever a sport where a helmet makes sense, it's flying an RV. With practically no roll protection, and a fairly high chance of an (eventual) off-field landing, there is no doubt that it would be a great safety enhancement.

Jay,

I certainly agree that helmets help with head safety, but I wonder what
"a fairly high chance of....of-field landing" means. Any idea of how many RVs are forced into an off-field landing? Of those, how many actually flip over? Of those, how many pilots/passengers sustain head injuries?
 
Maybe Doug can answer this one......

How hot is it to wear a helmet in Texas summer? Is it bearable?

[ed. Hot after 0900. But, that is what the Cub is for <g>. dr]

In my -4, by the time I taxied from the ramp to runway I was soaked with sweat just wearing a hat.
 
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Always...

So...do any of you guys wear helmets when flying? If so, why? If not, why not?

Thanks!

I wear a helmet always (retired military pilot). As for rationale it should be obvious; head protection. I live in Florida and don?t find the unbearable heat and humidly being anymore unbearable with the helmet. If you decide to get one spend the money and get a good one. A ?good one? not only provides head protection but is custom fitted.
 
Helmet in Pa.

I have been wearing a Helmet for two years now or 140 Hrs in my RV-8 and find that here in Pa. during the summer 90deg. and humid I can pull the canopy back 5" and with the eng ideling get a breeze till I get air born then the vent takes over and I have good ventilation while in flight . Another plus is that the helmet with ANR is QUITER than my ANR head set ! On the Down side in the RV-8 I have to put it on the wing to get in and out ! Their is no place to put it in the cockpit . Do I feel Safer with it on ? I don't think so . But I do like it and the shaded visor over my perscription glasses , First time Helmet user . J.R. Ross :D
 
I don't. But plan on wearing one if I ever do a tough crosswind landing at a private airport that had drag racing going on...
:)
 
I wear a helmet when I'm on the motorcycle because statistics clearly show a very high probability of head injuries from a crash, and there is no other protection or rider/passenger restraint.

I don't wear a helmet when driving because there are restraints and, more recently, other protective measures such as air bags. I haven't worn one while flying and probably won't start, because the planes have/will have good restraints and some decent rollover/flip-over protection.
 
I wear one when flying formation, and when flying aerobatics solo. If i'm travelling cross-country with a passenger, or just going for a $100 burger, I wear a Lightspeed instead.
 
Just a dumb question..

Since a bird is coming at you pretty much head on, what good does the helmet itself do? I can understand the eye protection aspect, but I'm not sure I follow the reasoning for the helmet.

Bob
 
No helmet, but always Z-87 rated eye protection; to keep the feathers out of my eyes (not to mention the resulting breeze).
 
I'd say if it gives you piece of mind and makes you feel safer, then those are reasons enough to wear one. I've responded to six fatal plane crashes as a firefighter and in all cases a helmet would not have changed the outcome.
I don't wear one myself because of what I feel are low odds that it would actually make a difference.

Now watch, I'll hit a bird this week and be wishing I had a helmet on.:eek:
 
I'd say if it gives you piece of mind and makes you feel safer, then those are reasons enough to wear one. I've responded to six fatal plane crashes as a firefighter and in all cases a helmet would not have changed the outcome.
I don't wear one myself because of what I feel are low odds that it would actually make a difference.

I think Paul has the right take on it. I occasionally wear a helmet when the risk analysis says it would make a difference - primarily in test flying, if I am wearing a parachute. I wear it as a "bump hat" to make sure I don't get knocked silly on my way out and can't deploy the chute. If I HAD to fly and there were swarms of birds, I might put the helmet on, but gee...I don't fly in combat, so why would I HAVE to fly that bad?

I can't think of any fatal accident cases I have read about in the last decade or so where a helmet would have changed the outcome - probably there are one or two, but those are statistical anomalies.

I tested a Cassutt yesterday, and had my (very nice) helmet with me but didn't wear it - there was no room the way the cockpit/canopy was configured, and it would have been more of a hindrance than an asset from the standpoint of visibility. It's all about the risk trade for the mission.

Formation? Good idea if you also have a chute (if you hit someone else hard enough to need the helmet, my guess is you'll be jettisoning the airplane). Severe turbulence conditions where you might bump your head? Good idea...but why are you flying? Lots of low altitude flying with birds around? If that is the mission, some sort of solid eye protection is a good idea - and a helmet will help (if you fly with the visor down).

If you watch RV's arrive at a fly-in, I'll bet you'll see very few folks with a helmet - that's just if you want to know the answer to "how many people fly with a helmet?"

A helmet is a tool in the risk management box. Sometimes, it helps, sometimes it can hurt - one size does not fit all, and for "normal" flying, I find that I leave it in the bag.

Paul
 
I'd offer two potential negative consequences of wearing a helmet. One can occur over time, the second may injur you right when you think that it should help you.

Military pilots who wear helmets generally wear them for reasons that don't apply to most civilian side accident sequences (rotary notwithstanding). Helmets add mass to your head that your cervical spine and disks must support. This increases the prevalence of degenerative changes in the cervical spine. This subject continues to be an aeromedical concern in military research circles. Notably you don't have to be regularly pulling high G's to suffer the effects. A couple of (dated) studies:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8161325
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14960051

The other issue is that a helmet may contribute to a cervical spine injury during a flip-over more than it protects from a "dent in the head." In a flip sequence there is frequently precious little free space above your head and the earth once upside down. Wearing a helmet can cause the helmet to "fill the free space" and actually strike the earth (where a bare head would have not contacted). When this occurs, you will needlessly subject your cervical spine to compression. I would be especially concerned if I was "always hitting my head on the canopy" in turbulence.
 
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Hum... interesting, on the other hand, wearing a helmet could strengthen your neck over time, I have been riding motorcycles most of my life, and currently commute 100 mi every day on one, been down hard several times, smacked my head hard enough to be knocked out, ( maybe thats whats wrong with me) but I do not show any signs of cervical degeneration? the helmets now days are very light. I might wear one if I ever get my plane in the air.
 
options?

seems there are lots of options out there......for a couple hundred, these motorcycle helmets with retractable ( hidden) visors sure look like they'd work. Of course you'd have to use an in-ear comm for most of them.
vintage-motorcycle-helmet-jet-sprint-source-rebl-star-visor-interior_9733_zoom_zpseeadca48.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
The stats may not be the last word in reasons to wear or not; how many people may have been able to survive a post crash fire or dunking if they had not been knocked out by head trauma. I see a lot of cases where the canopy handle, dashboard seem to contact the crews head with predictable, and avoidable, results.
just my opinion......
 
Interesting discussion!

I, too, wonder how many deaths that are attributed to fire could have been avoided had the pilot not been knocked silly?

As for my statement (questioned upstream) about a high probability of an off-airport landing, I confess that in 20 years of flying I have not had one -- nor do I expect to. That said, I know an alarming number of pilots who HAVE, and we all know that piston engines are prone to failures.

I have zero interest in wearing a helmet, mind you. But I must openly wonder if I am being foolish by not wearing one. I wish i could find better statistics on this sort of thing.
 
I've never worn a helmet and have no immediate plans to.

I never thought about birdstrike protection... that's the best reason I've heard to wear one. But I'd prefer strong goggles to a helmet for that.

Both of my planes have rollover protection. My biggest worry in that case is egress, especially in the RV.
 
Military helmets

I second the comments by AV8AZ on the wt./cervical spine issue. Military crews are also wearing NVGs ("nods") much more frequently which adds considerably to the pressure on the cervical spine and tends to pull the helmet forward. This is somewhat counteracted by the battery pack in the back, but which adds even more wt. which is then compounded by G levels.
NVGs have a more narrow angle of vision which forces the pilot to turn his head more to see and so the spine is subject to much more rotary wear and tear. The overall package increases the height of the helmet...not a factor in a C-130 but definitely could cause problems in a tight cabin.

I have a friend who flew night mission in rotorcraft most of his career and recently had some neck fusion surgery despite have an extremely muscular neck structure.

The RV canopy height can be a concern and in the quest for achieving a perfect tip-up canopy fit, you can decrease the overall clearance to not good levels. Van's partially addressed this by lowering the seat pan an inch or in the 7 series.

US military helmets are not designed to function as a motorcyle helmet or Kevlar bucket. They provide less protection. They are designed to accomplish several functions. Protection to the face and head from striking objects, the canopy on ejection, wind blast, tree limbs, etc, or the ground especially if being drug by the chute. They also provide additional noise protection and communcations which cannot be dislodged.

High noise levels supposedly, even with excellent hearing protection, can degradate performance over time on a long flight and the flight helmet helps to keep those sound impulses from being directly transmitted to the skull. I am pretty sure that I saw an article about designing a special helmet for the Raptor because the noise levels were so high.

Military helmets also provide a secure base for oxygen masks which must fit very tight at high altitudes and G conditions. Some helmets also provide clear/sunvisors that cannot be lost or blown off.

To me a properly fitted HGU-55P is a probably a pretty good choice for an RV because it does have a low profile but it may still be too high in a given RV depending on the pilot. There probably is not an ideal helmet for an RV, one that is very light, comfortable, low profile and which provides good sound protection and hearing and face and head protection.

Finally the Van's canopy is blown from what looks like 1/4" Plexiglass but a good portion is more like 3/16" thick or less in the rounded portion. Not very substantial. If you look at the pictures of RV bird strikes, they usually have a pretty big hole from a pretty small bird, with several fragments of plexiglass...secondary missiles. To me that is the best reason to wear a helmet with face protection in an RV.

Dave A.
 
Mary and I have ridden motorcycles for 30+ years. We wouldn't dream of riding without a brain bucket -- not even down to the bathroom at the FBO. I've been down once, and the very FIRST thing that hit the pavement was my pumpkin head, ahead of my hands, shoulder, and knees. Without a helmet that day, I'd be goofier than I already am...

Yet, for whatever reason, it never occurred to us to wear one in all the years of flying -- until we got an RV. Then, all that...gorgeous glass...over our heads (and not much else) made us start to think...What are we DOING? If this thing flips, our brains are smeared all over the runway.

So...do any of you guys wear helmets when flying? If so, why? If not, why not?

Thanks!

Here in Brazil many things are like third world but here helmets for bikers are mandatory and results in a fine case you don't use
 
I have a friend who flew night mission in rotorcraft most of his career and recently had some neck fusion

I fall into this category. Not a whole career worth but at around 400 NVG hours, enough to give me several herniated discs in my neck - horrible pain when it would flare up, numbness in my arm, etc. I also commute almost daily on a motorcycle, so that probably exacerbated the condition.

I haven't had the slightest recurrence for a couple years since I stopped NVG flying thank goodness, but no helmet for me. I agree with some others that face/eye protection is probably highest payoff. It is a personal risk decision, but after years of wearing everything under the sun to take to the sky, I'm more than happy with my shorts, t-shirt, and headset.
 
On the bike? Always.
self-portrait.jpg

Why? Proven to reduce injuries in accidents. Keeps **** (bugs, rocks, etc) from hitting me in the face on a regular basis ("you got a lot of bugs in this state" says a friend). Wind protection. Sun protection. Intercom / bluetooth music made easy.

Flying? Never.
Why? Bulky in an already tight cockpit (CT), not enough headroom (glider). Very hot in summer (which lasts 5 to 6 months here). Not proven to reduce injuries in GA.

TODR
 
I have had the fortune to ride motorcycles and also fly most of my life.

I do not wear a helmet flying and this is an individual issue.

I was in a Citation CE500 jet and as we descended out of the clouds we were immediately into a flock of buzzards. We took a hit in the tail that almost ripped off the vertical stab.

If that bird came through the windscreen, no helmet would have helped.

I had a friend who flew DC-3 and in the military and an hawk went thru the co pilot windshield and did not stop after killing the copilot it continued to the rear of the passenger compartment going through all the hydraulics behind the copilot



I have seen a few bird strikes where birds went through a windscreen,Believe me it does not matter if your in a c310, baron, Lear Jet or RV if you live your lucky.
Military pilots wear helmets for several reasons.
1 they are likely to punch out in battle
2' the 02 mask attaches to the helmet
3. Their windshields are likely to be shot out and yes it would provide some protection if their head is not yanked off in the airstream
4 in some cases the helmets are pressurized and air conditioned
5 the helmet contains gun sighting equipment that monitors eye movement and other sensors will monitor the pilot's eyes in case of blackout and fly the aircraft until the pilot regains consciousness.
We're not flying at 600 Mph pulling 10 or more G's or landing on carriers

If I were flying acrobatics and close to the ground where an engine failure eliminates the use of a chute I'd probably wear a helmet.

Your choice like I said...
Jack
 
I would, except I can't. I'm 6-1 and all my height is in my torso. I made my rudder links shorter just to get the pedals a little closer and had oregon aero take 1-1/2 inches off my front seat foam and my headset pad still rubs the canopy, there is no way I can get in the plane with a helmet on and still have any seat pad.

bob burns
RV-4 N82RB
 
I would, except I can't. I'm 6-1 and all my height is in my torso. I made my rudder links shorter just to get the pedals a little closer and had oregon aero take 1-1/2 inches off my front seat foam and my headset pad still rubs the canopy, there is no way I can get in the plane with a helmet on and still have any seat pad.

bob burns
RV-4 N82RB

Heh -- sounds like my problem in our old Ercoupe. I finally modified an old grade-school plastic seat -- one of those fiberglass orange things -- to work as a seat, otherwise I couldn't close the canopy in flight!

Which, in an Ercoupe, didn't matter. But it sure was loud! :D

Basically, I was sitting on the wing spar, with NO cushion. Turbulence was not fun.
 
Weapons School answer: It depends...

Mary and I have ridden motorcycles for 30+ years. We wouldn't dream of riding without a brain bucket -- not even down to the bathroom at the FBO. I've been down once, and the very FIRST thing that hit the pavement was my pumpkin head, ahead of my hands, shoulder, and knees. Without a helmet that day, I'd be goofier than I already am...

Yet, for whatever reason, it never occurred to us to wear one in all the years of flying -- until we got an RV. Then, all that...gorgeous glass...over our heads (and not much else) made us start to think...What are we DOING? If this thing flips, our brains are smeared all over the runway.

So...do any of you guys wear helmets when flying? If so, why? If not, why not?

Thanks!

I wore a helmet for 25 years in the USAF and ANG with ejection seats. MAF wears them every flight for good reason. If your mission require it, wear one...:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1eHEQg_9iI

V/R
Smokey
 
I started wearing an HGU 55 last year for rollover and bird strike protection. After going on anticoagulants (warfarin/coumadin) following the installation of my new mechanical mitral valve, the helmet option became attractive due to the increased risk of head bumps producing brain bleeds with these meds (which I will be on for life).

My response to some of the concerns:

1) Canopy clearance: I am 6'3" and have the "almost an RV 14" mod in my 6A; I have no issues with clearance at all, and wouldn't with the seatback in its original position either. There is very little difference in height between my helmet and a headset with a padded band (some headsets I've used are actually higher), and the helmet is narrower than my head in any of my headsets. I have never hit the canopy in turbulence etc. Someone asked if anyone was aware of an accident where a helmet would have made a difference - I have a friend who flipped his newly completed 7A with his commercial pilot son in the right seat. Both are tall guys. My friend suffered a serious neck fracture which would not likely have been helped by a helmet (he recovered following a fusion). His son, however, suffered severe head lacerations from the shattering canopy, which I believe would have been greatly decreased or prevented entirely by a helmet. Just one data point.

2) Comfort and weight: I have a custom fitted Oregon Aero liner and Oregon Aero ear pads. The helmet thus equipped is FAR more comfortable than any headset I have ever used. Pressure is distributed over a much greater area, as is weight, which is actually very light. I basically forget I have the helmet on, which certainly does not happen when I wear a headset. Probably because of the high tech liner, I actually find the helmet very cool to wear; much better than my motorcycle and racing helmets in that regard. I don't fly in Texas, however, and avoid flying in the heat of the day when we do have our version of hot weather, so I'll defer to others on that issue.

3) Noise attenuation: I have a Helmets Inc ANR setup in my helmet; excellent sound quality and noise attenuation; superior to my old Lightspeed (cheapo) units and vastly superior to my DC H10.13.4's.

4) Additional neck stress: I am a physical therapist and regularly treat military pilots whose necks have been done in by high G combat maneuvering made worse by helmet design, or by years of rotary wing/nvg use. Very real stuff, but these are stresses that simply aren't reproduced on any regular basis in our aircraft. Sure, lots of people pull g's in RV's, but not the same g's, not as frequently, and not for the durations that fighter guys do. Furthermore, straight g loading while looking straight ahead is far more benign than what happens to your neck when you're looking way back over your shoulder in a turning fight while sustaining 6 g through 360 degrees of turn. Comparisons re: head contact with canopy or ground or acceleration forces comparing bare heads to helmeted heads are not particularly useful either, as most of us do use headsets which add weight and reduce clearance as well. The helmet I use is much, much lighter than a motorcycle or racing helmet, and would have far less effect re: acceleration injury to the neck than one of those would. My analysis only; your mileage may vary.

4) Looking like a wannabe fighter pilot: I am sensitive to this one, but my response to this is that anyone who thinks I wear a helmet to look cool has never seen me wearing it! Those who remember the Flintstones will understand when I say I look like The Great Gazoo wearing this unit. Not flattering. By the way; my son has an identical helmet which he got the old-fashioned way (issued while flying the T-38), which he is getting converted to use in GA aircraft (my GA aircraft, that is). Therefore, if anyone sees us in the 6A and accuses us of being jet jock wannabes, they will only be half right, as one is the real deal, so there.

In summary, I fully expected that there would be some tradeoffs when I decided to start using the helmet, but have been pleasantly surprised to discover there have been almost none; I prefer flying with the helmet in every significant respect compared to using the traditional headset and ball cap except that so far I am not using a visor and miss the peak on my cap shading my eyes. My .02. Okay, that might have been more like a nickel;)
 
My wife and I fly our RV8A with helmet s from Campbell Aero Classic NZ. The helmet is lighter than the ones I used in the military. And we'll made.


William Bennett
RV8A Flying For Sale
 
Helmet as per personal choice and mission...

but I hear about rollover/tipover protection with helmets. Help me understand the benefit of a helmet in this condition. Most upside down conditions I'm familiar with occur at relatively low speed. Charlie Hillard died (I believe) from strangulation and was likely wearing a helmet. Other tipovers I've seen with RV type planes require a very tight squeeze to get out. Will there be room to negotiate this squeezing out with a helmet on?? Will you remove it before squeezing out? Where will you put it?

Just asking, because I see offsetting penalties in the helmet/tipover RV scenario.
 
As per the summary I linked to on p1, the main benefit of a helmet seems minimising the effect of hitting interior elements in the cockpit during an impact.

As above, in a rollover it may help, but only in specific cases e.g. abrasion. If the rollbar sinks into the ground, or breaks, the helmet will do little.

As for:
Will there be room to negotiate this squeezing out with a helmet on??
the helmet need not be much bigger than your head.. but if shoving even forcing my head through shattered plexi, I'd rather helmet than a bare head!

Michael Schumacher's accident resulted in some interesting articles about the benefits. In a high speed / significant declaration crash, a helmet will not protect you from brain damage. It's main benefit seems to be the more mechanical impact to the head area.

Personally, my main motivation is to have something that stays in place during 'g', has decent sun visor ability, good noise attenuation etc. As with above posters, being ex-mil where helmets are always worn, even in GA types.

For safety, there is little question to me the helmet will always be the "safer" option than no helmet. But whether the difference is significant or negligible will depend on the type of accident...
 
Wearing a helmet

I personally have had a need for a helmet while flying an RV...
lost a canopy at 200 mph plus.
The impact of the wind almost knocked me out as I sustained two black eyes and a bloody nose. The thought of a bird strike is even more concerning...

Still don't wear one though, two RV's later and back to a 4. I would if I could find a comfortable one that would accommodate my headphones. Just a matter of getting used to it, like anything else.

And I wouldn't give a rip if it's cool or not and what others think of it.
 
It would seem as though bird strike protection would be the only reason to use a military-type (e.g. HGU 55) helmet, and, if used for this purpose, would obviously require keeping the visor down during all operations where a strike could occur. Even with this protection, a bird strike to the protected head at velocities in excess of 80-100mph presents a risk of immediate loss of consciousness.

In an aircraft accident sequence, the ?toss around? durability and low sliding resistance properties of the hard shell helmet are arguably of no benefit. Thus, if only concerned about protection against blunt head trauma and scrapes, it would seem more appropriate to use lower-profile and much lower weight helmets. The HGU-55 helmet data sheet shows the medium sized lightweight model to weigh over 900 grams while other suitable helmets are available with weights under 200g that are much lower profile.

I would opine that most any helmet will provide ?clinically insignificant? protection from intracranial sloshing injuries (i.e. bleeding issues, DAI, and coup-countercoup) associated with the deceleration impulse involved in a typical aircraft accident sequence. Certainly every bit of protection helps. My 1 cent.

While on the subject of minutia theory, wearing headsets that are either proud of the head or helmet will concentrate loads on the side of the head (where the headset contacts the head) should the accident sequence result in the head striking or being struck from a lateral direction. Anecdotally, I lost a friend in a truck rollover where his head struck the shoulder belt pulley/ring cover just behind and to the left of his head. He had no significant trauma except a depressed skull fracture the shape of this object.

Another related issue is the lack of headrests in many older production aircraft and most homebuilts. This poses related safety implications that are outside the scope of this discussion.

Tyson
 
Even though my RV is years away from actually leaving the ground I planned on buying a helmet 100% for bird strike protection.

For of those of you who only use eye protection instead of a helmet, what kind of eye protection are you wearing? Seems like wearing WWI flying goggles would be silly in an RV, but if there's another option besides a heavy, hot, expensive helmet I'd love to know about it!
 
Even though my RV is years away from actually leaving the ground I planned on buying a helmet 100% for bird strike protection.

For of those of you who only use eye protection instead of a helmet, what kind of eye protection are you wearing? Seems like wearing WWI flying goggles would be silly in an RV, but if there's another option besides a heavy, hot, expensive helmet I'd love to know about it!

Mary and I both wear these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0028NEWD8/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Less than ten bucks apiece, they block the sun from the SIDE and TOP, can be worn over our glasses, and are safety rated.

I modified a pair by cutting the bows off, drilling a couple of holes, and attaching them to my head with a lanyard that cinches up. This gets rid of the "bows breaking the ear seal" problem.

The price is sure right. We order them five at a time, and throw them away as they get old/scratched.
 
The thought of a wearing a helmet in the RV never crossed my mind, although a full face helmet definitely saved my life, when I hit that leaping mule deer on the motorcycle at 65 mph. I'm sure there was a bit of deceleration, but I continued rolling and grinding skin for 50 yards, as did the 1520cc cycle with it's front wheel smashed into the engine.

I hit on the left side of my head. The shield flipped down, and took a lot of abrasion, which protected the face. It was so roughed up, that you could hardly see through it. There was deer hair underneath. My watch was ground down to the strap. Due to the fact, that the helmet was a full face, the downward pressure took out my left collar bone, shoulder blade, and all left ribs.

I still wouldn't wear one in an airplane. I've seen quite a few airplane wrecks, and am not convinced a helmet is a better line of defense, as it is on a motorcycle. BTW--- before that wreak, I was 50/50 on wearing one while riding. I'm now 100% convinced.
 
I wore an SPH-3 for years. It even saved my noggin from at least a bruise or cut on more than one occasion.

I even witnessed a large fruit bat auger through the pilot's windscreen right at eye level. The pilot instinctively flinched just enough that the bat's head and entrails bounced off the top of his visor and wound up inserting itself into the lightening holes, above the insulation blanket. The major part of him (the bat) didn't make it through the golf ball sized hole in the windscreen. I'm convinced that the only reason we didn't have a very serious emergency was because he (the pilot) had a helmet on and visor down.

I've heard more than one RV-8 pilot say that the glare shield is a real danger in a hard landing. And that might be the most compelling argument for me to wear a helmet. I even have my old govt. issue flight helmet, somewhere around here.

That being said, will I wear one in my RV-8 when its finished? Probably not.
 
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Scratching the inside of the canopy?

What do you helmet wearing RV-4 and RV-8 tossers do to prevent the helmet from scratching the inside of your canopy?
The Walter Mitty in me is fine with wearing a helmet while 'protecting the skies for democracy', but the space under the canopy is limited, so I expect my helmeted noggin would bang around inside doing whifferdils. :confused:
 
Helmet Quality

When I took a Motorcycle Safety Foundation class in 1999, they taught us that when purchasing a helmet, we should check the date of manufacture which is required to be permanently labelled on or inside the helmet. We were told that a motorcycle helmet has a useful life of five years and must be replaced after that time. I'm not sure if that's still true or if a similar concern exists for a pilot's helmet, but caveat emptor!

[P.S. the five year lifespan is not regulatory AFAIK and I don't want to derail this thread onto a discussion of motorcycle helmets. My point is if you're going to wear a helmet, make sure it's a good one. ]. :)

I don't plan to wear a helmet in my RV but respect anyone who chooses to.

I sold my motorcycle, and my wife and I have found a new use for our matching Arai full face helmets: even though they are well over five years old our helmets are never far away when there are TORNADO warnings for our city. :eek:
 
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For the cool factor, that helmet Rob put the link to is great. I want one to just wear around the house!

Well, maybe replace my ski helmet with it.
 
Helmet sometimes

I had a good friend in CAP that was a helicopter pilot in the military. One night after a CAP meeting he handed me a "bag" with a note and told me to wait to open it the following week. I discovered his personal military helmet he wore during a long career. The note said, "This helmet has kept me safe my entire flying career. Paint it like your plane and wear it."
Gary died shortly after that from incurable cancer.
I painted it like the plane, wore it for first flight and offer passengers the choice to wear it if they wish. Few know of the history of the helmet I have.
I wear it most of the time.
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The grandkids prefer to wear my helmet.
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Pat Garboden
Katy, TX
RV9A N942PT
 
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