Van's Air Force
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Nomex gear
- Thread starter KleensRV6
- Start date
Paul K
Well Known Member
Nomex gear.
I too am interested but with a different twist.
I've looked at a bunch of sites offering Nomex flight suites and I don't want one that looks like military or police. I'm not military and feel really uncomfortable in military type gear. My air force son even offered but again, I don't feel right.
We use fire resistant uniforms in the oil refinery arena but it isn't very suitable to flying in: heavy, bulky, hot, etc.
So, if anyone has a source that doesn't look military and is suitable to fly in, please let me know. I will be ready for first flight in about 60 days so I need to start looking.
I too am interested but with a different twist.
I've looked at a bunch of sites offering Nomex flight suites and I don't want one that looks like military or police. I'm not military and feel really uncomfortable in military type gear. My air force son even offered but again, I don't feel right.
We use fire resistant uniforms in the oil refinery arena but it isn't very suitable to flying in: heavy, bulky, hot, etc.
So, if anyone has a source that doesn't look military and is suitable to fly in, please let me know. I will be ready for first flight in about 60 days so I need to start looking.
Jim P
Well Known Member
Flightsuits.com
Try http://www.flightsuits.com/, they have a pretty good selection for the professionals. Somewhat pricy, but good quality.
Try http://www.flightsuits.com/, they have a pretty good selection for the professionals. Somewhat pricy, but good quality.
Bob Kuykendall
Well Known Member
I think that what Doug suggests is a great idea. A single layer of underwear-thickness Nomex does not allow all that much fire protection, but as Doug rightly observes, at least it does not melt onto your skin.
Even riding on airliners I try to choose cotton clothing that is unobtrusively fire resistant. I won't turn down an opportunity for a flight when I happen to be wearing polyester, but I generally do what is practical to keep my risk exposure down to a dull roar.
I think if I was doing flight test work I'd also want a real Nomex suit as well. Drivers fire-resistant racing suits are rated by the SFI foundation; here's a page that explains the SFI rating system:
http://www.sfifoundation.com/driversuit.html
I bought my Nomex suit and undies for car racing, so I got them from places that cater to auto racers. Two places I've shopped at lately are:
http://www.racedaysafety.com
http://www.saferacer.com
One issue is that the better the fire protection, the thicker and heavier the suit, and the hotter you get while wearing it. And then you either find yourself getting woozy from the heat or you have to carry the extra weight of a liquid-cooled T-shirt and its support system. So a single-layer SFI 3.5/1 or equivalent suit might be a reasonable compromise for that kind of thing.
Thanks, Bob K.
Even riding on airliners I try to choose cotton clothing that is unobtrusively fire resistant. I won't turn down an opportunity for a flight when I happen to be wearing polyester, but I generally do what is practical to keep my risk exposure down to a dull roar.
I think if I was doing flight test work I'd also want a real Nomex suit as well. Drivers fire-resistant racing suits are rated by the SFI foundation; here's a page that explains the SFI rating system:
http://www.sfifoundation.com/driversuit.html
I bought my Nomex suit and undies for car racing, so I got them from places that cater to auto racers. Two places I've shopped at lately are:
http://www.racedaysafety.com
http://www.saferacer.com
One issue is that the better the fire protection, the thicker and heavier the suit, and the hotter you get while wearing it. And then you either find yourself getting woozy from the heat or you have to carry the extra weight of a liquid-cooled T-shirt and its support system. So a single-layer SFI 3.5/1 or equivalent suit might be a reasonable compromise for that kind of thing.
Thanks, Bob K.
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Bob Kuykendall
Well Known Member
You can also get pretty good drivers suits on the used market. I got my SFI 3.2/5 2-layer suit for $125 on the 24 Hours of Lemons forums. This is a suit with enough fire resistance that the Lemons safety regulations don't require nomex undies under it. I had it dry cleaned per the manufacturer's instructions, and now it looks like new.
One heads-up about drivers suits: You might think that because they have fire resistant properties, that they would look and feel somehow special. That is not necessarily the case. The fabric is usually kind of dull and coarse like denim, and not shiny like cartoon hero's super suit.
Thanks, Bob K.
www.Gibson-Barnes.com is where I got my stuff. They are the same folks that run the www.flightsuits.com site.
br,
dr
br,
dr
PS: My 11 yr old son not long ago working on holding altitude, heading and speed. Nomex gloves and a flight suit rolled up on the arms and legs. He's in cotton shorts and a cotton T-shirt underneath. You can just make out the blue earplug cord. This image is the wallpaper on my iPhone <g>.
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Great picture Doug!
He needs a bumper sticker "Will fly for Hershey Bars!"
He needs a bumper sticker "Will fly for Hershey Bars!"
panhandler1956
Well Known Member
Cool
That is a great picture!
That is a great picture!
NickAir
Well Known Member
Safety
Doug, this photo would make a great "safety poster" photo in the safety section. First caption that comes to mind: "Nomex for safety - regardless of age!" my point is that, as we all know, a photo is worth a thousand words.
www.Gibson-Barnes.com is where I got my stuff. They are the same folks that run the www.flightsuits.com site.
br,
dr
PS: My 11 yr old son not long ago working on holding altitude, heading and speed. Nomex gloves and a flight suit rolled up on the arms and legs. He's in shorts and a T-shirt underneath. You can just make out the blue earplug cord. This image is the wallpaper on my iPhone <g>.
Doug, this photo would make a great "safety poster" photo in the safety section. First caption that comes to mind: "Nomex for safety - regardless of age!" my point is that, as we all know, a photo is worth a thousand words.
RV7Guy
Well Known Member
Pants and shirt
A couple of our medical helicopter pilots prefer the nomex pants and shirt to the conventional flight suit. None of it is comfortable in the heat. Just got back from a flight and it is 109 right now. Throw in full black Nomex and helmets and you sweat like a banker at a Congressional hearing until the air conditioning becomes operational.
As has been noted, there are a variety of weights. For our purposes, a light weight version is certainly better than nothing.
I do suggest even for casual flying to wear the Nomex gloves. This will help for not only fire safety but touching hot stuff in the Summer!!! You will likely need to cut the end of the glove the index finger if you have any touch screen stuff. I figure if something goes bad, I'll have my hands protected to help get out.
A couple of our medical helicopter pilots prefer the nomex pants and shirt to the conventional flight suit. None of it is comfortable in the heat. Just got back from a flight and it is 109 right now. Throw in full black Nomex and helmets and you sweat like a banker at a Congressional hearing until the air conditioning becomes operational.
As has been noted, there are a variety of weights. For our purposes, a light weight version is certainly better than nothing.
I do suggest even for casual flying to wear the Nomex gloves. This will help for not only fire safety but touching hot stuff in the Summer!!! You will likely need to cut the end of the glove the index finger if you have any touch screen stuff. I figure if something goes bad, I'll have my hands protected to help get out.
Source for Nomex clothing.
Any place that sells fire department work uniforms should have nomex shirts and pants. Generally dark blue (Chief's uniforms are black with my department) there might be light blue and Forrest service green. My department's dark blue nomex shirt is over $50 and dark blue pants over $80. Not inexpensive.
FYI guys that get burnt over on brush fires tend to get burns where there is just nomex. Areas where there is cotton under the nomex fair much better.
Any place that sells fire department work uniforms should have nomex shirts and pants. Generally dark blue (Chief's uniforms are black with my department) there might be light blue and Forrest service green. My department's dark blue nomex shirt is over $50 and dark blue pants over $80. Not inexpensive.
FYI guys that get burnt over on brush fires tend to get burns where there is just nomex. Areas where there is cotton under the nomex fair much better.
Mike S
Senior Curmudgeon
Correct-----seen that too many times myself before I retired.
I have been advising this on these forums for years.
First choice would be cotton under Nomex. Second choice would be just cotton, and last choice would be just Nomex.
Car hart
Carhartt makes a complete line of fire resistant clothing. I felt the same as a previous poster in regard to military type flight suits. I ordered a couple of the blue jeans and a few different color shirts. They are very well made and look "normal". In fact the jeans are now my favorites. I do have nomex gloves. Bought them here: http://www.midwestworkwear.com/
Carhartt makes a complete line of fire resistant clothing. I felt the same as a previous poster in regard to military type flight suits. I ordered a couple of the blue jeans and a few different color shirts. They are very well made and look "normal". In fact the jeans are now my favorites. I do have nomex gloves. Bought them here: http://www.midwestworkwear.com/
Which is best?
Hmmm....sounds like there are several options for nomex gear.
Fireman shirts and pants -- and look like...a fireman?
Carhharts -- and look like...an oil field hand?
Race Car coveralls -- and look like...a racer?
Surplus mil flight suit -- and look like...a pilot?
I think I know which option I like.
Tony
Hmmm....sounds like there are several options for nomex gear.
Fireman shirts and pants -- and look like...a fireman?
Carhharts -- and look like...an oil field hand?
Race Car coveralls -- and look like...a racer?
Surplus mil flight suit -- and look like...a pilot?
I think I know which option I like.
Tony
dmaib
Well Known Member
Darwin is right about the two piece flight suits. When I was an Army helicopter pilot in Viet Nam, Uncle Sam issued us two piece nomex flight suits. Pants and shirt. I believe they were originally for tank crewmembers. We griped about them because they did not look as "cool" as the one piece coverall type flight suits. Later in my career, we got the one piece flight suits and were happy that we now looked like "real pilots". However, we quickly figured out that it was pretty nice to be able to take your shirt off in the heat and humidity when you weren't flying. Additionally, attending to some personal duties in a Porta-Potty in the summertime is quite a bit more comfortable with the two piece flight suit. 
To this day I remember going in to a Porta-Potty out in the field at Ft. Stewart, GA. I was wearing a one piece flight suit, survival vest, shoulder holster and pistol, gas mask in a case around my waist, and wearing a steel pot. It was in the middle of a record setting GA heatwave and my mission was urgent! I darn near dropped my pistol down the hole during the ensuing struggle.
Cotton under nomex is the best compromise in my opinion, and if it was me, I would take a hard look at the two piece. Might not look as cool, but I don't worry so much about that any more.
To this day I remember going in to a Porta-Potty out in the field at Ft. Stewart, GA. I was wearing a one piece flight suit, survival vest, shoulder holster and pistol, gas mask in a case around my waist, and wearing a steel pot. It was in the middle of a record setting GA heatwave and my mission was urgent! I darn near dropped my pistol down the hole during the ensuing struggle.Cotton under nomex is the best compromise in my opinion, and if it was me, I would take a hard look at the two piece. Might not look as cool, but I don't worry so much about that any more.
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Paul Tuttle
Well Known Member
Here at work today and I'm not sure I'd want to wear this uniform flying. I could say to people when I landed " What's the nature of your emergency? I'm here to help."
Aside from protecting your body from fire. Fact is heat rises quickly, which in our case means a canopy full of super heated gases. Unless there is some form of respiratory and facial protection I fear one would become incapacitated in seconds.
Fire scares the *&@$ out of me. Doing everything you can do to prevent it in the first place is time well spent in my book.
NickAir
Well Known Member
Nomex
An above described fire would create hot gases requiring suplimental air for breathing and face protection. Fire in the cockpit or structural failture are flight stoppers. In either case a full suit with head cover and gloves while sporting the all important parachute seems in order. As for the debate on getting out of the RV aircraft in flight, it has been done just a mile from my house, therefore proven. At a minimum, nomex gloves are comforting to protect the units that will help with egress and parachute deployment, which would all be difficult with burnt hands.
An above described fire would create hot gases requiring suplimental air for breathing and face protection. Fire in the cockpit or structural failture are flight stoppers. In either case a full suit with head cover and gloves while sporting the all important parachute seems in order. As for the debate on getting out of the RV aircraft in flight, it has been done just a mile from my house, therefore proven. At a minimum, nomex gloves are comforting to protect the units that will help with egress and parachute deployment, which would all be difficult with burnt hands.
Randy Means
Member
Nomex
One of issues with buying used Nomex clothing is that you do not know if the proper washing procedures took place over the life of the garment. I own two suits and I pray my brothern read and followed the directions.
N955RV
A Central Florida a socked-in RV 10
Randy Means
One of issues with buying used Nomex clothing is that you do not know if the proper washing procedures took place over the life of the garment. I own two suits and I pray my brothern read and followed the directions.
N955RV
A Central Florida a socked-in RV 10
Randy Means
