How to dress for flight testing????

[cytoxin]

the guys at the local steel mill here wear carbon x thermals i could go into this long story of the bob cat driver covered himself in really hot slag..but i'll spare you . these are probally cheaper than a flight suit.. looked at them today(flight suits) around 200-300$

[Pirkka]

I don't want to be rude or scare you off but as we well know the first flight is one of the most dangerous ones. That in mind in case something happens you might want to wear your best clothes. If you end up in ambulance or hospital, the clothes which can be removed easily might be wise selection. Also make sure if the doctor is lady that you do have decent underwear. I'm just trying to be practical.

Anyway, interesting question... I quess I would choose just casual flying clothing even for a big day.

[Paul Tuttle]

This is what I'm going to wear.This stuff has saved my bacon lots of times. It's a little clunky for the RV though , might have to find an alternate air source.

[Gsuit]

Originally Posted by JimP

It would be interesting to see what the duster guys wear as well.

All my duster buddies wear ball caps - to cover their "love machine solar panels" (or so their t-shirts say). Seems they prefer either John Deere or Nascar #3... your choice

[robertahegy]

I just wore my usual chambrey shirt, turtle neck sweater, jeans and loafers. And since it was early April, and April has an "R" in it, I wore socks. Rules state that socks should be worn in months with "Rs" and can be ommitted in months without "Rs" unless climate dictates otherwise.

I also wore my RV Grin !

Roberta

[David-aviator]

We should carry a small hammer or some other device to break the canopy - and a cell phone.

When I found myself hanging upside down after a forced landing and flip, the only way out was through the canopy. Fortunately, the glass was quite broken and provided for a kick out and crawl out. Don't be in too big a rush to leave if there is no fire. The seat belt was opened quick and I promptly fell on my head.....maybe that's what broke the canopy.

I won't fly without a cell phone. A call to 911 that day brought help in about 15 minutes; a county sheriff, a fire truck, an ambulance, a half dozen local pick ups, a call from the local FAA control tower wanting to know how I was and where I bought the fuel, and two overhead TV helicopters. What a circus!

All in all, it was not a good day. But it could have been worse.

Fortuately, this sort of thing does not happen often but we need to think about it and be a little prepared. One final note, this was not a first flight event, just something that happened 4 month later.

First flights today are much safer than 25 years ago before EAA tech and flight advisers entered the picture. That effort has really paid off with first flight safety. You can not go wrong using their services.

What you wear is important but how far to go with it is a matter of personal preference. I usually dress to be comfortable which may not be the best thing to do.

[Ironflight]

I've been wearing the same suit as Mr. Tuttle is so fashionably demonstrating for many years as a volunteer firefighter...probably overkill for flying, but it sure makes you feel good when a burning roof collapses on you!

For flying when I have any doubt about the airplane (i.e. Testing flying - by definition), I wear Nomex flight suit, gloves, cotton socks, and fire retardant shoes. Boots are a next best choice, but they make my flying clunky.

If I am wearing a parachute, I wear a helmet, reasoning that if I am bailing out, I may be flailing about and bump my head, or the airplane is probably flailing about, and may bump my head. I wear an HGU-55 - I just consider it for bumps, not to protect me in a collision with a fixed object.

Now, my little story. We lost a wonderful person from our organization a few years ago. She was an M.D. and superb aerobatic pilot, CFI....she was giving a person a checkout in his newly purchased homebuilt, something went wrong, and they ran off the end of the runway trying a touch and go. Hit a tree, survived the collision, but the aircraft caught fire. She was wearing polyester that day. Burned over 90% of her body, she lived three days in the hospital. Most likely, with her Nomex on, she would still be with us. We have an annual aviation safety symposium in her memory.

The likelihood of a fire? In normal operations, with a tested airplane - very remote. With a new plane, new plumbing? Not quite so remote in my opinion. The consequences if you guess wrong? Can be pretty bad!

I'm not saying you must do one thing or the other, just giving a couple things to think about.

Paul

[Phyrcooler]

Originally Posted by Ironflight

I've been wearing the same suit as Mr. Tuttle is so fashionably demonstrating for many years as a volunteer firefighter...probably overkill for flying, but it sure makes you feel good when a burning roof collapses on you! Paul

Me too... but I think that when I ever get to flight testing... I'll either purchase a Nomex flightsuit, or use my "wildland" gear which is much like a flightsuit in weight. Would be funny to see someone climbing onto his steed in full structure gear though!

Actually last year I gave my son a military surplus full helmet/hood from a proximity suit (as a gag gift). Now THAT would make a statement...

[Caveman]

Originally Posted by Phyrcooler

Actually last year I gave my son a military surplus full helmet/hood from a proximity suit (as a gag gift). Now THAT would make a statement...

Hey, that's an idea! We have a proximity suit at my day job. If I can borrow the manlift to get into the airplane and have someone else buckle me in and start the engine it just might work.

[Thermos]

Originally Posted by gbrasch

Hey guys, just be aware of one thing with the HGU55. It is not designed to be as crashworthy as other helmets out there.

I'll second Glenn's comment. I have my old HGU-55 from a former life, and a newer HGU-56 helicopter helmet (current Army issue, I think) from some helo work a couple of years ago. Helo helmets are designed to provide more impact protection; might be worth trying to find one if you're serious about a good brain bucket.

One down side is that they're bulky. I don't know if I would be able to close the tip-up canopy on an RV while wearing one.

Dave