Who's wearing Nomex Flight Suits?

  • Total voters
    123
Phil

Phil

Well Known Member
Just out of curiosity, how many of you are flying with Nomex?

I used to look at folks wearing flight suits a little differently. But after seeing a friend who is recovering from severe burns, I'm starting to think Nomex might not be stupid after all.

By a show of hands, who's wearing it?
 
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Always...sort of

I always wear Nomex at work flying the helicopter, full helmet, gloves and leather NB shoes or Oakley boots.

For flying the RV, I always were Nomex gloves. I figure if something goes bad I can keep my hands from damage. Usually in shorts and T shirt from March to November.
 
I usually do just coz I've got em anyway...

Probably more times than not I do wear FRC's, though not always Nomex. Rarely if ever are they the coveralls/jump suit you may be thinking of. In my line of work we are required to wear FRC's. Since I've got em I figure I might as well wear em. I, too, have known burn victims:(. Anything I can do to minimize my own exposure I figure is a good idea. With that said, if I'm flying somewhere for dinner with my wife I'm not likely to be wearing the FRC's:eek: For one reason or another we all accept calculated risk.

BTW, you can get FRC's that look more or less like casual clothing. Carhartt, among others, makes some. Massif Mtn Gear makes some good jackets.
IMHO, being prepared for the unexpected means being prepared all the time. You just can't realistically be prepared for everything all the time.
Have fun and fly SAFE!!!:D
 
I had a flight instructor who was an ex-fighter pilot (which is kind of like saying "ex-marine"), he wore them pretty much every flight. With a survival vest as well. I remember that it didn't make me very confident as a student pilot.

I've got several flight suits from my flying days in the AF myself (as a flight mechanic), but never thought to wear one flying. A few have logged into the poll that they were their suits. Do you find that you get weird looks? Or...is it really no big deal. I suppose you could wear a VAF patch on your arm, and make up a name tag...

I do keep nomex gloves in my flight bag, but am often way too hot to wear them inflight.
 
feel the burn

sorry, not an ex-AF, but give serious thought to what to wear. My instructor pointed out that summer attire is really inappropriate in the cockpit, however hot the cabin gets.
Even if I don't own or don't want to shell out for Nomex, I'll try to stick to leather shoes, 100% cotton or wool socks, long loose cotton pants etc.
I really don't want plastic shoes melting to my feet when things go south.
GLoves of course are a bonus anytime you'd have to manipulate controls, evacuate a burning a/c etc.
 
Having raced cars and suffered from hours in the car under four layers of Nomex, I think you should check to see what protection you are actually getting.

I know it is difficult to predict the scenario, but I think you should try to find out what you want and what is required. My Nomex flight suits are thinner than the Nomex underwear I used. :eek:
 
LarsonAero said:
Do you find that you get weird looks?
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Not nearly as weird as you get when you're hobbling around with melted skin...

When you're seriously handicapped or dealing with a serious illness, vanity is the first thing to go........

..... that's why I'm considering letting the vanity go now.
 
As duffus as it sometimes looks, I do wear a Nomax jacket and have nomax gloves available and most times I'll just wear the gloves during takeoff and landings. The jacket is summer weight, so I can layer with cotton or nomex longjohns. I don't do the flight suit, but generally cotton pants and leather shoes (never know when you need to walk out!).
 
For those of you who wear Nomex, do you offer the same to your passengers?

If the risks are so high that you need to wear Nomex how about your loved ones, friends, and other passengers?

It is kind of like wearing a parachute, if you have one, your passengers had better have one as well.

I'll take my chances w/o Nomex.
 
N941WR said:
For those of you who wear Nomex, do you offer the same to your passengers?

If the risks are so high that you need to wear Nomex how about your loved ones, friends, and other passengers?

It is kind of like wearing a parachute, if you have one, your passengers had better have one as well.

I'll take my chances w/o Nomex.
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That's exactly what I've been thinking............as I read through this thread.
No Nomex, no parachute.

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
In my AF days, we used to get fresh nomex flightsuits issued every year because the nomex gets washed out after about a dozen wash cycles. Don't know if that is still the case, but if you are wearing older flightsuits, you may not be getting much protection.
Chuck Olsen
RV-7A
Tehachapi
 
cbo111 said:
In my AF days, we used to get fresh nomex flightsuits issued every year because the nomex gets washed out after about a dozen wash cycles. Don't know if that is still the case, but if you are wearing older flightsuits, you may not be getting much protection.
Chuck Olsen
RV-7A
Tehachapi
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That's a good point. All of my flight suits have been washed quite a bit....being a crew chief, they got pretty dirty pretty quickly. :D
 
I always wear nomex gloves during cold weather ops and I actually wore a nomex flight suit for my first flight.
There's an old school fighter pilot here who wears a flight suit while flying his 7 because it's easier to use the "piddle pak" than while wearing jeans.

Steve
 
cbo111 said:
In my AF days, we used to get fresh nomex flightsuits issued every year because the nomex gets washed out after about a dozen wash cycles. Don't know if that is still the case, but if you are wearing older flightsuits, you may not be getting much protection.
Chuck Olsen
RV-7A
Tehachapi
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Nomex is the material the suits are made from. How can that get "washed out"?
 
gnuse said:
Nomex is the material the suits are made from. How can that get "washed out"?
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Well, I went ahead and pulled one out of the closet. It says that if you use bleach or fabric softener it will deteriorate the fire resistant properties of the material.
 
cbo111 said:
In my AF days, we used to get fresh nomex flightsuits issued every year because the nomex gets washed out after about a dozen wash cycles. Don't know if that is still the case, but if you are wearing older flightsuits, you may not be getting much protection.
Chuck Olsen
RV-7A
Tehachapi
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What he said.
A couple of us put a reasonably new Nomex flight suit to a burn test. At best the flight suit would delay you getting burned for a minute or so but will not protect you.
Tom
 
Just because I didn't have anything better to do while washing down some Seven Brides Porter..... I grabbed a suit out of the closet and scanned the tag.

Here you go:

3425870408_c8a11bc8a5.jpg
 
You're more likely to be involved in a car accident than an aircraft one, so do you always wear nomex when you drive? I bet everyone here has been in some form of a car wreck, but likely very few aircraft wrecks.

I guess the argument applies that a car is built a bit tougher, but if you get one upside down, you still stand a fantastic chance of getting trapped inside.

Everyone here has likely also known someone who's house has caught fire, if not their own...you see where I'm going with this...

That being said, if it's hot outside, I'm gonna dress in summer attire.
 
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minimum with me is Jeans, cotton shirt, closed shoes (boots are a plus, but can be a pita to fly in). I bring gloves with, but don't always wear them... I figure accessible is good enough, there should be enough warning to get them on in case I need them. I did wear them when I first soloed the Glasair... kinda a self-checkout kind of deal... never can be too careful. Always have the survival gear in the airplane as well, but thats another discussion.
 
When flying for the local Sheriff's SAR squadron (all volunteers with our airplanes, a few RV's in the group), we all wear Nomex flight suits. Sometimes we get looks, but after they see the Sheriff's patches, the looks turn to nods of approval (well I think that's what they are ;)). Flight suits are just a unit SOP for safety. I carry nomex gloves as well (issued in a prior life).

For personal flying, I'm OK with shorts for short local flights on hot days, but always wear closed shoes, and if I'm going over the mountains, I'll wear jeans and lite hiking boots, and stash a jacket and a survival kit.

Concur with Bill, if I was wearing nomex on a fun flight with a pax, I'd offer them a spare suit too. Might even be fun for them!

Cheers,
Bob
 
Do I wear a Nomex flight suit while flying?

Not since my mis-spent youth as a fighter pilot.

I've given most away as gifts, not sure if I fit in it any more...

:D
 
Nomex

There is a certain amount of risk in everything we do. I tree limb might fall on my head when I walk outside, but I'm not walking out in a helmet. Of course wearing nomex is safer than not in the event of a crash, but grocery shopping in a nomex suit is also safer than not...........

When I'm fun flying, I'll guess I'll continue to dress for comfort and take my chances in "street clothes".

CDE
 
The poll looks like a 60/40 split for the most part. I'm honestly surprised that 40 do (or would) wear it.

I've always been opposed to wearing a flying "costume". I just thought the person wearing it was trying to be an weekend fighter pilot.

But after seeing a friend (first hand) who survived a crash and only spent an instant in the heat, my opinion has changed. It doesn't take long at the temps involved in a crash and 100LL. It only takes an instant.

Carrying a flight suit is making more sense to me. All you've got to do is throw it on over your clothes. It might not be a bad thing either, because it will keep oil & grease off your clothes too.

Now when I see folks wearing a flight suit, I won't be looking at them oddly any more. You never now what they've seen or what their friends have gone through.
 
I always wear a Nomex flight suit. Really a single layer gives minimal protection against burns- about 10 seconds at best though. That might be enough to get the fuel valve shut off at least. The smoke and flames will get your lungs in little more than 10 seconds anyway. A proper 3 layer suit with gloves, boots and O2 mask would give you maybe a minute.

The suit is more useful for the multiple pockets, pen holders and lends a more professional look over Bermuda shorts I guess. I little hot in the summer for sure.
 
Whether you wear nomex or not you need to consider what you do wear.

Many of todays synthetic fibers will flash fairly quickly, melt and then burn into your skin and give off toxic fumes.

Even in the summer I try to stick with cotton long pants, leather shoes and a long sleeve shirt. Often though on sweltering days it will be shorts and sandals.

In the fall and winter I will wear the nomex over the above.

I never used to till I crashed and smelled the leaking fuel. I am also considering a helmet as in the crash I bashed my head pretty good into a canopy pillar.

10 seconds of protection may mean the difference between a scarred invalid or a functional human being.

I too would not wear protective gear that I could not also provide my passenger with.

It's an individual decision I do not think our planes are any more prone to fire than spam cans.
 
timely question

I'm starting to prepare mentally for Phase I. I know nothing about this sort of protective clothing, but I'm wondering if there is any merit to a Nomex blanket that can be thrown/stuffed? I haven't seen any in my searches, so I'm guessing it's a bad idea:eek:

I've been thinking about the risk management and have come to the position that, until I trust the airplane, I'll try to protect myself. I guess that means I need to start looking for Nomex or FRC. I'm assuming that FRC means Fire/Flame Resistant Clothing? Right now, my feeling is that this will primarily be for Phase I and once I trust the plane, I will probably wear jeans and cotton shirts with leather shoes.


Jeremy



WyoDave said:
Probably more times than not I do wear FRC's, though not always Nomex. snip ... For one reason or another we all accept calculated risk.

BTW, you can get FRC's that look more or less like casual clothing. Carhartt, among others, makes some. Massif Mtn Gear makes some good jackets.
IMHO, being prepared for the unexpected means being prepared all the time. You just can't realistically be prepared for everything all the time.
Have fun and fly SAFE!!!:D
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Nomex

I have been accused of treating my RV as a car, ie,,, jump in and go.
I contend that I pref light when I come in and wipe it down after a flight. I am looking at it all day long while working..
Private hanger and no one else using my plane.

Voted ...I would use nomex if I had it. Sometimes....maybe...
Never thought much about it till now. It is hot here in Texas and I am libale to jump in and go 10 miles to have lunch at another airport 52F or others.
Probably would not change clothes for safety or any other reason. Shorts and flip flops rudder/ break Super Cubs and RVs equally well.
I would like to have a nomex suit for phase 1 flights and some others. Where do you get Nomex?
 
This is the place I've been looking at online.

http://www.flightsuits.com

They have several different models of suits, gloves, underwear, socks, hoods, boots, etc.... :D

Since I've been kicking around a nomex suit, this has been the site that I keep going back to.

Phil
 
Learn something "here" everyday!

Phil said:
This is the place I've been looking at online.

http://www.flightsuits.com

They have several different models of suits, gloves, underwear, socks, hoods, boots, etc.... :D

Since I've been kicking around a nomex suit, this has been the site that I keep going back to.
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Wow......

It turns out the flight suit my son gave me for flying the RV is a genuine Nomex suit, just like in the link. I guess I have one afterall! :D

L.Adamson
 
Definately Not, Except....

Only when I fly a CAP plane because it is our uniform and could care or less if it was nomex.

I am surprised that so many of you wear nomex when you fly your RV. If I saw someone getting out of a C152 or a Mooney wearing a flight suit I'd probably chuckle and most of our RV's are safer. The chances of a fire in the cockpit are much less than getting hit by a drunk driver and killed yet we all still drive cars. There is always the exceptions but they are so few that I could never justify wearing nomex in the cockpit when I don't have to when there are so many other things out there that can hurt me just as bad if not worse yet we do nothing to protect ourselves from them. Wearing nomex in a GA cockpit is way overkill in my book. No disrespect to anyone with the opposite opinion, you are welcome to wear your flight suits and gloves when it is 95 deg and 110% humidity out there.
 
Test Flying?

Capflyer said:
Only when I fly a CAP plane because it is our uniform and could care or less if it was nomex.

I am surprised that so many of you wear nomex when you fly your RV. If I saw someone getting out of a C152 or a Mooney wearing a flight suit I'd probably chuckle and most of our RV's are safer. The chances of a fire in the cockpit are much less than getting hit by a drunk driver and killed yet we all still drive cars. There is always the exceptions but they are so few that I could never justify wearing nomex in the cockpit when I don't have to when there are so many other things out there that can hurt me just as bad if not worse yet we do nothing to protect ourselves from them. Wearing nomex in a GA cockpit is way overkill in my book. No disrespect to anyone with the opposite opinion, you are welcome to wear your flight suits and gloves when it is 95 deg and 110% humidity out there.
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Sure, a proven airplane is probably very safe from a fire standpoint - but for test flying a new aircraft? I try and stack the odds in my favor as much as I can, and my greatest fear is not a structural failure (for which I wear a parachute), but a fire in the engine compartment due to a faulty hose or connection.

After the airplane is proven? Nomex not required, but I sometimes wear a flight suit for convenience or comfort. I try to wear non-synthetics at other times - just in case! I've also been a firefighter for many, many years, and have sen what burns do to a life...

Paul
 
Ironflight said:
Sure, a proven airplane is probably very safe from a fire standpoint - but for test flying a new aircraft? I try and stack the odds in my favor as much as I can, and my greatest fear is not a structural failure (for which I wear a parachute), but a fire in the engine compartment due to a faulty hose or connection.

After the airplane is proven? Nomex not required, but I sometimes wear a flight suit for convenience or comfort. I try to wear non-synthetics at other times - just in case! I've also been a firefighter for many, many years, and have sen what burns do to a life...

Paul
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I agree with Paul. For test flying, stack the odds in your favor- helmet, Nomex, gloves, chute. No telling what might happen on a brand new airplane.
 
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If I thought this hobby justified a nomex suit, I'd quit flying.

I've personally witnessed five airplane crashes. Three burned and nobody survived. Two didn't and everyone survived.

When an airplane burns, it goes from nothing to fully engulfed in a matter of seconds. In a couple of minutes it becomes almost unrecognizable as an aircraft. Nomex might have saved your friend a lot of pain but it had nothing to do with his survival -- that was pure miracle. I think quick access to a fire extinguisher would have done him more good than a nomex suit. Nomex suits work for race car drivers and the military pilots because there is a crew of firemen poised to leap into action within seconds to extinguish the fire. Private pilots don't get that kind of service.

Even though I have seen quite a few crashes, I still personally know very few pilots who have crashed -- unlike my motorcycle friends, where practically all of them have crashed, including myself. This isn't a completely safe hobby, but in my experience, it's a heck of a lot safer than motorcycles.

If I thought this hobby justified a nomex suit, I'd quit flying.
 
Flash Fire

The nomex flight suits the military wear are different from the suits worn by professional race car drivers. The military flight suits are designed to protect the occupants from flash fire, not long burn. There is no insulation. Also, the nomex is no good if you get any petroleum products on it. I knew guys in the Navy that kept a pair of used/wore-out gloves for preflight then changed to clean gloves for flight.
 
I disagree on the extinguisher - it's just stupid to stay in the flames, unlatch an extinguisher, and then try to put the fire out. It makes mure more sense just to get out of the plane. So an extinguisher wouldn't be any help at all unless you're battling a fire down from altitiude; and that's a completely different scenario. Nomex wouldn't help you there.

I agree on the flash fire though and that's the case I'm talking about specifically. A fire that's there and gone, or a fire that's there and you can get away from it in an instant.

If I'm gonna be in the flames for a long time, then I've got much worse problems. Like altitude, very severe injuries, or incapacitiation.
 
Jaypratt said:
<snip> I would like to have a nomex suit for phase 1 flights and some others. Where do you get Nomex?
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Jay, and others that may be lookin',

I picked up the one I use for the SAR squadron on ebay. New, unused and unwashed for $24.99 + shipping (genuine item, no surprises when delivered). If you search on ebay with "flight suit", a bunch come up. The part number I bought is CWU 27/P, and you can narrow the search with that if you like (it was in the ebay title of the one I purchased). Recommend looking for a new one, just to avoid the ones that are a little (or a lot) too well worn! They're out there.

I'm not at all hard over on them, but for those that want them for PH I or other uses, this may help.

Cheers,
Bob
 
Why an extinguisher

Phil said:
I disagree on the extinguisher - it's just stupid to stay in the flames, unlatch an extinguisher, and then try to put the fire out. It makes mure more sense just to get out of the plane. So an extinguisher wouldn't be any help at all unless you're battling a fire down from altitiude; and that's a completely different scenario. Nomex wouldn't help you there.

I agree on the flash fire though and that's the case I'm talking about specifically. A fire that's there and gone, or a fire that's there and you can get away from it in an instant.

If I'm gonna be in the flames for a long time, then I've got much worse problems. Like altitude, very severe injuries, or incapacitiation.
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If a crash is bad enough to spill fuel, it's unlikely you'll be able to get out by yourself. You've got an extinguisher anyway and it's more likely to help in that scenario than Nomex.

The point I'm trying to make is that it's a lot healthier to face the dangers of our hobby head-on than to run out and buy yourself some false security just because you now know first-hand how truely awful airplane crashes really are. You're no more likely to experience a firey crash today than you were before this accident -- and it's still a very tiny improbability.
 
The Logic of Risk Analysis....

jonbakerok said:
The point I'm trying to make is that it's a lot healthier to face the dangers of our hobby head-on than to run out and buy yourself some false security just because you now know first-hand how truely awful airplane crashes really are. You're no more likely to experience a firey crash today than you were before this accident -- and it's still a very tiny improbability.
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While I don't really disagree with you that the chances of fire retardant clothing saving your bacon in all crashes is small (or I would wear mine all the time), I don't necessarily agree with the logic in your last sentence Jon. A person might very well discover that something that they have done in the past is dangerous (having missed that point before) and decide to change their operations subsequent to the discovery to make things safer.

I also have first hand knowledge of crashes where pilots were able to self-extricate yet died from burns because their polyester clothes melted to their body - and if they had been wearing cotton or Nomex, would most likely ave done much better.

Again Jon - I don't disagree with you that those types of crashes are rare - but you have to ask yourself if there is a cost (other than buying the clothes) to wearing better protection and then it not being necessary.

Paul
 
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