Safety equipment and outbriefs

[AberdeenAngus]

I'm a new pilot but an old hand at risk management.
One thing I will add to this thread is that there is no such thing as an acceptable level of protective equipment since 'acceptable' is entirely subjective.
We all have different perception of risk, usually coloured by our personal experiences.

[tmmorris]

I find the clothing thing very hard to decide.

I too fly from an RAF club, and many of the members, older and wiser than I, always fly in a Nomex suit. I did, for a while, particularly flying our Firefly which had nowhere to put anything. But it leaves me feeling a bit of a fraud, really. Recently I flew my IMCR renewal in a t shirt alongside an examiner in a flying suit and gloves. He didn't say a word! (nor indeed fail me)

On the whole, I am with A and C, and wear long sleeves and trousers in natural fabrics, usually cotton. I don't carry gloves but I have a pair and perhaps I'll start. But I must admit last week in 30° temperatures I flew in shorts and a t shirt, on the basis that the distraction of being boiled alive would probably be a worse risk.

Tim

[sharpend]

Dubbleyew Eight wrote

all the prior posters seem to live in constant fear of a catastrophe. you guys must get a real downer going after a flight when you realise that nothing happened. you never had a moment where the crash axe got raised in anger. what a letdown flying must be for you all. I knew pilots like you once. they could last 3 hours in the air and the nervous tension did them in to the point where they could only fly every second day. they dumped me as a friend when I told them that I could fly every day and for nearly 3 times as long each day.

Assuming he was being serious, I have to disagree with him. The very fact that I plan for everything means I relax totally in flight, knowing I'm in control. I don't live in constant fear; far from it. Moreover, flying is never a let down, always a joy. Even when a surface to air missile was fired at me, I was relaxed, for I knew what to do.

Whatever, as I previously mentioned, wear what you like. It will not affect me one jot. However, this forum is an interchange of ideas, advice is free and can be ignored. At the end of the day, most aspects of flying are all about risk assessment. If we did not want to take a risk we would leave the aeroplane in the hangar. In fact, we would not even get into our cars!

[Gertrude the Wombat]

To treat an aircraft in the same way as a car in terms of safety equipment is wholly wrong if you intend to go any distance when the weather might turn bad.

Erm, if I'm going off somewhere in a car when the weather might turn bad I do take survival equipment - no fun even being stuck in a jam on a motorway in subzero temperatures in your shirtsleeves, let alone a breakdown on a country road with no mobile coverage.

I do the same in an aircraft - take what's appropriate according to my risk assessment for the trip and possible weather.

(My father always carries a spade in his car in case he has to dig himself out of something - and I've seen him use it (albeit to help another motorist rather than himself). I have twice got stuck, once in mud and once in sand, and felt the lack of a spade ... they don't come as standard with hire cars!)

[thing]

I fly from a service club and people turn up in whatever they feel comfortable in. I've never seen anyone fly in a nomex unless they were just off duty and were wearing it for their day job.

Some people will drive at 60 mph in foggy conditions where I think 40 mph is appropriate but then my 40 mph may seem fast to someone doing 30.

There are other risk management issues that I take more seriously. I would never fly from an airfield/runway where there wasn't an 'out' if the fan stopped; I also like at least 3,000' between me and the ground if possible. Perhaps nomex wearers would be happy flying around at 500'. That's an unacceptable risk to me.

[Pilot DAR]

I always wear natural fibers, and carry a great Swiss Army knife. Beyond that, it depends what, and where I'm flying.

For summer land flying jeans and a cotton shirt or cotton hoodie, if cool. Winter land flying, add to that, a down vest or jacket, and suitable boots.

For summer water flying, add an inflatable two chamber life jacket, which has a clip off waterproof pouch for my phone, LED strobe lights, magnesium fire starter, folding pliers, knife, wire saw, and whistle. If it sinks, you get to keep what you exited with, so it better be clipped on already. I might wear shorts, as getting out the beached plane will take you into knee deep water. Crocs are handy for that, but otherwise leather running shoes.

For winter water flying, I'll wear either full "Mustang" or "Helly Hanson" floater suit, or a Mustang "ice commander" dry suit, with the life jacket over it. A bit bulky, but reassuring...

[BroomstickPilot]

What To Wear When Flying!!!!

Hi Guys,

If you do a search under the title 'What To Wear When Flying!!!!' you should find a 2007 thread that deals fully with this subject.

Regards,

BP.

[Camargue]

Each to his own I think

I did aero's yesterday in Jeans and T shirt. Negative G is hard enough without being overheated before you start.

On a jolly I'll take wallet and phone and some water and be dressed to cope with outside temp if I had to.

As for fire I work on the basis: if you are struggling to get out fumes will kill you 1st. If are taking pax and you are wearing nomex then everyone needs to.
In short I perceive the risk to be so low as not to be relevant (lets face it I am far more likely to be killed on my motorbike on the way to the airfield)

I wont fly over water in a fixed undercarriage sep (maybe wearing a 'chute along with a life jacket.) A Couple of trips in clients power boat over calm seas at 70kts quickly disabused me of any optimism I might have had of surviving a ditching.

[Pilot DAR]

Jeans and a cotton T shirt are a good choice for flying, flammability considered. That's what I often wear. Obviously, there is slightly less protection for your arms, but this choice does not pose the actual flammability hazard to the wearer that many common man made materials would.

Even thinking about it, is a good thing....

[Arclite01]

Usually Jeans, RAF Aircrew socks, cotton vest & pants, RAF Aircrew T-Shirt (long sleeves and Turtleneck), Old SAS windproof (cotton), desert boots or Timberland boots and RAF Issue cape leather gloves, and a cap plus sunglasses.

In the winter maybe one more cotton layer, and cotton long johns, plus silk inners for the gloves.

Comfortable and hopefully safe ('ish).

I also think that Richard Hillary comment in 'The Last Enemy' about gloves is very true - one of the aeroplanes I fly has a header tank just in front of me - not even a firewall between me and it............. (Cub J3) - I often think of Geoffrey Page when I see it. I'm also mindful of lessons learned around 'Anti-Flash' learned in the Falklands. I stay well away from Nylon as it has bad static properties and melts like.............a melty thing !!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Page

I never fly in shorts or short sleeves, or flip flops (which I have seen).

Arc