As a result of this plus some other background reading, I'm buying one to use in an R22 for private flying, mainly solo. I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford a new one, so it'll be an Eagle from HSL with double visor, but if I wasn't I'd dig up the best I could afford.
Couldn't really care less what others think. When bike helmets became mandatory, there was a similar fuss, but now nobody thinks twice about it. ditto ski/boarding helmets.
I use a helmet snowboarding, and have had a couple of big falls - it did actually go through my mind as I sailed through the air 'thank god I've got the helmet' just before my head smacked into the ground and ground its way along the ice. I still saw stars, but it would have been much worse!
BW