Flying suits & GA pilots
Flying-suited GA pilots have long been generally regarded as being rather "sad", possibly "never stood a chance of ever being, but always wannabe fighter-pilots".
Whether that's true or not, given that an a/c crash is likely to be nastier than the average car-wreck and much more likely to involve flames, since Nomex suits (mil-surplus and other) are widely available for not much money who don't more folk wear them?
You may be teased about looking like a numpty, but I recently saw some photos of air-crash victims; some had died, some survived. Some were civvy & some were mil. The point being made was that protective and appropriate clothing made a HUGE difference in surviveability of a crash and, if survived an equally huge difference in burn injuries. Seemingly small things also helped, for instance;
Cotton, not nylon
Leather, not PVC
Long sleeves/legs, not short.
The photos have been preying on my mind since I saw them - that's how powerful they are. Yet I have a flying-suit, hardly worn, hanging up behind me as I write. I last wore one regularly when I spent some time wandering around the USA with a C150 and a tent, but folk out there thought I was being fairly sensible.
I was single then, but now I fly with my wife & children with less protection.
I would be very, very interested to know other peoples thoughts on this.
ap.