Staticdroop
Do you do that every night... do you fly outside the limitations of the aircraft and/or company Ops manual if not then you are within a reasonably safe environment, don't make it out to be something it's not.
Of course the answers to the above is no not every night, but often enough (just ask the guys and girls in Norwich, Humberside, Denes, Blackpool, Den Helder and Esbjerg), and, no not outside either aircraft or Ops manual limitations.
I'm not trying to make "it out to be something it's not", simply trying to emphasise that not all North Sea flying is sitting in the cruise at 3000ft enroute to the Basin as your analogy with an airline might suggest. The guys in the NNS will recognise that too.
And I guess that every time you flew a HEMS, PAOC, Mil or pipeline sortie you were not dicing with death protected by only a thin dome of kevlar, resin and polycarbonate.
With the exception of Military ops in a hostile environment are these not also reasonably safe environments? If not why are we risking the lives of the crews and the people they fly over.
As I said before, I'm not arguing for or against helmets but rather for the opportunity to choose. If I want to wear a helmet why shouldn't I be allowed to? Now, if you feel I shouldn't be allowed to then convince me. Tell me who I will disadvantage by doing so, and why.
Red