I take orders from my wife sometimes, my employer always, the police in the conduct of their lawful duties and anyone pointing a gun or knife at me. Any other person who tells me "Don't say something" relating to what he thinks others won't want to hear will elicit a terse reply.
I will fight by all means any attempt to impose a blanket requirement for all offshore pilots to wear helmets, particularly if that requirement is applied to pilots flying over the northern North Sea.
I NEVER implied that those who fly types where noise is a serious issue e.g. the S92, or those who fly in other operational theatres where the risk of serious head injuries is significant, shouldn't be provided with helmets.
I'll reiterate and keep on reiterating: 1) There is no irrefutable historical evidence that the wearing of helmets in northern North Sea ops might have saved lives. 2) Even the lightest weight helmets cause heat and discomfort to increase to the extent where it can be a serious distraction for some pilots. 3) If we're forced to wear them, I'll campaign loud and long for mandatory 1 hour breaks free of all flight planning between flights. 4) I'll ask contacts in the offshore unions whether they would feel safe knowing that pilots engaged in critical phases of flight are being distracted by itchy sweaty scalps, caused by wearing helmets.
Finally, I'll calm down and adopt a more moderate tone when I'm given total assurance that the wearing of helmets will never become mandatory.
I do take your points and they are all perfectly valid but for every argument there must be a counter argument, and very often the truth lies between the two! I don't think you need to elevate your blood pressure over a very healthy discussion. I find it very unlikely you will be forced to wear a helmet, even if your company issues them, as long as you have a good reason not to, although the TSB of Canada are not far from enforcing this on their offshore pilots. I do suggest though that you continue to engage in the discussion, and take it as that, and hopefully we all benefit.
As far as your points above - well 1) irrefutable evidence in the North Sea as to where a helmet has saved lives is difficult, I will grant you that. However that does not mean that they have not saved lives anywhere else. I have known quite a few people who have probably owed their lives to their "bone-domes" on land, so they do help. Of course, thankfully, accidents are rare offshore, but they do happen, and the report into the Cougar accident will state that the pilots received head injuries that likely caused them to lose consciousness. Whether or not they would have survived if they had been wearing helmets or not, we will never know, but the families are pushing very hard to have helmets made compulsory for pilots, and they have seen the evidence and been party to an in depth investigation.
2) Helmets causing heat and distraction - this is not exactly objective. Having used an old heavy helmet for up to seven hours during the day in 40 degrees plus, in an old aircraft with no aircon, sometimes at night with NVG, flying low-level and requiring high degrees of concentration, and with people on the ground being really a bit unfriendly toward us on occasion, I can honestly say I did not find my helmet a much of distraction. You get used to it, as you well know. It would have been madness not to wear one. I agree it is more comfortable in some ways without, but i have heard exactly the same argument from people who want a helmet and now wear one - that the noise and vibration is actually a far greater distraction and that a lightweight comfortable helmet allows for a more comfortable, less distracting environment.
3) Our company already has 1 hour breaks between all flights and has done for many years and most of us do not wear helmets. In fact those who are wearing them say they feel less fatigued now than when they did not have a helmet. 4) don't bother asking your contacts offshore if they are happy with pilots having itchy sweaty scalps as they will just realise a bunch of smelly pongos have infiltrated, and will probably just reply that you need better hygiene rituals.