212man and Zalt,
Couple of helmet program admin questions:
1. If your helmet has a problem and won't work until some parts arrive, can you still crew the aircraft with a headset, or have you got company spares for the pilots, or do the pilots have two, like an immersion suit?
2. If a pilot claims the weight bothers his neck, or has an itchy scalp, can he excuse out on medical grounds or is it now simply a job requirement and he can either wear a helmet or work for another operator?
3. If headsets are an MEL item, how does maintenance sign off a pilot's own personal helmet as aircraft equipment?