Helmet cross
Joined: Sep 2004
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From: In the sun
For fear of responding to a bite, the cross is reflective tape to enable easier location at night during SAR Ops in water, as long as the aircrew keep the helmet on! Hope that helps and awaiting bite response! DB
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Among these dark Satanic mills
And in case it's of interest (and we're not being bitten!), the small patch of velcro on the top of the helmet is for attaching the Firefly strobe light, a rather better location aid than the reflective tape, whereas the large bit of velcro on the back is for the NVG counterweight.
, we taped over the reflector when on ops in northern ireland. Still used black ink, even the night we got shot at. 
Champagne anyone...?
Joined: Oct 1999
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From: EGDL
the small patch of velcro on the top of the helmet is for attaching the Firefly strobe light
Just like they have nothing better to do than stitch up the left thigh pocket on our desert dpm flying troosers so it doesn't snag on the collective. We don't have.
Is there just someone higher up their food chain that just hates squippers and comes up with stupid jobs for them to do when they're working their arses off anyway? Makes you weep....
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Chabanais, France
I remember watching the Para squadron of the Royal Engineers getting ready to go for a jump and noticed on the top of at least one helmet the words, "Dig Here" - nice touch, I thought
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: A 1/2 World away from Ice Statio Kilo
I was once told by a hairy crewman, that if they could clearly see the cross you were face down and thus low priority, any wire tensioners care to comment?
It was in a pub he was chubby so must be true
Charlie sends
It was in a pub he was chubby so must be true
Charlie sends
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 958
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From: door or ramp, don't mind.
Fortunately we here are so massively overstaffed with squippers that it was no skin off their noses to spend ages retrofitting this tosh to our helmets....
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: NZ
The cross
Charlie luncher;
I'ts common sense, arrive face down...little chance...but, will still work all the way to a&e; If your not face down the sar crew will give you the best level of service available. The cross does help hugely, not only with a white light search...
I'ts common sense, arrive face down...little chance...but, will still work all the way to a&e; If your not face down the sar crew will give you the best level of service available. The cross does help hugely, not only with a white light search...
Champagne anyone...?
Joined: Oct 1999
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From: EGDL
Tosh? Nice to know you take your own survival, and the efforts of others associated with it, so seriously
Despairing at the inflexibilities of the system doesn't reflect on my attitudes to survival issues. I've done enough courses and time on ops thanks
Last edited by StopStart; 1st April 2007 at 22:28.
Joined: May 2000
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From: door or ramp, don't mind.
Velcro for a firefly on my lid is cock all use in an MS dinghy
And if you end up bobbing around the oggin without an MS raft?
Or are you flying safe in the assumption that'll never, ever happen?
Got to agree on the FRCS95 thigh pockets though but look at it this way, unpicking the stitching takes up an entire evening on Ops. (Of which I've done quite a few too........"thanks")
Champagne anyone...?
Joined: Oct 1999
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From: EGDL
Given the option of prioritising things like this then yes, me ending up in the oggin, alive, wearing a helmet, with a firefly, without an MS is pretty low on my list of likely occurences. There are plenty more things that are likely to bite me on the arse way before that. Been doing the job long enough to make "assumptions" like that. Thanks again