Why wear gloves?
Join Date: Apr 2007
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A bit of self preservation!
Lots of years ago, when I was an air cadet, I used to wear shorts and t-shirt when flying a Cessna 150 on my flying scholarship. I was cured of this practise when one of the flying club instructors showed me the deep red scars around his wrists and lower arms that had been caused by his habit of flying with his gloves rolled down and his flying suit sleeves rolled up combined with a flash fire in the cockpit of his Canberra. 
Lesson learned, and now I always dress to survive.
Lesson learned, and now I always dress to survive.
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On the subject of colour, in the late '80s they started issuing rotary loadies with green ones to match their DPM flying suits, but found that too many grunts couldn't see the hand signals and did their turning from green to red as they ran downhill trick....
so they insisted we swap them back in for the nice aiming-mark white ones....
so they insisted we swap them back in for the nice aiming-mark white ones....
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Tenous link to flying gloves (although he always wore a pristine pair of white ones) but in the mid-90s there was a C-130 Captain who refused to lift or carry anything, including his own bag, because - as he put it - "My hands are my livelihood and I can't damage them".
As if this didn't make him sound a bit of a tit on its own, when we asked if he made his missus lug all the grocery shopping around on her own he mumbled something pathetic along the lines of his unwillingness to lift anything only meant on or around the aircraft.
Couldn't possibly let slip the name of the fella though, that would be indiscreet...
CC
As if this didn't make him sound a bit of a tit on its own, when we asked if he made his missus lug all the grocery shopping around on her own he mumbled something pathetic along the lines of his unwillingness to lift anything only meant on or around the aircraft.
Couldn't possibly let slip the name of the fella though, that would be indiscreet...
CC
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Wessex Boy, I said I hope they don't mention colour. Now you've blown it. Another secret in the public domain.
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When I had to leave HMs service, we had a ceremonial torching of my nice light-blue suit(yes we used to get pissed back in the dark ages as well). In a matter of a minute or two I was left with a pile of zips. The chaps went a bit green and made enquiries about flame retardants. I hope that they have improved in the last thirty odd years.
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Flying gloves
That safety presentation is scary. I'm now in the market for a pair of flying gloves having seen those pictures of mutilated hands. 
I hadn't considered this before, although as a low-hours PPL I do make a point of not flying in nylon clothing such as a fleece. Instead, I go for long sleeves and natural fibres as a nod to fire protection.
For aerobatics I would want the full romper suit, bonedome and gloves purely because I consider the risks of a crash or emergency exit from the aircraft to be much greater than flying from A to B in a spam can.
Surely we should be encouraged to disregard any inevitable banter at the local flying club if it means we're more likely to survive a crash/fire and get to fly another day.
But among all the gore in the presentation, there was one picture showing an RAF-type leather flying glove all shrivelled up and a USAF-style nomex glove. The description said the nomex was better as it would stretch in the heat and therefore give longer lasting protection for hands.
That being so, why do the UK armed forces opt for leather gloves?
I hadn't considered this before, although as a low-hours PPL I do make a point of not flying in nylon clothing such as a fleece. Instead, I go for long sleeves and natural fibres as a nod to fire protection.
For aerobatics I would want the full romper suit, bonedome and gloves purely because I consider the risks of a crash or emergency exit from the aircraft to be much greater than flying from A to B in a spam can.
Surely we should be encouraged to disregard any inevitable banter at the local flying club if it means we're more likely to survive a crash/fire and get to fly another day.
But among all the gore in the presentation, there was one picture showing an RAF-type leather flying glove all shrivelled up and a USAF-style nomex glove. The description said the nomex was better as it would stretch in the heat and therefore give longer lasting protection for hands.
That being so, why do the UK armed forces opt for leather gloves?
The parameters (Time/Heat)that Aircrew Equipment Assys (AEA) are supposed to withstand, are laid down in various Def Stans. Ultimately, they are all designed to give the individual enough time to evacuate the ac by his primary escape means.
Boots = 600deg for 2Secs during ejection!
Fly Suit = 600 deg for 4 secs (Flash Fire with Avtur)
Puffa Jkt = 600 deg for 0 secs ( Any fire any ac!!!!!)
etc
For those that continue to fly in the old style Fly Suit (Mk 14) have a look at the Thermo Man trials and I am sure it will be a good enough argument to wear the new Mk16.
Boots = 600deg for 2Secs during ejection!
Fly Suit = 600 deg for 4 secs (Flash Fire with Avtur)
Puffa Jkt = 600 deg for 0 secs ( Any fire any ac!!!!!)
etc
For those that continue to fly in the old style Fly Suit (Mk 14) have a look at the Thermo Man trials and I am sure it will be a good enough argument to wear the new Mk16.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
On the matter of spam cans, I always wear good stout shoes that I can run through a fire in. I wear a shirt and light wool sweater. I carry a jacket.
Friend of mine said he would, if he had the power, to order all pax in flip flops, shorts, singlets and boozed off his flights.
Friend of mine said he would, if he had the power, to order all pax in flip flops, shorts, singlets and boozed off his flights.
Join Date: May 2000
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No I am not fat!!!
Mk 16 - new!
Just cheap and a lot smaller than the old ones, use to be a 6 and now have to have a 9!!! gloves still fit but you can't get them!!!
There is no justice sometimes.
Just cheap and a lot smaller than the old ones, use to be a 6 and now have to have a 9!!! gloves still fit but you can't get them!!!
There is no justice sometimes.
Join Date: Jan 2007
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Just watched the safety slideshow on that website....hmmm
The state of the leather gloves back up exactly what happened to mine...
I used to glide with the space cadets, and we were issued with all the RAF kit, including the white posey leather gloves. At the time I had a sha99ed out Honda 90 as transport(yeah, young wild and free )
Anyway, the exhaust fell off one day as I was on my way to the gliding school. I just happened to be wearing my flying gloves, and not thinking, I picked up the remains of the bl00dy hot exhaust....the gloves immediately shrunk and looked exactly like those in the pics, and were a bu99er to get off-but they were still better than bare hands.
As a commercial balloon pilot I wear thickish leather gloves, but having seen the pics, I might well try a pair of Nomex ones. Our problem is that they've got to be liquid gas proof too, as if we have a leak, the propane comes out at -42°C and I suspect the nomex will let that through...
Food for thought though...
The state of the leather gloves back up exactly what happened to mine...
I used to glide with the space cadets, and we were issued with all the RAF kit, including the white posey leather gloves. At the time I had a sha99ed out Honda 90 as transport(yeah, young wild and free
)Anyway, the exhaust fell off one day as I was on my way to the gliding school. I just happened to be wearing my flying gloves, and not thinking, I picked up the remains of the bl00dy hot exhaust....the gloves immediately shrunk and looked exactly like those in the pics, and were a bu99er to get off-but they were still better than bare hands.
As a commercial balloon pilot I wear thickish leather gloves, but having seen the pics, I might well try a pair of Nomex ones. Our problem is that they've got to be liquid gas proof too, as if we have a leak, the propane comes out at -42°C and I suspect the nomex will let that through...
Food for thought though...
I did a BoI many years ago when one ejectee landed in the fireball - survived but burns were exacerbated by failure to wear a layer under the flying suit, loss of a leather glove in the ejection and the fact that the LSJ burns rather easily, transmitting heat to the person beneath through the unburnt flying suit.
The Board's recommendation on the LSJ was rejected (cost?) - dunno if they have made it out of something non-flammable now?
The Board's recommendation on the LSJ was rejected (cost?) - dunno if they have made it out of something non-flammable now?
SOCKS
I once got bollocked in a Bullldog at UAS for not having any socks on, though i was wearing bloody great desert boots kindly issued to me by the stores. The C.O. growled 'what would i do if it caught fire'. The thought of anything happening to my feet through those boots seemed negligable, but the C.O. wasnt a man to reason with!!
I do have a natty pair of white leather gloves though, the only thing i found useful wearing from my UAS days.
I do have a natty pair of white leather gloves though, the only thing i found useful wearing from my UAS days.