Painting my (flying) helmet

[stiknruda]

My memory isn't what it should be!

Somebody a few months ago wanted to know if I'd done it, I hadn't, but I have this week!

Get in touch thru PM's and I'll send recipe and fotos.


Stik

[Monocock]

Are you sure it won't have weakened the outer skin of your helmet?

There's nothing worse than cracks appearing so please check it carefully and regularly. If you don't have time it's often good to get someone to do it for you.

Happy flying!

[stiknruda]

Mono - thanks for the concern! I spoke to the manufacturer - he told me what it was made of (a plastic rather than a glass/gell) and then my paint supplier told me what was compatible.

I trimmed a wee bit of and did a soak test for 6 weeks - trimmed bit still shows the runs!


Stik

[DubTrub]

What colour are you painting it, Stik? Not girlie pink like Pitts2112's helmet?

You bi- boys need to remember that no-one looks at the colour of your helmet.

[perhaps the conversation should end there]

[Onan the Clumsy]

What colour are you painting it?

Good job this isn't JetBlast or someone would say PURPLE!

[Floose]

Stik,

Would you paint my helmet for me too? Did LMP get her box? Luvin yer work,

Floose

[DubTrub]

Onan you were never the diplomat, were you?
[edited to add: ...and you're becoming quite normal in your old age by reading the other forums!]

[AerBabe]

Onan - I would be very surprised if it wasn't purple.

[BroomstickPilot]

A word of caution

Very many years ago (in the mid 1950s as I recall), I remember reading a copy of an RAF safety magazine in which it said that some RAF pilots were painting their bone domes to personalise them. The article discouraged this practice because in a fire situation the paint could ignite and burn. These days, so far as I know, you never see a British military pilot with a painted bone dome.

The very fact that you are using a flying helmet suggests you are probably doing either aerobatics (or some other form of aerial daredevilry), where a fire situation is not beyond the bounds of possibility.

I suggest you take this into account when deciding whether to paint your bone-dome, or at least when deciding which paint to use.

Fly safely guys,

Broomstick.

[javelin]

Try this link

http://www.flightsuits.com/helm_paint.html

Also, I believe Oregon Aero do helmets as well.

Stik, have you thought of powder coating

[Onan the Clumsy]

He can't do that if it's an open cockpit aircraft...it'll all blow off

[Floppy Link]

These days, so far as I know, you never see a British military pilot with a painted bone dome.

Search and Rescue ones are normal green ones painted yellow, at least they were in my day 10 years ago...

[BroomstickPilot]

Search and Rescue ones are normal green ones painted yellow, at least they were in my day 10 years ago...

Yes, Floppy, but that's when the manufacturer has produced the bone dome in another colour to the proper MOD spec.

What we're talking about here is individual pilots getting their own painted. Not the same thing and requiring care, surely.

Broomstick.