Helmets
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Exeter
I always wear a 'Lynx' (http://www.lynx-avionics.com) polycarbonate helmet flying my Thruster TST. It's lightweight, keeps your head warm and fits nicely over a headset.
The only drawback is 'helmet hair' after a couple of hours, which can give you an unfortunate bedraggled look when booking in at a new airfield
Tom
The only drawback is 'helmet hair' after a couple of hours, which can give you an unfortunate bedraggled look when booking in at a new airfield
Tom
A little less conversation,
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From: Bracknell, UK
Originally Posted by Coarse Flapture
eharding, ATPLs can afford helmets because they have jobs.
As the Gorilla will testify, my experience of getting in and out of the Cub
would indicate a helmet is a safety requirement - damn near brained myself
on the concrete falling out of the bloody thing last time.
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From: New South Wales
A little less conversation,
a little more aviation...
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From: Bracknell, UK
Originally Posted by QDM
I think I'm talking myself into this:
http://www.alphaeaglehelmet.co.uk/
http://www.alphaeaglehelmet.co.uk/
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Massachusetts Bay Colony
Alpha over...kill?
QDM,
I'm thinking the Alpha may be a bit overkill (which is ironic in itself, but I couldn't think of a better word) if you're only going to be using them in a Cub. As a mate of mine says, a Cub carries just enough energy to barely kill you.
Obviously headroom in the Cub usually isn't a problem, but I seem to remember the Alpha being extremely expensive for what it was. I and most of the aerobatic pilots I know that wear helmets use the HGU-55. Get it from the States at current exchange rates and you can do very well. They're a good helmet (good enough for NATO fighter jocks is good enough for me) and they're lightweight. Given your application and how much you're going to be wearing it, I think the light weight, slimmer profile, and reduced cost of the HGU-55 would make it a better choice.
But that's just my .02 worth.
Pitts2112
I'm thinking the Alpha may be a bit overkill (which is ironic in itself, but I couldn't think of a better word) if you're only going to be using them in a Cub. As a mate of mine says, a Cub carries just enough energy to barely kill you.
Obviously headroom in the Cub usually isn't a problem, but I seem to remember the Alpha being extremely expensive for what it was. I and most of the aerobatic pilots I know that wear helmets use the HGU-55. Get it from the States at current exchange rates and you can do very well. They're a good helmet (good enough for NATO fighter jocks is good enough for me) and they're lightweight. Given your application and how much you're going to be wearing it, I think the light weight, slimmer profile, and reduced cost of the HGU-55 would make it a better choice.
But that's just my .02 worth.
Pitts2112
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Joined: Jun 2002
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From: New South Wales
QDM,
I'm thinking the Alpha may be a bit overkill (which is ironic in itself, but I couldn't think of a better word) if you're only going to be using them in a Cub. As a mate of mine says, a Cub carries just enough energy to barely kill you.
Obviously headroom in the Cub usually isn't a problem, but I seem to remember the Alpha being extremely expensive for what it was. I and most of the aerobatic pilots I know that wear helmets use the HGU-55. Get it from the States at current exchange rates and you can do very well. They're a good helmet (good enough for NATO fighter jocks is good enough for me) and they're lightweight. Given your application and how much you're going to be wearing it, I think the light weight, slimmer profile, and reduced cost of the HGU-55 would make it a better choice.
But that's just my .02 worth.
I'm thinking the Alpha may be a bit overkill (which is ironic in itself, but I couldn't think of a better word) if you're only going to be using them in a Cub. As a mate of mine says, a Cub carries just enough energy to barely kill you.
Obviously headroom in the Cub usually isn't a problem, but I seem to remember the Alpha being extremely expensive for what it was. I and most of the aerobatic pilots I know that wear helmets use the HGU-55. Get it from the States at current exchange rates and you can do very well. They're a good helmet (good enough for NATO fighter jocks is good enough for me) and they're lightweight. Given your application and how much you're going to be wearing it, I think the light weight, slimmer profile, and reduced cost of the HGU-55 would make it a better choice.
But that's just my .02 worth.
I don't think I'm that likely to crash, but equally I am starting to approach nearer to the limits of what the machine can achieve than I used to and that obviously increases the risk of a misjudgement.
The SC is very uncrashworthy, in my opinion, and quite a few of the US pilots wear helmets and swear by them. One of the prime Alaskan safety mods is to put an extra brace in the roof as the cockpit area has a habit of concertinaing together in a crash. Any kind of deforming impact in a Super Cub will undoubtedly result in major head injury without a helmet. Equally, however, the seat backs are very low and there will be enormous momentum imparted to the head round a fulcrum at the shoulder blades, so a heavy helmet will increase the already major risk of cervical spine injury.
I am certainly not over-anxious, merely a pragmatist.
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From: Massachusetts Bay Colony
I don't think what you're doing is too much, necessarily. Its kind of the way our safety culture is going. When I learned to ride a bike there wasn't even such a thing as a helmet to wear. Now, my neice and nephew themselves wouldn't think of getting on their bikes without their helmets and even I usually wear one now, too. It won't necessarily come to pass but it wouldn't surprise me, either if, in 10 years, we all wear helmets for all flying as a matter of course.
I personally still don't wear a helmet in regular GA aircraft but there's certainly no reason not to. Just be prepared to take a bit of stick at the club for the next 10 years until the above mentioned takes place.
On the Alpha//hg-55 issue, I don't know the difference in performance and weight but the difference in price was about double when I was looking into them 7 years ago and the profile of the Alpha is enormous compared to the HGU-55. The sheer unnecessary size of the Alpha ruled it out for me as I couldn't get it into the cockpit of the Pitts. In fact, I don't have enough headroom for even the HGU-33 with the visor cover.
These people that say it's better not to wear a helmet because of the weight/momentum issues are missing the point. I'd rather have my helmeted head hit the panel a little harder than my bare one because it's still going to come out better. With the strap angles in the SuperCub, though, I think you may have a point about the weight difference between two helmets.
See if you can find a place to try them both out and talk to someone genuinely knowledgeable about them. Regardless of which one you go with, it's a significant investment so you want to get it right, obviously.
As for pushing the boundaries of the machine and yourself, I'm all for that, but it is definitely a case of small increments at a time. I did exactly the same thing in the SuperCub and later, a Taylorcraft. If you're doing it and think you need a helmet to protect yourself, you may want to look at how you're approaching that.
Good luck with whatever you decide and stay safe!
Pitts2112
I personally still don't wear a helmet in regular GA aircraft but there's certainly no reason not to. Just be prepared to take a bit of stick at the club for the next 10 years until the above mentioned takes place.
On the Alpha//hg-55 issue, I don't know the difference in performance and weight but the difference in price was about double when I was looking into them 7 years ago and the profile of the Alpha is enormous compared to the HGU-55. The sheer unnecessary size of the Alpha ruled it out for me as I couldn't get it into the cockpit of the Pitts. In fact, I don't have enough headroom for even the HGU-33 with the visor cover.
These people that say it's better not to wear a helmet because of the weight/momentum issues are missing the point. I'd rather have my helmeted head hit the panel a little harder than my bare one because it's still going to come out better. With the strap angles in the SuperCub, though, I think you may have a point about the weight difference between two helmets.
See if you can find a place to try them both out and talk to someone genuinely knowledgeable about them. Regardless of which one you go with, it's a significant investment so you want to get it right, obviously.
As for pushing the boundaries of the machine and yourself, I'm all for that, but it is definitely a case of small increments at a time. I did exactly the same thing in the SuperCub and later, a Taylorcraft. If you're doing it and think you need a helmet to protect yourself, you may want to look at how you're approaching that.
Good luck with whatever you decide and stay safe!
Pitts2112
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From: New South Wales
As for pushing the boundaries of the machine and yourself, I'm all for that, but it is definitely a case of small increments at a time. I did exactly the same thing in the SuperCub and later, a Taylorcraft. If you're doing it and think you need a helmet to protect yourself, you may want to look at how you're approaching that.
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From: Massachusetts Bay Colony
True enough. Just make sure to keep the margin on the correct side of the line. The key to smaller margins is to make sure the judgement and skills are honed to a finer edge BEFORE starting to narrow the margins. But you only improve by challenging yourself. It's all in how you do it.
Pitts2112
Pitts2112
Joined: May 2001
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From: 75N 16E
We have 4 point harnesses in our plane, which is probably the best first measure to take, they would certainly prevent the head whipping into the panel on a bad forced landing.........But would probably require a bundle of paperwork to install if you don't already have them 
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From: New South Wales
I have four point harnesses, but they won't make that much difference in a confined Super Cub, where the real issue is the cockpit area deforming and / or the seat attachment points letting go.
It's a great aircraft, hard to crash, but pretty rubbish if you ever do. Very uncrashworthy.
It's a great aircraft, hard to crash, but pretty rubbish if you ever do. Very uncrashworthy.
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: UK
One or two other things to consider.....:
They are very hot and sweaty in the summer
I am not convinced about the noise attenuation levels (although there is nothing to stop you using earplugs)
Great to have a smoked visor, so you can leave your sunglasses in the car.
But if there are things in your cockpit waiting to scalp you, there is no contest, but they do take some getting used to.
They are very hot and sweaty in the summer
I am not convinced about the noise attenuation levels (although there is nothing to stop you using earplugs)
Great to have a smoked visor, so you can leave your sunglasses in the car.
But if there are things in your cockpit waiting to scalp you, there is no contest, but they do take some getting used to.
A little less conversation,
a little more aviation...
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Bracknell, UK
On its own, I don't think the noise attenuation of the HGU-55 comes close to a DC headset - but with the CEP earplugs its at least on a par with a decent headset.
http://www.cep-usa.com/
http://www.cep-usa.com/
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From: Massachusetts Bay Colony
I concur with eHarding. The sound attenuation on the HGU-55 is rubbish but that's because of the way the earcups are built. Saying that, the head-impact protecion of a set of DCs is rubbish, too. I usually wear earplugs with my helmet and it works out just fine. It just depends on what you want, really.
Pitts2112
Pitts2112