Using a flight helmet while flying a spamcan
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Flying open cockpit I would wear one, also formation/aeros with a chute, just round the local area in a Piper etc I really would not bother, not so worried about other club members, but if I have pax it makes it a lot more relaxed if you make it as normal as possible, start dressing up in special gear will make most nervous pax worse, not sure if it would be more or less nerve racking if you also dress them the same.
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Does my **** look silly in this?
I recall a rather rotund red faced instructor in the 1970's at a Manchester flying school who possesed every piece of RAF and USAF flying clobber known to man and wore it constantly. He even had the dagger in the leg pocket, very handy in a PA28. Has to be said he never turned up in a mixture, he was either Dan Dare or Biggles. The cold wx gear in July probably accounted for the rosy cheeks! He also kept snakes....
GGR
GGR
Last edited by GGR; 6th Oct 2012 at 10:42.
Your having a laugh, bird strike in a spam can the bird would be over taking you
Frightened the C**P out of me & my pax, Was flying a PA 28 Arrow R T Complex.
T
What as that got to do with it ?
T
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EASA in their wisdom might call it a complex aircraft but in the grand plan it is just an SEP with a few extra bits.
EASA regulation is killing light aviation my demanding Diffences training for things that twenty years back would have been handled by a check with a club instructor.
EASA regulation is killing light aviation my demanding Diffences training for things that twenty years back would have been handled by a check with a club instructor.
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I wonder how effective your average flying helmet is in protecting you against the effects of a birdstrike. I mean, the bird has just flown through your 6mm-or-so windshield, and that windshield was probably angled 30 to 45 degrees to the airflow and convex, making it effectively a bit stronger than that. And now it hits your 4mm visor - assuming it's down in the first place. Or your unprotected throat or lower half of your face.
To protect against a birdstrike you would probably need a motorbike-style integral helmet, not your typical flying bonedome.
As for the shards of glass flying around, well, sunglasses will probably work just as well.
To protect against a birdstrike you would probably need a motorbike-style integral helmet, not your typical flying bonedome.
As for the shards of glass flying around, well, sunglasses will probably work just as well.
EASA in their wisdom might call it a complex aircraft but in the grand plan it is just an SEP with a few extra bits.
EASA regulation is killing light aviation my demanding Diffences training for things that twenty years back would have been handled by a check with a club instructor.
EASA regulation is killing light aviation my demanding Diffences training for things that twenty years back would have been handled by a check with a club instructor.
I wear a bone dome when flying high performance ex Military aircraft. I would wear one in my Nanchang CJ6, except that the canopy is too low to allow proper seat height. I do wear nomex and a parachute in it, though.
For flying you average Piper/Cessna I don't wear anything special, except that for a bit of the part time instructing I do the school makes me wear a shirt and tie
I am hard over about seat belts. I will not fly in any aircraft that does not have poperly fitted and operating shoulder belts, ever. There is a long sad list of deaths and traumatic injuries in light aircraft where the pilot/pax folded around the lap belt and smashed their face into the knobs/switches and buttons on the instrument panel.
I also pay attention to the condition of the seat belts on my pre flight inspection. I have grounded several aircraft because of torn/frayed belting or poorly operating buckles. In one case a club airplane had been flying for months with a buckle that would release if you gave it a sharp tug
Needless to say that flight never made it pass the initial cabin inspection part of my pre flight inspection........
For flying you average Piper/Cessna I don't wear anything special, except that for a bit of the part time instructing I do the school makes me wear a shirt and tie
I am hard over about seat belts. I will not fly in any aircraft that does not have poperly fitted and operating shoulder belts, ever. There is a long sad list of deaths and traumatic injuries in light aircraft where the pilot/pax folded around the lap belt and smashed their face into the knobs/switches and buttons on the instrument panel.
I also pay attention to the condition of the seat belts on my pre flight inspection. I have grounded several aircraft because of torn/frayed belting or poorly operating buckles. In one case a club airplane had been flying for months with a buckle that would release if you gave it a sharp tug
Needless to say that flight never made it pass the initial cabin inspection part of my pre flight inspection........
Last edited by Big Pistons Forever; 6th Oct 2012 at 17:08.
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I don't know about you lot but If I have a birdstrike I would love to have a piece of plastic between my face and the bird guts, blood, bones, flying shards of glass, bits of avionics and the windblast. If you're in a SEP then you'll likely have bits of engine, smoke, oil, or other fluids splattering in your face.
The likelihood of this happening in a puddlejumper on final approach is quite low I reckon, especially the speed you'll be going. But having seen some birdstrikes firsthand flying around at low level in the military I've got a new respect for helmet visors.
The likelihood of this happening in a puddlejumper on final approach is quite low I reckon, especially the speed you'll be going. But having seen some birdstrikes firsthand flying around at low level in the military I've got a new respect for helmet visors.
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coming from a motorsport background where fireproof clothing is mandotory I sometimes wear a flying suit together with the nomex long johns and polo neck in winter , I have seen fire burns in motorsport and i'd rather not have that thank you , I also have a pocket knife on me for this reason ,say you have a prang and the seat belt or harness release jams (it can and does happen ) you can cut and get out , i had mine taped to the roll cage in the racing car, one ot these "life hammers "is also a good idea .
At the end of the day you wear what you want , bone dome got one , tried it in our aircraft , sliding canopy which can be opened in flight , never done it since ,same with a chute we can slide open the canopy , in a PA 28 what chance would you have to get out ??.
However and what ever you wear there is no need to call anyone a pratt ,but if anyone wants to call it to my face when I'm wearing mine come on over LOL
At the end of the day you wear what you want , bone dome got one , tried it in our aircraft , sliding canopy which can be opened in flight , never done it since ,same with a chute we can slide open the canopy , in a PA 28 what chance would you have to get out ??.
However and what ever you wear there is no need to call anyone a pratt ,but if anyone wants to call it to my face when I'm wearing mine come on over LOL
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A 4 lb bird hitting the average spam can travelling at approx 80-90 kts is highly unlikely to come through your windshield given the angle of deflection and slow IAS, true it will make a hell of bang and frighten the life out you.
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Of course in motor sport it makes sense as many accidents lead to fires. What proportion of GA accidents lead to post crash fires?
Different if you are in the RAF and it is your normal work clothes.
You would be better to spend the money on aircraft airbags. More likely to help you.
I am not commenting on warbirds or other exposed aircraft where we all agree it can make sense. But in a Warrior - you have to be joking.
Different if you are in the RAF and it is your normal work clothes.
You would be better to spend the money on aircraft airbags. More likely to help you.
I am not commenting on warbirds or other exposed aircraft where we all agree it can make sense. But in a Warrior - you have to be joking.
Last edited by jecuk; 6th Oct 2012 at 21:38.
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BPF
Does that include shoulder harnesses for the rear seat passenger(s) also?
I will not fly in any aircraft that does not have poperly fitted and operating shoulder belts, ever.
I don't particularly like the idea of wearing a helmet whilst flying. They can increase fatigue, restrict movement and reduce the field of view, depending on the type. On the other hand, you do see a lot of pictures of wrecked planes following forced landings where the occupants have survived, but have clearly gotten rattled about a bit.
Head injuries are worth avoiding. Medicine - at least traditionally - tends to be quite limited in terms of assessing head injuries. If you can walk, subtract sevens from 100 all the way down to zero, and don't have a squint, then you've made a full medical recovery. Even if you have mood swings and an inability to concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time and have therefore lost your job and marriage etc... More recently, it's being recognised people quite often suffer major after-effects from head injuries, even sometimes when they may not have lost consciousness and have no obvious physical or neurological injuries.
If I had the choice between proper harnesses and a helmet, I'd go for the harnesses. Newer designs of aircraft - e.g. Cirrus - seem to make a point of designing stronger crew compartments into the aircraft, and again this seems to me preferable.
Professor John Adams has a theory that the safest car would be one where the driver doesn't have a seatbelt, but all the passengers do. Perhaps the same would be true for flying - the pilot shouldn't be allowed to wear a helmet. The idea is that if you feel safe, then you are liable to take more risks and so tangible safety measures can be counterproductive.
Head injuries are worth avoiding. Medicine - at least traditionally - tends to be quite limited in terms of assessing head injuries. If you can walk, subtract sevens from 100 all the way down to zero, and don't have a squint, then you've made a full medical recovery. Even if you have mood swings and an inability to concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time and have therefore lost your job and marriage etc... More recently, it's being recognised people quite often suffer major after-effects from head injuries, even sometimes when they may not have lost consciousness and have no obvious physical or neurological injuries.
If I had the choice between proper harnesses and a helmet, I'd go for the harnesses. Newer designs of aircraft - e.g. Cirrus - seem to make a point of designing stronger crew compartments into the aircraft, and again this seems to me preferable.
Professor John Adams has a theory that the safest car would be one where the driver doesn't have a seatbelt, but all the passengers do. Perhaps the same would be true for flying - the pilot shouldn't be allowed to wear a helmet. The idea is that if you feel safe, then you are liable to take more risks and so tangible safety measures can be counterproductive.
Last edited by abgd; 7th Oct 2012 at 01:18.
A couple of chums had a near one at 7000 feet over Nairobi when a crested crane (I think) came through the windscreen of a Cessna 182 they were flying. It passed between them and ended up on the back seat, closely resembling a scene from Monty Python. The modified aerodynamics didn't help but they got the aircraft down at Wilson airport OK. Personally I wear those Nomex gloves with a leather palm, not because of in-flight fire so much as in the event of an over-priming ground fire I might be inclined to grab something hot. They are also very comfortable. Also a vote for proper 4/5 belt shoulder harnesses.