Helmets - Should you? and Which?

[crop duster]

WLM, first thing you need to do is remove anything that is easily removed like boom mics, snaps, etc... Then lightly sand the painted part of the helmet with 400 or 600 grit sand paper or what I like is a 3M product called a Scotch Brite pad. You might find a simular pad near the kitchen sink. Anything that will clean and deglaze the paint will work. Then mask off the areas that you don't want to get paint on like the edge roll and the inside. I forgot to mention that if the surface has gouges they need to be feathered out until you can't feel them with your finger nail. Clean the surface with Acetone or Lacquer thinner. Then get someone that can use and has access to a good quality poly-urethane paint to apply to helmet surface. Three coates should be enough. It sounds easy and it's not hard but the preparation is the secret to getting a good paint job. Take short cuts and it will show up.

I personally like Alumigrip paint. You can paint your helmet with it and once it is cured you can throw it around or bang you head against the doors or windows and it will stay if the surface was clean and applied right.

Barry

[B Sousa]

www.flightsuits.com
They do good work. Fedex will get it there and back........

[bellsux]

I would recommend stripping all the bits off and sanding it down with some 3M paper 300 then 600. Do this just to remove the paint and try to keep most of the old primer on. Then mask it off with some good quality tape. I myself would not use any chemicals to clean it as your best bet would then be to take it to a car smash repair shop and get the painter to spray some primer and a two pack coat over it using leftovers of what ever cars that are in the shop, he will also prep the surface with the right stuff. The amount of cars that go through those places means you can get the colour you want and they will do the job without your bone dome looking like an orange skin or big drips down the side.

[international hog driver]

If you after a good design get in contact with some of the motorsporting clubs. These guys are dead keen on unique paint jobs and that’s how I had mine done.

Finished product is great mine has a blue & silver flys eye pattern on the visor shield that splits into a rams horn on the sides over the speaker bludges.
On the back is a cartoon character….. which one would be telling too much.

Cheers

[Bladestrike]

Be careful, it's quite easy to compromise the integrity of your helmet.

Certain paints can weaken the shell, as can sanding prior to painting. As well, I've been told that even a slight edge, as in a paint line, could catch and transfer crash loads to your neck/cranium. The finish can affect this as well.

Personally I think its a tad extreme, and I went ahead and painted my old SPH4 with Tremclad spraypaint from our local Canadian Tire Store.....but I doubt the crash worthiness was quite on par with what the original provided.

(.....some pious arse reamed me out AFTERWARDS when he saw the repainted helmet, but my "new" SPH5 has enough scratches already that I'd hardly be concerned about the affect a repaint would have)

Give Flightsuits a call, they'll give you the skinny.

[ShyTorque]

I once painted mine like a snake to frighten the wife. I poked it round the bedroom door and....OH, SORRY, you meant FLIGHT helmet.......

[NickLappos]

And we thought you were SHY torque!! Was it glow-in-the-dark paint?

[ShyTorque]

No Nick,

But it glowed in the dark for a while after the thinners and wire brush needed to remove it.

And it didn't scare her. She just said "No thanks, I roll my own".

[WLM]

Thank you very much for the helpful tips
WLM

[Flingwing207]

DO NOT USE ACETONE ON A FIBERGLASS (or fibreglass) HELMET!

It will most certainly destroy it.

[ShyTorque]

I concur; NEVER use acetone on your helmet

[Randy_g]

Just for your info, Flightsuits does a nice job, but it can take 6 weeks to get it back. I took mine to them several years ago to get refurbished, and it took almost 8 weeks to get it back. They did a great job too.

Cheers

[B Sousa]

In defense of Flightsuits. I just had an SPH-4 modified from Military to Civilian..........Back here in two weeks....... Thats no painting, but Im satisfied......call them and ask

[WLM]

B Sousa
Did you keep the original canvas liner or switch to a TPL liner? The reason for my question is to justify spending $108 for the TPL liner kit.
I have just finished sanding the helmet, looks OK, now onto the next stages...
Thanks
WLM

[B Sousa]

I had the SPH4B which had the TPL. Flightsuits told me the liner kit was $37 and change. I hope we were on the same sheet of music. I have an old sph4 which someone could have for $75 plus shipping. Its military so would have to be modded..... and needs the TPL liner

[Steve76]

I have a good 2001 SPH5 for sale.

White, with about 2 years part time on it. Above average condition because we work EMS 4 on, 4 off and only fly half that time......???
Figure out the math yourself. Comes with all avionics, liner and I think it has a bag around here somewhere.

Wanting $1000 Canadian + buyer pays the shipping.

Can send a photo if you want. I have an average headsize (which means nothing so I should measure it I guess....?)

[email protected]

Steve

[Ascend Charlie]

Hey, Infernal Hog Driver,

i don't suppose R'n'R Speed Sports could do the paint job?

And I always thought you didn't do what I asked you to do because you were hard of hearing - glad to see it was your "speaker bludgers" that were the cause!!!

[international hog driver]

Yes AC

Maybe my speaker bludgers are hard of hearing!!!!!

Mind you, sitting between PT6s ever since has made me even more deaf.

Showed this to bergs and even she laughed……..

Maybe you are the best person to edit the book too!!!!!!!

Cheers
I’ll call when back from the UK.

[RDRickster]

Helmets in Small Helicopters

In a recent thread search, I found dozens of posts on PPRuNe about helmets. However, most of the discussions focused on what type to wear and how to modify them. I even found one thread (circa 2001) that discusses the pros and cons of wearing helmets in helicopters at all.

There is some great background information already posted, but I'd like to hear your opions on whether or not to wear helmets in small helicopters. Specifically, do you wear a helmet in any of the following:

B2B, R22, B47, UH-12, 280FX/F28F, 300C/CB/CBi
(any other 2-3 place helicopter that I forgot)

Also, please tell us what kind of flying are you doing (recreational, casual, line patrol, training, time building, instruction, etc). I'm already preparing for the arguement that there should NOT be any distinction between larger helicopters and 2-3 place helicopters where the use of helmets are concerned.

If you feel that helmets are a must for any helicopter, please defend your position. Personally, I don't wear a helmet when flying because most of my flying is casual or time building. If I were flying line patrol or in remote wilderness locations, a helmet would be part of my mission profile.

[pilotwolf]

I ve got one. Started customising it and lost a screw... never got around to ordering a new one.

Biggest thing I ve flown is the 206 and now will mostly be the Hughes 269...

Bit like a growbag... do you wear it and be 'safe' or not wear it for fear of looking silly?