Your opinion about helmets?

Dave,
I'll try not to run on about this. I changed over from a mesh hat with
headset to a helmet last year. These were some of my thoughts.

I flew at the time, a Pitt S2B, with a 10 year old off brand headset.
(No ANR) An S2B and an AG-cat gotta rate about the same for cockpit
noise. IT'S LOUD. Tried many mods to the headset, intercom, etc with
little to no improvement. Time to step up to ANR. Flew a Bose set, they
were nice, and quiet but about a kilobuck per seat. Had been considering
a helmet for Acro but seemed a bit pricey at about $1300 all up with ANR
headset built in, custom fit liner, Kevlar shell (about all the add-ons
save for an oxygen reciever). So, the difference between the Bose
headset and the ANR helmet from flightsuits was about $300 bucks.

Whatta you get for $300? Mostly piece of mind. I've seen plenty of
pics/articles and heard many a story of people who survived
accidents/forced landings etc., but had the altimeter knob stuck in
their forehead, had the rear seat instrument panel in a 'B' wrap around
their head, flipped over in forced landing whacking their head on the
tarmac. Understand, this is not the same quality as a motorcycle helmet,
there is no Snell or DOT rating on these. They are definitley not legal
for use on the street or racetrack.
In the same line of thinking, I recently read an article comparing the
risks of flying ones own aircraft, regular GA, not acro. The risks in
terms of accident rates and fatalities are about the same as riding a
motorcycle on the streets. (Certainly you'd where a helmet riding a
motorcycle, it's likely even the law where you live).

If you had to exit the aircraft and ride the chute down, it'd be a real
****er to survive the crippled aircraft, the parachute ride, just to get
KO'd or worse by a tree branch, or the runway, or your aircraft on the
way out. In that way I consider it a piece of lifesaving equipment, a
had mine painted bright yellow. In S. Florida there's not much on the
ground thats bright yellow, I want the rescuers to have no problem
locating me.

The Kevlar shell is very light, fitted correctly you'll hardly notice
the weight through +6 -4 Gs. One side benefit for those of us needing
glasses, the tinted face shield eliminates the need for prescription
sunglasses.
It can get quite warm inside the helmet, my skull cap liners usually
come out soaking wet. But, how long are your acro flights? For the 40
minutes or so I'm usually up it's not bad.

I have had a problem with the cords from the headset to the jacks, they
don't tolerate much bending/twisting, I've had to have mine repaired
twice, for free, but it's still a hassle packing it up, shipping and
being without for 2 weeks.

I'm seeing more people use them in competition acro, few enough that
you'll still take some ribbing. Those are also usually the same people
that will ask to see it and try it on when you're away from the group.

I have no interest in any company that sells/manufactures helmets, but I
do work in healthcare.

Jerry

Dave Russell wrote:
My parachute rigger has been after me for years to start wearing a
helmet when I'm wearing a 'chute. It always seemd kinda silly...

Today I was in the FBO when one of the local ag pilots got his helmet
back after a rebuild job. He rolled an airplane over on it's back
last year after an engine failure at 50 feet (big dose of luck,
excellent stick-n-rudder... totaled the plane but he came away just
scraped and sore). He also got back the bits and pieces left of the
original helmet... egad. His parting comment to me was that he'd
never fly aerobatics without a helmet.

Now, I don't do aerobatics in an Agcat at 50 ft, but his point was
heard clearly.

So, anyone used one? How much too heavy are they under g's? How
uncomfortable on a good day?

-Dave Russell
8KCAB