Stupid helmet question

["Followup-To:" header set to rec.aviation.military.]

old hoodoo wrote:

Been riding since the early 50s and by the grace of God only had one
serious rag doll. I'd have to disagree with the "utterly lack
imagination and have no conception of getting hurt" part in my case.
As I cruise down the concrete ribbon I am more than aware of the
delicacy and insanity of my position. Just inches from some very hard
and abrasive substance not to mention the brain dead cagers talking on
their cell phones. I’ve never talked to a motorcyclist who didn’t know

In this context, what's a cager? Where I live (US) it's a basketball
player.

--
Blinky Linux Registered User 297263
Who has implemented Usenet Solution #45933:
Now killing all posts originating at Google Groups
http://blinkynet.net/comp/ggfilters.html for rules

old hoodoo wrote:



Greasy wrote:

On Tue, 05 Apr 2005 18:32:09 -0500, old hoodoo
postulated :


Some pilots and motorcycle jock's I know utterly lack imagination and
have no conception of getting hurt. It may be due in part to extreme
self-confidence and perhaps a little ego boost at not being a pussy.


Been riding since the early 50s and by the grace of God only had one
serious rag doll. I'd have to disagree with the "utterly lack
imagination and have no conception of getting hurt" part in my case.
As I cruise down the concrete ribbon I am more than aware of the
delicacy and insanity of my position. Just inches from some very hard
and abrasive substance not to mention the brain dead cagers talking on
their cell phones. I’ve never talked to a motorcyclist who didn’t know
he was skating on the edge of survival and most will tell you that in
almost any event the motorcyclist will have his life forever changed.
The freedom that removing the state mandated helmet and simply
enjoying the breeze is almost intoxicating. Kinda like cruising in an
open helocopter two feet AGL.

Don’t think I’ve ever considered the ego aspect of not being a pussy
but I hear that you are what you eat.


Greasy

The great thing about P---- is that unlike cake, you can eat it and have
it too.

Damned tootin...and you can smoke after either (or both)
encounter(s)!...
--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)

Blinky the Shark wrote:

In this context, what's a cager? Where I live (US) it's a basketball
player.

It's someone who does their motoring in a cage (automobile).

--
John Miller
Co-Founder, Pensacola Press Club

Dale L. Falk sent:

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

God Bless You, can't think of a better way to put it myself! 8-)
Retired USN P-3B/C Aircrew in 1995. Boy do I miss flying!

Don McIntyre
Clarksville, TN

Dudley Henriques wrote:
It has nothing to do with feeling secure. It has everything to do
with
understanding how hard the ground is when you hit it in something
like a
P51.
I flew a Mustang for many hours with a baseball cap. Hard helmets are
a REAL
pleasure at altitude with the sun pouring in on them. It's like
having your
head in a pizza oven. You wear them in the military because that's
where
they put the avionics and O2 crap.
In fast airplanes, If you dig a hole at the speeds your airplane is
capable
of handling, it won't matter much what you have on your head. Your
head AND
the helmet will probably end up on some tree branch dangling in the
wind
anyway. On a bike you have a nice breeze to cool off your bean. In a
51,
you're under a magnifying glass on a hot sunny day!
Bob Hoover uses a soft plantation hat that he sits on enroute, then
puts on
after he lands to keep the sun out of his eyes while he taxies in. I
did the
same on more than one occasion.
A helmet WILL save you from the occasional "bump" on the head, but
everything considered, many of us opt not to wear one if we have the
option.
It has nothing to do with overconfidence and everything to do with
quality
of life! :-)
Dudley Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship
Commercial Pilot; CFI; Retired
dhenriquestrashatearthlinktrashdotnet
(take out the trash :-)

Greasy Rider=A9 @invalid.com wrote in message
...
I was browsing a newsgroup just now and saw a gentleman flying a
P-51
Mustang with what appears to be just a common ball cap. I got to
wondering if he is that secure in his abilities and crash
worthiness
of the air frame to simply wear a ball cap?

As a motorcyclist I feel very strange if I'm not wearing the very
best
helmet that I can afford. Why would a pilot operate a high
performance
aircraft with anything less?

I know that a high dollar helmet and other protective gear has no
guarantees whether it's a car, motorcycle, pony or aircraft.

Am I missing something? Is the pilot simply exercising his freedom
to
take his chances? (The law won't let me do that in some states.)

On Tue, 05 Apr 2005 14:14:08 -0400, Ragnar wrote:


Top speed of a P-51 is over 400 mph. Exactly which helmet is going to
help him in a crash?

Sounds like a job for a BC-1. ;-)

Know of several guys in the RAF who've had their faces/eyes saved from bird
strikes. One guy had a bird come right through the window in front of him in
an Albert. Bird hit him in the face. Window obviously slowed the bird down
alot, and the visor undoubtedly saved his eyes from flying glass/bird parts.
He now wears a helmet even in light (civvie) aircraft.


--
Steve.

"Steve" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 05 Apr 2005 14:14:08 -0400, Ragnar wrote:


Top speed of a P-51 is over 400 mph. Exactly which helmet is going to
help him in a crash?

Sounds like a job for a BC-1. ;-)

Know of several guys in the RAF who've had their faces/eyes saved from
bird
strikes. One guy had a bird come right through the window in front of him
in
an Albert. Bird hit him in the face. Window obviously slowed the bird down
alot, and the visor undoubtedly saved his eyes from flying glass/bird
parts.
He now wears a helmet even in light (civvie) aircraft.


--
Steve.

After the carrier fires in the sixties, especially the Forrestal fire, most
people were convinced of the wisdom or wearing helmet and gloves from the
moment you manned your aircraft, no matter how uncomfortable it was.

A number of guys on the Forrestal and the Enterprise have made comments
about gloves and helmet saving them from serious burns, while they were
setting in their aircraft. One of the better know (to the public) people to
make this comment was McCain.

Red

He was probably wearing a headset for communications. That wouldn't fit
over or under a helmet.

--

Darrell R. Schmidt
B-58 Hustler History: http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/
-

Greasy Rider© @invalid.com wrote in message
...
I was browsing a newsgroup just now and saw a gentleman flying a P-51
Mustang with what appears to be just a common ball cap. I got to
wondering if he is that secure in his abilities and crash worthiness
of the air frame to simply wear a ball cap?

As a motorcyclist I feel very strange if I'm not wearing the very best
helmet that I can afford. Why would a pilot operate a high performance
aircraft with anything less?

I know that a high dollar helmet and other protective gear has no
guarantees whether it's a car, motorcycle, pony or aircraft.

Am I missing something? Is the pilot simply exercising his freedom to
take his chances? (The law won't let me do that in some states.)