At 19:00 12 September 2007, Toad wrote:
On Sep 12, 12:46 pm, Tim Taylor wrote:
On Sep 11, 4:33 pm, Paul Hanson

wrote:
For the really safety minded (and thick walleted)
a
BRS, NOAH, a personal chute, a helmet (might have
saved
more lives than you may think) and all the other
gizmos
mentioned already, including the condom, although
admittedly
the helmet may significantly reduce the need for
that
one

Paul,

I have been thinking it would be nice to have a study
of crashes to
determine if a helmet wold have saved many lives.
We fly at speeds up
to 200 mph, yet do not require a helmet of pilots.
I have been
looking at helmet types that would allow good vision
and movement in
gliders without excessive weight for the G's we pull.
Has anyone done
this type of study and/or tried flight helmets etc
in gliders?

Tim

How many pilots could have been saved by a helmet ?

I can't recall reading too many accident reports that
claim the pilot
died of head injuries, when there wasn't enough other
injuries to be
fatal.

Data any one ?

Todd Smith
3S

Look up the details (if you can find them) of the most
recent US glider fatality (Ridge Soaring Gliderport,
July 14 2007). That pilot was still alive when rescue
crew got to him, but died of his head injuries by the
time he arrived at the hospital according to the newspaper
article I read. I have heard of others as well, but
that one comes to mind off the top of my unprotected
head.

Paul Hanson
"Do the usual, unusually well"--Len Niemi