Helmet Discussion

[Slyfox]

I know this is a helmet thread, but the BRS is out for me as well. Once you deploy that sucker you just go along for the ride. You could end up on a 200ft tree, land right on top of traffic on a busy interstate, who knows. I'd rather take my chances and fly the plane down until it stops.

Oh and to think your safe with a parachute, OMG. My neighbor has an rv6a and he has his flight suit on a parachute and a helmet. OMG. like he is going to get out of that plane safely before it hits the ground. no way. like I said, just fly it down to the ground and land it. I've had 3 engine outs in two different airplanes, landed them safely with no damage to either airplane.

one thing I will tell you with the kitfox, not only does the pilot sweat more when the fan quits. but you better be at least 60mph just off the ground any slower, she drops like a rock. no kidding.

[efwd]

Steve, I was considering that very fact about staying at 60. Paul L. had me going through that numerous times (or should I say I put him through that). Really is impressive.
As for Never going to impact the panel?
Im not saying much here but I have taken an Aircraft Accident Investigation class for my degree from Embry-Riddle. I am looking at those photos and in spite of all the obvious EMS "damage", It is entirely possible that the air-frame buckled like an accordion as the engine impacted, pushing the panel toward (or at least stopping the forward progression) the occupant space and the decelerating aft fuselage tried to meet up with it from the occupants weight, and multiple G's pulling it all forward. If you noticed, the seat pan is buckled at the angle the bottom and back halves join. Now, after EMS arrived, they likely cut those aft tubes so that they could get the seat back to a normal shape as is seen. Just my assessment. I hope I don't get lit up over this; I did provide the disclaimer on my credentials. That should probably address MOOREAA's question as well.
The helmet thing has been on my mind for months. I have my Helicopter Crew helmet and since I have the standard headset plugs, my adapter for the com. portion will work. I am near certain this recent event has me wearing a helmet, for phase 1 anyhow.

[Slyfox]

Eddie, Good points. But I have one. Nicks injuries were everything basically but his head and spine. Helmet wouldn't have done anything. something to think about.

[Esser]

Hey guys,

The military did a study 1991 and found that crashes with fatalities were 6.3 times more likely to survive if the pilot had been wearing a helmet. I don’t think I will wear my helmet all the time, but when ever I’m. It just goingbfor a Sunday cruise I will.

Nikk is actually very fortunate not to have head and spine injuries but I don’t think we should use that as the norm. I’m sure he rung his bell pretty hard in the process. My put my car in the ditch about a month ago in an early season snow storm before I had my winter tires on. Freezing rain turned to snow and you can imagine there were poor road conditions. Long story short, we put the vehicle in the ditch and even though the air bags didn’t go off and it was fairly low impact, my wife hit her head on the side window quite hard.

Brain debilitating head injuries are what everyone seems to be talking about here but what about an off airport landing in a situation where you might not get rescued for a while. If you had a concussion, how much do your chances of survival go down?

I also think there is a good point about potential neck injuries when you add a 2lbs object to your head but the race industry has pretty much figured this out.

I realize this is a personal choice for everyone and I’m in no way trying to sway people one way or another by these comments. I just want to put out my thoughts.

10 years ago people would laugh at you if you wore a helmet on the ski hill. Go to a ski hill now and it’s hard to find someone without one. I feel like off airport flying might soon be the same.

I’m choosing to buy a helmet because the data backs it up. A helmet is safer. We will see when I wear it and when I don’t etc. But if the helmetbi choose is comfy, I might just wear it all the time

They are expensive but there are other options out there to integrate your existing headset such as the praetor helmet.

[aviator79]

The Praetor looks pretty promising if it really fits over all the headsets they say it does and doesn't squish the headband into your noggin.

[efwd]

Some folks have seen Facebook posts of Nikk already "thumbs up" but from I gather, he has facial lacerations which I personally
classify as a head injury. He simply narrowly avoided brain injury. That is remarkable IMHO based on how the panel looked. I have personally cared for many patients who were wearing and who were not wearing full face helmets. Full face wins when it comes to facial injuries so having said that, most of our prospects for aviation headgear don't cover the face. So, in this latest example the injuries sustained may have not been any better with the aviation helmet. I always wore a full face helmet on my motorcycle given my exposure to patients who were not.
Im editing to acknowledge there is a differentiation made in the literature between head injury and maxillofacial injury. There are significant correlations but technically I guess its not necessarily a "head injury".

[896tr]

So my question now is, who knows how to work with a helmet manufacturer
to design and manufacture a helmet that will work and be affordable? The full face I had for motorcycle riding had enough room in the "ear" area to have speakers velcroed in and a microphone in front of my mouth. this allowed me to use the on board intercom, my ham radio, and xm radio. It was dot approved and kept my brains from leaking out. (although some would argue that) I think that if the price could be kept around $300 many pilots would be more inclined to wear one. The headsets, even the Bluetooth ones for the helmets are available for less than $50. That would push me off the fence and I would wear one. I know that clearance above the helmet will be an issue but I also know that someone will be able to design a "headache panel" to eliminate hitting the sky lite. Since I don't have my bike or kitfox anymore maybe someone that does can see how they fit in their kitfox with their full face helmet on. I know there will be lots of reasons for not wearing one but if we keep this thread going we will come up with a good light weight helmet, and if one person survives a forced landing because they did wear one, won't that be worth it?

[herman pahls]

I wear helmets for 5 activities and backcountry flying should be and I intend it to be the 6th.
A while back I was shopping for a mountain bike helmet and asked the salesman what he suggested.
His response, I would most likely not be missing my front teeth had I been wearing a full face.
I now wear a full face mountain bike helmet because I value my front teeth and well know what my patients go through to replace theirs.

Since I have had a few concussions and 2 holes drilled in my skull to relieve the pressure from a sub dural hematoma, I would say that I am an idiot for not wearing a helmet when I fly.
The hematoma came from hitting water with a helmet on.

I have had 2 dead engine landings in the 23 years of flying Kitfoxs (I had plenty of gas in the tanks) and did not bend the airplane.
I was lucky in both cases and well know that most of the terrain I am flying over I hope to walk away but the airplane will be bent.

So you have the presence of mind when the fan quits over hostile terrain to maintain controlled flight at minimal airspeed until impact.
We will then all wish for full face helmets, HANS device, 3" restraints, full containment seats, Phase 1 flight or not.

So if all your flying is with in gliding distance of a large dry lake bed, forget the helmet.

[efwd]

Wasn't the weekend incident over a large, dry, lake bed?
I just looked at the Praetor that Brian mentioned. Pretty nice, but far more $$ than $300. Kinda looks like my helmet only with the ears cut out. Speaking of hitting heads up top. I am short but have a booster seat in my KF...three inch foam bottom cushion. I figure that is just putting my head up where a 5'10" to 6' tall guy would be. If I were subject to a lateral acceleration, Im going to knock my head on the frame over my left ear. I won't be able to wear a helmet while sitting that high. I have a two inch cushion I can use but then my passenger will have to be a short person like me if they use my 3" cushion.

[colospace]

What about a flight deck helmet? My recollection is that they are not particularly bulky or tall. Of course no facial protection is provided.