Helmets

[Tim Taylor]

I will move this out of the "Stay in, or get out?" thread for clarity.

I have long thought about helmets for several reasons. I will state
up front that I have not had access to the accident reports/pictures
and autopsy reports of several of the accidents that I have seen over
the last 25 years, but there appears to be opportunity for improved
safety from use of several things in the sport. The two that I have
thought about are helmets and the wire guards used in some Northern
European countries to guide wires over a pilot in event of hitting a
stranded wire fence.

We are the only sport I know of that does not use helmets for the
speeds/energies we deal with. Possible types of accidents where a
helmet would be useful include midairs were the cockpit is damaged, in
air incapacitation due to head trauma from turbulence, take off and
landing accidents where the glider impacts objects, and accidents
where the glider ends up inverted.

Possibly someone can tell me if a helmet that protected the back of
the head could have saved Robbie Robertson in 1986. We had a pilot in
the west bailout of a glider after being knocked unconscious after
hitting her head on the canopy. There was significant head trauma in
the accident at Minden a few years ago when the PIK-30 hit both barbed
wire and a fence post. Could the European wire guard coupled with a
helmet have saved the pilot? Just in the past few weeks we had an
accident in Utah where an 2-33 was hit by turbulence on short final
and ended up inverted on a road. The front seat student pilot had
significant head injuries.

I think this is an area where we as the soaring community from around
the world should be keeping records and at least providing information
that would help pilots make an informed decision on which safety tools
to choose to use.

New helmet technology is making helmets that are lighter and smaller
(not needing the 1" of padding). One company, Head Trip Helmets
(www.carbonfiberhelmets.com) is making a carbon fiber/kevlar helmet
that is only 23 onces (0.65 kg). I have seen new full face carbon
fiber at around 1 kg. We do not need the headset areas used in most
pilots helmets, so there are many fields such as kayaking, skiing,
motorcycles, etc that are already making helmets that would
potentially meet the needs of glider pilots.

To those that say they don't need helmets that is fine with me. At
this time it should be left to individuals to decide what they choose
to use, but we have to provide good data to make informed decisions.
We need to encourage the soaring organization around the world to
collect the data and provide information. The soaring Safety
Foundation in the USA and other similar groups should sponsor studies
in the area.

Tim

[nimbus]

Hello Tim,

Helmet are also very usefull for attaching the oxygen mask on your
visage.

I am flying very often with a HGU55 helmet associated with a MBU 12/p
oxygen mask without any problem.

Have a look at www.wavecamp.no or www.brunomaes.com

Cheers,
Bruno

[Vaughn Simon]

"Tim Taylor" > wrote in message
ps.com...
> We are the only sport I know of that does not use helmets for the
> speeds/energies we deal with. Possible types of accidents where a
> helmet would be useful include midairs were the cockpit is damaged, in
> air incapacitation due to head trauma from turbulence, take off and
> landing accidents where the glider impacts objects, and accidents
> where the glider ends up inverted.

Things can get rough inside a glider. I have heard of glider pilots hitting
their heads on the canopy hard enough to cause momentary loss of control. (One
particularly scary case involved a man who was taking a grandkid for a ride and
nearly crashed after being temporarily incapacated following a tow upset.) In
some gliders there are sharp targets within reach of a whiplashing skull. I
have had a few knocks myself over the years. A bicycle helmet would seemingly
go far towards preventing the types of head injuries one might get inside a
glider.

Vaughn

[Ramy]

On Sep 13, 2:35 pm, "Vaughn Simon" >
wrote:
> "Tim Taylor" > wrote in message
>
> ps.com...
>
> > We are the only sport I know of that does not use helmets for the
> > speeds/energies we deal with. Possible types of accidents where a
> > helmet would be useful include midairs were the cockpit is damaged, in
> > air incapacitation due to head trauma from turbulence, take off and
> > landing accidents where the glider impacts objects, and accidents
> > where the glider ends up inverted.
>
> Things can get rough inside a glider. I have heard of glider pilots hitting
> their heads on the canopy hard enough to cause momentary loss of control. (One
> particularly scary case involved a man who was taking a grandkid for a ride and
> nearly crashed after being temporarily incapacated following a tow upset.) In
> some gliders there are sharp targets within reach of a whiplashing skull. I
> have had a few knocks myself over the years. A bicycle helmet would seemingly
> go far towards preventing the types of head injuries one might get inside a
> glider.
>
> Vaughn

The possibility of incapacitated following hitting the canopy is very
concerning. It may even explain some unexplained accidents. Maybe at
the minimum we should all add some foam padding under our hats. I
still occasionly see pilots flying with baseball caps with a button on
top. This can really hurt (and shatter the canopy).

Ramy

[raulb]

Just a few thoughts before we start mandating the wearing of helmets
in gliders.

1. How many glider pilots fly without parachutes? If you don't wear
a parachute, a head injury is the least of your worries in a mid-air.

2. What about canopies that are already fractions of an inch above
the pilot's head when he just wears a normal hat? Not everyone can
put their fist between their head and the canopy (I can't and I'm not
tall).

3. In a moving aircraft, what are the chances of getting a head
injury vs. (for example) a broken leg?

4. Other than the canopy (which should break but may not), if you are
strapped in properly, what is your head going to hit?

5. In a glider with reclined seating, won't the weight of a helmet
will cause more neck strain than it will provide safety?

6. If the glider ends up in an inverted wreck with injury, the injury
is likely to be serious with ot without a helmet.

Haqving gone through a motorcycle accident where I was wearing a
helmet, I have nothing against wearing a helmet if it will do some
good, but I just can't see any advantage of wearing a helmet in a
glider.

You mention the helmets used in kyaking, skiing, and motorcycling, but
these are endevors where the head is out in the breeze and can run
into things. Also, these helmets are not neceassarily small. A DOT
legal motorcycle helmet is quite big and can be very heavy. Mine,
made with kevlar, costs almost $500 and is one of the lightest made
but it still weighs 3.7 lbs while some can weigh up to 6 lbs. As it
is federally licensed, in an aircraft (unlike kayaking or skiing), to
provide the sort of protection you are talking about, if it is
mandated to wear a helmet, you would HAVE to have a DOT certified
helmet similar (or identical) to a motorcycle helmet.

To extrapolate this a little, why don't you wear a helmet in your
car? There is just as high (if not higher) risk of serious head
injury in a car accident even if it has air bags.

As to the wire guards, remember in Europe their farm fields are
typically A LOT smaller than they are in the US or Canada. Therefore
it is more likely that a European will hit a wire than an American
(although it is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility here).

But having said that, if you want to wear a helmet in your glider, by
all means wear one. If you want a cow catcher on your glider, put one
on it. Just don't start making me do it too.

And I haven't even talked about any CG, weight (could it put you
overgross?), or space problems of wearing a motorcycle-type helmet in
an aircraft.

Tim Taylor wrote:
> I will move this out of the "Stay in, or get out?" thread for clarity.
>
> I have long thought about helmets for several reasons. I will state
> up front that I have not had access to the accident reports/pictures
> and autopsy reports of several of the accidents that I have seen over
> the last 25 years, but there appears to be opportunity for improved
> safety from use of several things in the sport. The two that I have
> thought about are helmets and the wire guards used in some Northern
> European countries to guide wires over a pilot in event of hitting a
> stranded wire fence.
>
> We are the only sport I know of that does not use helmets for the
> speeds/energies we deal with. Possible types of accidents where a
> helmet would be useful include midairs were the cockpit is damaged, in
> air incapacitation due to head trauma from turbulence, take off and
> landing accidents where the glider impacts objects, and accidents
> where the glider ends up inverted.
>
> Possibly someone can tell me if a helmet that protected the back of
> the head could have saved Robbie Robertson in 1986. We had a pilot in
> the west bailout of a glider after being knocked unconscious after
> hitting her head on the canopy. There was significant head trauma in
> the accident at Minden a few years ago when the PIK-30 hit both barbed
> wire and a fence post. Could the European wire guard coupled with a
> helmet have saved the pilot? Just in the past few weeks we had an
> accident in Utah where an 2-33 was hit by turbulence on short final
> and ended up inverted on a road. The front seat student pilot had
> significant head injuries.
>
> I think this is an area where we as the soaring community from around
> the world should be keeping records and at least providing information
> that would help pilots make an informed decision on which safety tools
> to choose to use.
>
> New helmet technology is making helmets that are lighter and smaller
> (not needing the 1" of padding). One company, Head Trip Helmets
> (www.carbonfiberhelmets.com) is making a carbon fiber/kevlar helmet
> that is only 23 onces (0.65 kg). I have seen new full face carbon
> fiber at around 1 kg. We do not need the headset areas used in most
> pilots helmets, so there are many fields such as kayaking, skiing,
> motorcycles, etc that are already making helmets that would
> potentially meet the needs of glider pilots.
>
> To those that say they don't need helmets that is fine with me. At
> this time it should be left to individuals to decide what they choose
> to use, but we have to provide good data to make informed decisions.
> We need to encourage the soaring organization around the world to
> collect the data and provide information. The soaring Safety
> Foundation in the USA and other similar groups should sponsor studies
> in the area.
>
> Tim

[Paul Hanson]

No one here has suggested a mandate for helmet wearing
while glider flying. There was a lot of talk of BRS
vs personal chutes and I threw in helmets half jokingly,
although it is true that a lot of fatalities in gliders
are the result of head injuries-head injuries that
may have been avoided with proper protection and a
new thread topic was born. Earlier in this helmet thread
someone URLed an article with data on A/C helmets,
all of which are lighter than your motorcycle helmet,
but not all will fit in a cockpit.
If anyone is flying so close to being out of gross
or C of G that a helmet (even a heavy one) would be
a deal breaker, then that is not the right glider for
them to be flying and they are already flirting with
disaster.
I personally think it would be an interesting study,
to see how effective at reducing the loss of life helmet
wearing would actually be, but that it certainly remain
an option to be chosen by the better informed pilots.
Perhaps more head clearance and proper headrests would
become a standard feature of the so called safety cockpits
that are employed in newer gliders. It could help evolve
the safety of the sport. A super sturdy keel for really
rough field protection would be a welcome addition
too for that matter, to protect the other head. A small
boulder in my lap going 40mph sounds rather discomforting...Maybe
we should make hard shell groin cups a mandate too
while we're at it. (joke)

Paul Hanson

At 23:42 13 September 2007, Raulb wrote:
>Just a few thoughts before we start mandating the wearing
>of helmets
>in gliders.
>
>1. How many glider pilots fly without parachutes?
> If you don't wear
>a parachute, a head injury is the least of your worries
>in a mid-air.
>
>2. What about canopies that are already fractions
>of an inch above
>the pilot's head when he just wears a normal hat?
>Not everyone can
>put their fist between their head and the canopy (I
>can't and I'm not
>tall).
>
>3. In a moving aircraft, what are the chances of getting
>a head
>injury vs. (for example) a broken leg?
>
>4. Other than the canopy (which should break but may
>not), if you are
>strapped in properly, what is your head going to hit?
>
>5. In a glider with reclined seating, won't the weight
>of a helmet
>will cause more neck strain than it will provide safety?
>
>6. If the glider ends up in an inverted wreck with
>injury, the injury
>is likely to be serious with ot without a helmet.
>
>Haqving gone through a motorcycle accident where I
>was wearing a
>helmet, I have nothing against wearing a helmet if
>it will do some
>good, but I just can't see any advantage of wearing
>a helmet in a
>glider.
>
>You mention the helmets used in kyaking, skiing, and
>motorcycling, but
>these are endevors where the head is out in the breeze
>and can run
>into things. Also, these helmets are not neceassarily
>small. A DOT
>legal motorcycle helmet is quite big and can be very
>heavy. Mine,
>made with kevlar, costs almost $500 and is one of the
>lightest made
>but it still weighs 3.7 lbs while some can weigh up
>to 6 lbs. As it
>is federally licensed, in an aircraft (unlike kayaking
>or skiing), to
>provide the sort of protection you are talking about,
>if it is
>mandated to wear a helmet, you would HAVE to have a
>DOT certified
>helmet similar (or identical) to a motorcycle helmet.
>
>To extrapolate this a little, why don't you wear a
>helmet in your
>car? There is just as high (if not higher) risk of
>serious head
>injury in a car accident even if it has air bags.
>
>As to the wire guards, remember in Europe their farm
>fields are
>typically A LOT smaller than they are in the US or
>Canada. Therefore
>it is more likely that a European will hit a wire than
>an American
>(although it is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility
>here).
>
>But having said that, if you want to wear a helmet
>in your glider, by
>all means wear one. If you want a cow catcher on your
>glider, put one
>on it. Just don't start making me do it too.
>
>And I haven't even talked about any CG, weight (could
>it put you
>overgross?), or space problems of wearing a motorcycle-type
>helmet in
>an aircraft.
>

[Chip Bearden]

I have a wire guard in my ASW 24 (USA) and like it. The chances of my
rolling through a wire fence are very small but it was cheap insurance
when I ordered the glider (IIRC ~$300) and I've kept it in for 15
years despite the compromises (see below). I know of at least one
other pilot here in the US who bought one after seeing mine. It's also
a nice place to hang a rearview mirror, which is useful at times.

I also use a 6-point safety harness so that IF I crash in an otherwise
survivable manner, I won't submarine and end up with the lap belt
around my chest as I've seen happen. FWIW, I'm not sure whether a
helmet would have saved Robbie Robertson or my father, Joe Bearden.
Serious trauma to the back of the head was a factor in both of their
fatal glider crashes (a lead shot bag and gel-cel battery,
respectively) but there were other injuries, too (a crushed chest in
one case caused by the lap belt).

I've also had an ELT in the cockpit for 15 years not because I think
I'll crash but just in case. Same comment about cheap insurance.

I'd consider wearing a helmet if it were small and light enough and
didn't interfere with vision more than, say, the hat I already wear.
I'm actually more vulnerable than most of you to head injuries,
ironically because of the wire guard. In the 24 it comprises two bars
that pass on either side of my head before meeting a loop over the
instrument panel. When I wrote Scheicher years ago, they were very
forthcoming with information. Yes, it interferes with visibilty (but
no worse than in gliders with two-piece canopies). No, it probably
won't stop an electrical wire (but might deflect it up and over my
head enough to save me). Yes, I could hit my head in a crash (but it
would be a glancing blow). No, it doesn't reduce headroom (I'm
6.3"--190 cm)...but it might prevent me from wearing a helmet!

Nothing in life is certain. I do many things in gliding to improve my
survival odds just in case I make a mistake or something terrible
happens. I've seen one glider pilot wearing a helmet but it was many
years ago and way too big for most of us. I'd buy and wear one if it
represented a reasonable compromise of added safety, visibility,
comfort (including cooling in Uvalde), cost, etc. Without seeing data
on the incidence of head injuries in gliders and the impact on
survivability and medical costs and our insurance rates, I'd certain
oppose mandatory helmets at this point in time, but I don't think
that's what Tim was suggesting.

I think this is an interesting and useful discussion and the type of
the thing that makes plowing through RAS worthwhile. :) I would
welcome comments from ex-military and other pilots who've worn helmets
for extended periods of time.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
USA

[[email protected]]

Yeah, great idea.
In particular I like the 'full german' from that website you linked: I
practically see the faces of the farmer and his daughter after I
landed out and emerged from the glider in that!
R.

[J a c k]

Chip Bearden wrote:


> I think this is an interesting and useful discussion and the type of
> the thing that makes plowing through RAS worthwhile. :) I would
> welcome comments from ex-military and other pilots who've worn helmets
> for extended periods of time.


In the fighter aircraft environment it's an unquestioned necessity and
we learned to live with it and were glad to have the helmet.

A lot of things can happen in a bailout, from the reason for the bailout
through egress from the aircraft to the landing and including the
circumstances you find yourself in once on the ground. You can get hurt
in any or all of those phases, and a helmet is important protection for
your sensory and decision-making apparatus. The same goes for abnormal
landing situations, of course.

Though my DG-303 has enough room under the canopy that I might be able
to wear a small light helmet, it would undoubtedly restrict my ability
to move my head around in the cockpit and therefor limit my ability to
see to the sides, down, up, and aft--especially up and aft, a place I
want to be able to see in a thermal with other gliders. It would also
mar the inner surface of the canopy, and contribute reflections in the
plexiglas. A soft dark helmet covering to solve those problems may
contribute to heat build-up, but there would be plenty anyway. The
bucket hat does not pose similar restrictions, as it can be bent out of
the way or taken off with a sweep of the free hand. It can also be
dampened for cooling.

The seating position in my glider and the space in the cockpit are
vastly different from what I had to work with in USAF jets. I will
retain my ability to clear the airspace in preference to wearing a
helmet in my glider, and in preference to adding more weight to my
64-year old semi-reclined neck during those long hours of soaring.

I would seriously consider wearing a helmet in the tow plane, however.



Jack

[harold]

On Thu, 13 Sep 2007 16:38:08 -0700, raulb > wrote:

>Just a few thoughts before we start mandating the wearing of helmets
>in gliders.
>
<snip>

Nobody has even suggested mandating the wearing of helmets. The
question was just that maybe the data should be collected to make an
informed decision on if the voluntary wearing of a helmet may be
beneficial.

[309]

I have worn a military helmet for wave flights, also.

For a self portrait at 21,000 feet, see
http://www.soarelsinore.org/graphics/126Jock.jpg

The helmet protects the noggin, also from the cold! During one flight
at 23,000 feet, the temp was -40, and that's where C = F, burrr! A
drafty (even with good canopy seals) 1-26 offers none of the (scant?)
insulation offered by glass birds. I later went to 28,300 feet, and
only my feet were cold.

That said, a helmet like this could be a liability, not a safety
feature, during hot summer thermaling.

Perhaps the way to added protection is for us to innovate before they
regulate: some bright and creative person could come up with an
active cooling lightweight head protection -- connect the helmet to
your Camelback? Integral visor with better eye protection than Sun
Tiger sunglasses? (And added protection during those annoying
birdstrikes...in my 1-26, I'm always hit from behind...). Integral
communication suite (mic and phone, connection input for your iPod,
cell phone, sat phone and the voice recognition features of WinPilot
12.6 on your turbo iPaq 9995). If you've got TCAS, the helmet can
project targeting (er, I mean advisory) information on your helmet
mounted visor cueing system. The built-in video recording device
would provide even more excitement on OLC...coming to SeeYou version
8.2: out the window video submenus...

Of course, they'll need to be stylish: Bad Boy, No Fear, racing
stripes...customized to your liking...

Just when you thought soaring couldn't get more expensive, the $975.00
helmet requirement will most certainly doom the sport.

While I feel so "cool" wearing my helmet, I think everybody would be
safer if they spent the money taking a couple more pattern tows to
practice landings (and off-field landings, too), or spent a little
more time getting some dual with a Constant Flight Interruptor (CFI),
even if you're a triple-diamond, thousand-k, two-time open class
champion.

So when are the champion race pilots going to start advocating this?
(Instruction, not helmets). I have to give a nod here to longtime
safety proponents like Knauff & Striedek (okay, I've left a few more
out, but I'm a 1-26er, so there).

-Pete
#309

[Dan G]

Have to say that in the fatal accident reports I've read, the pilot
was invariably killed by multiple injuries, not head injuries alone.
That said there have been two accidents in the UK this year where
pilots survived but were left with serious head injuries, and believe
me they're the worst kind of injuries you can have. However I can't
say a helmet would have prevented those injuries - it depends entirely
on how the head was impacted, what by, what energies were involved
etc. My gut feeling is that helmets would be of little use and their
costs (fatigue, possibly reduced vis) too high.

BTW a correctly fitted four-point harness is as safe as a five-point,
although I do recall that the six is the best. As long as you *fully*
tighten the lap strap *first* on a four-point, there should not be any
issues with submarining. I seem to remember that if you do submarine
with a five point, you're going to be left with serious groin injuries
(that's why a six is best), so correct fitting is more important than
variant.


Dan

[[email protected]]

On Sep 16, 1:29 am, J a c k > wrote:
> Chip Bearden wrote:
> > I think this is an interesting and useful discussion and the type of
> > the thing that makes plowing through RAS worthwhile. :) I would
> > welcome comments from ex-military and other pilots who've worn helmets
> > for extended periods of time.
>
> In the fighter aircraft environment it's an unquestioned necessity and
> we learned to live with it and were glad to have the helmet.
>
> A lot of things can happen in a bailout, from the reason for the bailout
> through egress from the aircraft to the landing and including the
> circumstances you find yourself in once on the ground. You can get hurt
> in any or all of those phases, and a helmet is important protection for
> your sensory and decision-making apparatus. The same goes for abnormal
> landing situations, of course.
>
> Though my DG-303 has enough room under the canopy that I might be able
> to wear a small light helmet, it would undoubtedly restrict my ability
> to move my head around in the cockpit and therefor limit my ability to
> see to the sides, down, up, and aft--especially up and aft, a place I
> want to be able to see in a thermal with other gliders. It would also
> mar the inner surface of the canopy, and contribute reflections in the
> plexiglas. A soft dark helmet covering to solve those problems may
> contribute to heat build-up, but there would be plenty anyway. The
> bucket hat does not pose similar restrictions, as it can be bent out of
> the way or taken off with a sweep of the free hand. It can also be
> dampened for cooling.
>
> The seating position in my glider and the space in the cockpit are
> vastly different from what I had to work with in USAF jets. I will
> retain my ability to clear the airspace in preference to wearing a
> helmet in my glider, and in preference to adding more weight to my
> 64-year old semi-reclined neck during those long hours of soaring.
>
> I would seriously consider wearing a helmet in the tow plane, however.
>
> Jack

I 2nd that part about the tow plane - we had a tow pilot seriously
injured when he landed short due to an engine malfunction. To make
matters worse, the plane only had a lap belt (a shoulder belt was
installed afterward). The plane was a Citabria, which has lots of
exposed steel tubing and sharp pointy things. I read of a pilot killed
in an otherwise survivable accident when his head hit a long bolt in
the cockpit (it had been replaced for some reason and they didn't have
the proper length bolt on hand).

Visibility and fatigue are over-riding factors for use of helmets in
gliders, however. A Ruger hook on front hinged canopis is definitely
something to consider (this captures the rear of the canopy during
ejection, preventing incapacitation).

Of course, glider design has definitely improved thru the years. So
buying a newer one isn't a bad idea either (I am begining to sense an
indisputable argument for trading in the old gal - glider that is).

Tom

[Eric Greenwell]

Dan G wrote:
> BTW a correctly fitted four-point harness is as safe as a five-point,
> although I do recall that the six is the best. As long as you *fully*
> tighten the lap strap *first* on a four-point, there should not be any
> issues with submarining. I seem to remember that if you do submarine
> with a five point, you're going to be left with serious groin injuries
> (that's why a six is best), so correct fitting is more important than
> variant.

My recollection is "correct fitting" may not be good enough with "older"
gliders that have a shallow seat pan, compared to "newer" gliders, where
the seat pan has a substantially angled pan below the thighs. Really
"old" gliders with upright seating might also be OK.

I have talked to ridge runners that tell me it doesn't matter how tight
you make the lap belt on a 4 point harness, it simply doesn't work as
well as a 5 or 6 point harness while you are pounding along low and fast
on the ridge. That might be a different issue than proper restraint in a
crash.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

[J a c k]

Dan G wrote:

> Have to say that in the fatal accident reports I've read, the pilot
> was invariably killed by multiple injuries, not head injuries alone.
> That said there have been two accidents in the UK this year where
> pilots survived but were left with serious head injuries, and believe
> me they're the worst kind of injuries you can have. However I can't
> say a helmet would have prevented those injuries - it depends entirely
> on how the head was impacted, what by, what energies were involved
> etc. My gut feeling is that helmets would be of little use and their
> costs (fatigue, possibly reduced vis) too high.

Multiple injuries including head injuries in fatal or non-fatal gliding
accidents should lead us to ask an important question: did the head
injury limit the ability of the pilot to avoid further injuries from
delayed, slow, or no egress; from late or no chute activation; from
inability to steer away from a poor landing place; from inability to
make a correct PLF (parachute landing fall); etc.?

Canopy jettison is a known threat to the pilot's head, esp where the
Roeger Hook <http://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/roegerhaken-e.html> is not fitted.



Jack