Stupid helmet question

Greasy Rider© @invalid.com wrote:
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.)


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

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

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

So... all crashes occur at top speed?

Greasy Rider© @invalid.com wrote:
On Tue, 05 Apr 2005 14:14:08 -0400, Ragnar
postulated :


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


So... all crashes occur at top speed?


A crash and roll when landing would still be 150 mph or so...in a
cockpit not designed to protect in a crash with roll cages and such. A
helmet helps when you bang your head on preflight, again, a place to
mount the headphones, mic/O2 mask, little else. Also something that is
reflective when you are in the H2O for the helo...place to attach the
strobe. No protection in a crash.

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

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© @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.)

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.)

Greasy wrote:
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.)

My guess is that he has probabably taken off the helmet and secured it
in the cockpit for take-offs and landing? Might even have a special
place for it, would have to in that limited space?

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.

Oopps, didn't put a smiley face after "pussy". Someone is going to get
their feelings hurt so here it is. :-)

"old hoodoo" wrote in message
news:NfF4e.33$fn5.19@okepread01
| Oopps, didn't put a smiley face after "pussy". Someone is going to
| get their feelings hurt so here it is. :-)



A smiley face after pussy is assumed.



--

Cheers


Dave Kearton