Why dont ppl carry helmets with them for emergency's?

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wildb

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wildb
Seems like a motorcycle helmet would be a good idea to have in the event of a forced landing off field. Just leave it on the back seat till needed?
 
Re: Why don't ppl carry helmets with them for emergencies

If you have shoulder straps, it might not buy you that much, and reaching for the helmet and putting it on might distract you from running the engine failure and forced landing checklists.
 
Kinda like putting on your seat belt just before you crash.

Now where's did I put that bag of popcorn???
 
You're kidding.... Helmets, parachutes (not the Cirrus kind)???? That is paranoid. Why not drive with a helmet??
 
If you choose to be helmeted, maybe a lightweight one. Heavy helmet + unrestrained heavy head + impact + restrained body = sometimes not good things.
 
There are lots of injuries to face and head, especially in planes without shoulder harness. So I can see why you're asking this.

I'd suggest getting a shoulder harness first. You will already be wearing it when you crash.
 
Many of the accidents I read or watch say the pilot had head injuries etc.. Seems maybe an integrated light weight helmet with headphones would be good. Do these exist? is it an option?
 
wildb said:
Seems like a motorcycle helmet would be a good idea to have in the event of a forced landing off field. Just leave it on the back seat till needed?
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Don't forget your flight suit :goofy:
 
FAA in alaska did a study on 19 fatal super cub accidents and found that 15 would have been survivable with a helmet. YMMV.
 
Can't wear a headset with one on unless you get a helicopter one. Some airplane pilots wear helicopter helmets. Nothing stopping you.
 
Helmets are cool for the first five minutes. Then it's hot, heavy, uncomfortable, gets in the way, etc. After about 1,000 hours wearing one, a headset is like the best thing ever. And nit enough mass to help break your neck. . .you weren't serious about groping around the back seat for a brain bucket, were you?
 
I knew a couple that did carry them.
I wondered about the utility of this. Helmets would only seem useful if you had time to put them on (these folks did not wear them at all during flight, they just carried them).
So that rules out landings and take-offs. In fact anything below 2000' probably for the pilot who would be pretty busy with other things.
It only seems useful for cruise phase, at a decent altitude.
Unless worn full-time like the military.
 
Sundancer said:
Helmets are cool for the first five minutes. Then it's hot, heavy, uncomfortable, gets in the way, etc. After about 1,000 hours wearing one, a headset is like the best thing ever. And nit enough mass to help break your neck. . .you weren't serious about groping around the back seat for a brain bucket, were you?
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I'm not sure about that. I got pretty used to my David Clark helmet. Liked it a lot. Only quite wearing it regularly because it was more difficult to wear it and do the photo stuff I'm doing regularly. That and now I'm using a QT Halo - which is awesome. If I had a good Halo / helmet setup that didn't interfere with the photo work, I'd definitely still wear the helmet.
 
Having a helmet in the back seat just sounds like one more object that becomes a projectile in a crash. How ironic would that be? Killed of a brain injury caused by a flying helmet.
 
I wear a helmet every time I fly. But then again I am just a no good Sport Pilot.
 
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Go for the nomex flight suit,helmet,parachute,and a water survival course. Good to go.
 
Just let go of the controls while I take the time to strap on a helmet. Yeah, sure.
 
I wear a flotation device during flight (all phases). Behind the seats, I keep bicycle helmets, which could be donned quite easily if things go badly at or near normal cruise altitude.
 
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I do keep some stiff foam pillows on board to place over passengers heads/face in case. Like brace with the cushion over head or face. They are useful in flight as booster seat for children or head rest for sleeping.
 
Anytime I fly GA I want to be prepared

RaptorPilot_zpsc6pxgcfn.jpg
 
I do keep a helmet in my my plane. I had one in my hangar already, so it didn't cost anything to throw it in my back seat.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
 
The subject of wearing a helmet is uniquely divisive amongst pilots. It's a lot like the motorcycle helmet debate when I was young, which basically said "You're a ***** if you wear a helmet."

That debate was settled in favor of helmets years ago (although there are stubborn hold outs), but the debate amongst pilots rages on.

I suppose it's the desire to project the safety of GA. Wearing crash helmets implies anything but safety! Of course, anyone who has looked into the issue understands and appreciates that GA safety is on a par with motorcycle safety, so you would think that we would be more accepting of the fact that a helmet might be a life saver.

But we are not. Mary and I have debated this long and hard. As long term motorcycle riders, we wouldn't dream of riding anywhere without one -- but we still "fly naked" in our RV-8.

Go figure.
 
Jay Honeck;2002184 It's a lot like the motorcycle helmet debate when I was young said:
Perhaps but motorcycle helmets are required by law in several countries.

In Arizona I assume it's the same for other states, eye protection is all that is required. You see them out there, t-shirts, shorts and a cool pair of shades. They don't look so cool when they drop the bike and half their skin is ripped off.

My two older brothers are motorcycle nuts, always have a full set of leathers and full face helmet on when riding, have had their share of incidences but at least live to ride again.
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I'd wear one. Would be cool to have one with a HUD and headset integrated. You'd get made fun of though with people thinking your a try hard or wannabe fighter pilot. Considering your probably gonna get a face full of instrument panel if you wreck theres not much of a downside to it.

I wear helmets on 12 hour motorcycle rides only flipping up the facemask to eat or drink no problem. So if I could get similar comfort in a helmet I'd be all for it.
 
I've responded to motorcycle crashes where the rider's full-face helmet had a badly chewed-up chin bar but the face was untouched. Cemented my decision to stick with a full-face and toss the open-face I used to wear on hot days.

That said, I think it should be a rider's choice to wear a helmet.
 
NoHeat said:
Amsafe brand airbags are great. But they cannot be fitted in many planes.

Amsafe brand shoulder harnesses are what most owners should look at, if they have only a lap belt. An Amsafe rep told us that, at an AOPA safety seminar. The cost is pretty reasonable.
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$1000-$1500 from what I've read
 
ateamer said:
I've responded to motorcycle crashes where the rider's full-face helmet had a badly chewed-up chin bar but the face was untouched. Cemented my decision to stick with a full-face and toss the open-face I used to wear on hot days.

That said, I think it should be a rider's choice to wear a helmet.
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Nevermind the face, the skull wasn't damaged .. Personally I think you are fool not to wear a full face helmet on a motorcycle. I saw a guy hit a small wall, his body went cartwheeling down the road, apart from being embarrassed he was fine. The bike on the other hand......

Seatbelts in a car are not personal choice, it's a law for a reason.
 
Helmets, harnesses, etc., sure add to safety. Really, really bad idea for them to be mandatory. Just a step too far, to impose that on others.

You ever notice how people want rules to control other peoples actions? No one says "Pass a law to make me stop (fill in the blank). . .you want to wear a helmet or harness, that's cool.

Someone else diesn't, have respect for values that don't match your own. . .
 
Scrabo said:
Perhaps but motorcycle helmets are required by law in several countries.

In Arizona I assume it's the same for other states, eye protection is all that is required. You see them out there, t-shirts, shorts and a cool pair of shades. They don't look so cool when they drop the bike and half their skin is ripped off.

My two older brothers are motorcycle nuts, always have a full set of leathers and full face helmet on when riding, have had their share of incidences but at least live to ride again.
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Helmets are required in Texas. Not just eye pro.
 
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