I wear my helmet EVERY time I fly.

Any thoughts on adding the visor option? I always have sunglasses on when I'm outside; is it going to be better to wear glasses with the helmet or get one with a visor?

whee wrote:Any thoughts on adding the visor option? I always have sunglasses on when I'm outside; is it going to be better to wear glasses with the helmet or get one with a visor?

I like my visor optically, but the key advantage is not having any pinching at the temples from wearing sunglasses inside the helmet. I only have one visor (in gray), so I still carry backup sunglasses in other tints.
-DP

The visor eliminates the ear seal issue, but is not necessarily as super optically as glasses. I thought I wouldn't use the visor, but I have both grey and amber, and I use both of them extensively. Have not put sunglasses on under the helmet for over a year, the visor is overall a better option. But make sure you take care of it.


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I bought a bike helmet to ride the Montague Paratrooper Plus that I bought on this forum. Do I get partial credit for that? You see a lot of people riding on the street without a helmet; seems dangerous to me. Why don't I feel the same way about my Cessna 182? Gotta wonder...
Best,
Tom

Well, I feel funny without a helmet, aside from knowing first hand how they have helped save my tiny brain. I also wear gloves, have an acquaintance whose hands got burned in an accident, now he has, well, hand like appendages. Heck most of us where scared spitless after watching "learn not to burn" in the military. Aside from the obvious impact protection, they do help keep the flames from licking your precious hairdo. I have had five airplane, suddenly turned glider, incidents, probably a bit above the average, so I am touchy. I have also had crap bounce off my helmet in cat shots and on traps. Then, since I am highly evolved type human, all that useless hair has fallen out, so my shampoo bills have dwindled to nothing. The helmet additionally helps protect my sensitive scalp from the damaging effects of having a greenhouse in the aircraft.

I found I really like the David Clark Ag helmets. They are super comfortable, tough and fit my NC headsets like a dream.

I'm close to purchasing my MSA Gallet helmet. I'm going with a LH250 but I have changed the options and colors 10 times. just looking for some feedback on things you really like.... don't like..... and would change if you had that chance. thanks for any advise.

Gallet 250 with ANR was our standard on SAR helicopter, well liked. I had an HGU-33 single-visor when I flew EMS and for long-lining. On a toy airplane I fly for fun I don't wear anything, but certainly don't begrudge those that wear gloves, nomex suit and underwear, helmets, halon systems with nozzles in the engine compartment, BRS chutes, 8 airbags, 5 plus 2 harness,vest full of survival gear, etc. etc. Whatever keeps your demons away.

Karmutzen wrote:Gallet 250 with ANR was our standard on SAR helicopter, well liked. I had an HGU-33 single-visor when I flew EMS and for long-lining. On a toy airplane I fly for fun I don't wear anything, but certainly don't begrudge those that wear gloves, nomex suit and underwear, helmets, halon systems with nozzles in the engine compartment, BRS chutes, 8 airbags, 5 plus 2 harness,vest full of survival gear, etc. etc. Whatever keeps your demons away.

Im curious as to what the actual different is between a helo helmet and fixed wing?

Canuck,

Fixed wing helmets have no impact rating requirements. Helo helmets do have impact requirements. IMO there is no point in wearing a fixed wing helmet, at least one not built to helo impact requirements, of which I am unaware?

I have a Gallet LH250 with gray and amber lenses, and love it. The visibility is amazing compared to sunglasses. I bought it with helmet specific ANR headsets and am not a fan of those at all, even with foam ear plugs, my ears still ring at the end of the day. Gotta get that fixed before next season; actually started spraying with just my Bose headset and a ball cap at the end of this season b/c the crap headset was driving me nuts, Turbines are loud haha. Got talked outta fitting a Bose b/c they supposedly don't handle the moisture well and the ANR doesn't work as well inside a helmet, but I'll be chopping up some Bose to go on it.

As far as color, something to consider is visibility when not in the aircraft. I read a story about a crop duster that got run over by a truck when they drove to the accident to try n help. It would really suck to survive a crash only to get killed by someone trying to help. Thus, my helmet is bright orange. The options available for high vis were red, yellow, and orange. I like orange the best so went with that, but as long as it stands out who cares. Also, who cares what a helmet looks like, IMO they all look goofy.

Most important thing is that you like the helmet, and will actually wear it. So do your homework and measure your head properly. I've got the aftermarket soother liner for the Gallet, it is super comfortable. I set it up where it will work with fixed wing panel power, helo, GA plugs, and external power to run ANR without any panel power if necessary. Haven't worn it in the wagon or cub yet, but will once I get the headset issue sorted out. Having music/Bluetooth and good hearing protection is more important to me than having a helmet, some may think that's silly, but 8-10 hours a day in the cockpit and it's an easy decision for me.


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[quote="Skalywag"]Canuck,

Fixed wing helmets have no impact rating requirements. Helo helmets do have impact requirements. IMO there is no point in wearing a fixed wing helmet, at least one not built to helo impact requirements, of which I am unaware?



Thanks, those are all great points, I have a bose A20 for my Cherokee and I couldn't be happier. would a passive system be enough for a helmet in a turbine?

Crazycanuck wrote:would a passive system be enough for a helmet in a turbine?

I bought an Evo 052 and a separate Bose headset at the same time and kept them apart, I've now done a season with just passive but had to use earplugs to keep the noise down. My helmet is now away getting the Bose installed. That's in a turbine MD500. Main reason for not doing it to start with is that I'm constantly in and out of the machine doing tasks on the ground and the battery box of the Bose would be a hassle. I value noise reduction higher and a passive helmet just didn't cut it.


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Finishing up my first spray season in a 450 Cat with a Northwall flight helmet, passive with a CEP kit. The CEP works great for audio, and I use Sonic Defender earplugs instead of the foam plugs. I opted for passive plus earplugs because of a strange resonance The ANR would pick up when I had worn ANR headsets in my Cub, I'm not sure if it was wires singing or the fabric drumming, but whatever it was created a bass-like sound that drove me crazy. As similar as a Cat is, I figured I'd hear the same thing in it.

The helmet was more expensive than most of the competition, but I have no regrets over my purchase. I never wore a helmet on my motorcycle because of how uncomfortable they were, so I wanted the lightest weight helmet I could find. I now prefer it over a headset, it is much more comfortable once you have the fit correct, I put it on and forget about it. Mine is white, any other color would just be hot sitting there with no AC all day.

Skalywag wrote:Turbines are loud haha.

No joke. All my work aircraft are turbine. Most are turbine helicopters. We're required to use double hearing protection. I highly recommend a good passive headset and CEPs. Game-changer in the turbine world.

NZMaule wrote:

Crazycanuck wrote:would a passive system be enough for a helmet in a turbine?

I bought an Evo 052 and a separate Bose headset at the same time and kept them apart, I've now done a season with just passive but had to use earplugs to keep the noise down. My helmet is now away getting the Bose installed. That's in a turbine MD500. Main reason for not doing it to start with is that I'm constantly in and out of the machine doing tasks on the ground and the battery box of the Bose would be a hassle. I value noise reduction higher and a passive helmet just didn't cut it.


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are you happy with the EVO build quality? they seem like a carbon copy of the Gallet. And they are made in the USA

Yes I'm happy with the Evo, main reason I wanted that model was lightness and it is slightly lighter than the Gallet. Now I'm going to fit the Bose that will change and perhaps defeat the purpose. My old helmet is a Gentex and the Evo is MUCH nicer to wear all day.



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NZMaule wrote:Yes I'm happy with the Evo, main reason I wanted that model was lightness and it is slightly lighter than the Gallet. Now I'm going to fit the Bose that will change and perhaps defeat the purpose. My old helmet is a Gentex and the Evo is MUCH nicer to wear all day.



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Both helmets set up the way I want with an A20 headset are 3300 for the EVO and 3458 for the Gallet. After having a Bose headset for a while now I don't think ill be happy with anything else....... And if they are going to be this pricey, I want to get it right the first time.
what color did u pick?

Was a toss up between hi viz yellow or white. I ended up choosing white. Looks like it turned up at work today back from Evo, will have to try it out with the Bose now.
The magnetic clip on the chin strap is a great idea too.

Thread bump... Yesterday my son had a bike wreck going down a hill at 15-20 mph that would have been way more serious had he not been wearing a bike helmet. He had a mild concussion and was out for a couple minutes before getting an ambulance ride to the ER but will be OK. His helmet, not so much.

With that in mind, I've thought about helmets before but never bought one. I'm rethinking that now. I fly a 180 with BAS harnesses and try to be gentle with it, but stuff happens. I already wear a survival vest on every flight so clearly I'm not worried about style points. Anyone have some recent opinions on specific helmets?

Seems like the Pro-Tec half-shell line (https://www.protechelmet.com/products.asp?cat=14) is a lot bang for the buck, but how much better in terms of fit/protection is something like the Bonehead Pilot X?

Thanks!

Having had enough concussions in previous adventures that I worry about this sort of thing, I went with a Team Wendy Exfil SAR helmet from Sky Cowboys that has the Lightspeed integration. It has good ventilation while also meeting US DoD standards for blunt impact protection and it just so happens to fit my melon pretty darn well. There's probably nicer, fancier and certainly more expensive brain buckets out there but I'll actually wear this one since there's no hot spots.