Helmets

[Ken MacLean]

Has anybody ever considered flying with a helmet? The military wears them, civilian medevac wears them, airshow pilots wear them. Why doesn't GA?

My kids always wore helmets on their bikes, on roller blades, and on skate boards. Skiers wear helmets now too.

A very cursory review of NTSB accident records reveals quite a number of fatal GA accidents where cause of death was blunt trauma to the head where the circumstances seem to indicate that otherwise the accident would have been survivable. I am personally acquainted with an accident where death was caused by drowning subsequent to loss of consciousness due to striking the cabin interior in a water landing after power loss.

OK, that's the argument "for". The argument "against" would be the potential mocking I would suffer, or maybe frightening the passengers by seeming to prepare for a crash in advance. Or maybe everybody would just think it was a great idea. I don't know.

Does anybody have experience with flight helmets? Motorcycle guys tell me the lighter the better or breaking your neck on impact becomes an issue. What's your opinion?

Ken