Forum: Off-topic

How can I get one? Anyone have one for sale? Ebay is too freakin expensive! Looking for an HGU 55/p with a MGU/12 oxygen mask! Can anyone help?

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Im pretty sure ebay is the cheapest you can get. Those things arent cheap for some reason... even new! There was some outfitters i had the site for some time ago that sells them new. Ill have to look for it to find it again...

-Aaron

Yeah, I know they aren't cheap. My brother is based at Hickam, but he works in the armoury(sp?), and I was hoping he had a friend in supplies that could get me one. Unfortunatly he doesn't. Crying or Very sad

I assume you've tried this site.

http://www.flighthelmet.com/

Also try Flight Suits Ltd.. They have a pretty good selection and can custom fit it for ya too.

Or try the Sovietski magazine. They sell top notch Russian flight stuff. Including great Mig 29/Su 27- 30 helmets. Also they sell other cool Rus military stuff.

ACSheva

Thanks for that idea, Shev Very Happy

! That catalog has lots of good stuff Cool

.

cbrjames, I think these helmets are so expensive is that they're safety equipment Wink

. Safety equipment is always a bit expensive due to the design and testing work that goes into it, not to mention the workmanship that's required to guarantee its proper function. It's the one area I personally won't skimp on when considering any activity!

You could order from Gentex, but they'd sell it to you in pieces. You'd then have to build and maintain it yourself, which includes a screw driver, torque wrench, a halo, LockTite adhesive, and yes, an OVEN. If you have never worked in life support, then you'd be totally lost, as you'd also need a helmet template just to get all the d@mned screws and lugs in the right spots.

I'm going to assume you aren't a flyer? If you are planning on using a used helmet for flying purposes, that might be a bad move. A misconception held by many is that you can just grab your helmet off the peg, slap it on your head and go flying. WRONG ANSWER! Helmets, like aircraft, must undergo routine maintenance to still be in working order. Here are some things to consider with a used helmet for flying purposes:

First off, you'd need to properly match your head size to the corresponding helmet shell.

Then, you'd need to rip the TPL out of the helmet, and get a new TPL custom-sized to fit your head.

If you're going to do that, you might as well take out the leather linings, and install new ones.

Also, you'd need to resize the chin and nape straps, so it fits snugly on your head. Not a death grip, but not "socks on a rooster" either.

Only take off the visor cover when you're actually going to use the visor. They are expensive, and they scratch very easily. I've jumped down more than one lieutenant's @$$ over that too.

You'll need a flight surgeon checkout if you want to wear the high contrast visor.

Oh yeah, DON'T PAINT THE HGU 55/P!!! Big no no in the tech order!

Now, lemme guess, I just gave you that whole schpiel, and you're just wanting a helmet/mask combination to look pretty on your bookshelf or some $hit, right? Rolling Eyes

Beers and MiGs were made to be pounded!

TC, thanks for that post Very Happy

! It's amazing when you find out how much you don't know about something! I know that pilot's helmets are important pieces of safety equipment, but I didn't know they required THAT much maintenance Shocked

! Makes me wonder which requires more maintenance, the jet or the pilot's flight gear Laughing

!

Nice rundown, TC. The life support guys earn their bucks keeping up with around 30 helmets/masks, not to mention all the other survival gear they maintain.

I'm tumbleweed here: Why does the FS have to sign off of the high contrast visor use? Confused

What sets it apart from the regular tinted visor that it needs a special cert?

Thanks for the kind words parrothead and Titleist! Being the son of a Crew Dog, I can assure you that the jet ALWAYS requires more maintenance. Us Life Support troops had a cushy, air conditioned office job...though we did make it to the flight line a couple times a week.

As for the equipment we maintained...

Helmets (and the aforementioned components)
Combat Edge Helmet Bladder
Ear Phones
Masks
Mask Com link
Combat Edge Vest
Harness
LPUs
SEAWARS/U-WARS Cartriges
CRU-94 (CRU-60 for incentive riders)
G-Suit
Survival Kit (and all associated components)
Life Raft
PRC-90 survival radio
ELT Seat Beacon
ACES II chute and kit pulls
and the equipment testers

We had to be proficient at sewing, cutting, using hand tools, knowing every piece of survival gear (where in the kit it should properly be placed, and how to use it) tearing equipment down and rebuilding it, and building equipment from out of the box.

We also had to deal with some really "intelligent" pilots every now and again. Rolling Eyes

It was a fun job, and a great way to keep your hands busy.

And now Link, The Rest of the Story...

High contrast lenses can make a cloudy day look like broad daylight. If any of you have ever worn colored shooting glasses, you will know what I'm talking about.

The Flight Surgeon has to sign off on the high contrast visor to make sure a) Your eyes don't strain with the lens, b) that you don't have any medical issues that prevent the wearing of certain types of glasses or lenses, and c) that you don't lose any colors from the spectrum with Neon Yellow or Neon Orange over your eyes.

It's weird, I had all three types of lenses for my helmet (gray, night, and high contrast yellow) and I could handle the high contrast lens perfectly. Some people try to wear them and they act like their retinas are burning out. Shocked

To each his own, I guess...

P.S. I don't know why the f#ck I bothered having a night lens. It's not like I was ever going to actually fly at night, and I never did use it. I just left it unstrapped from my helmet, but sized to fit my helmet shell.

Guess I was trying hard to look like Maverick. Wink

Beers and MiGs were made to be pounded!

Best place to get an old helmet? Life support shop in a Fighter Squadron. I just picked mine up the other day, I guess it kinda helps that I'm a fighter pilot in that squadron. Helmets get put outta service after about 5 years so I picked mine up, had the mask from pilot training cause we use the Combat Edge version these days. By the way, got fitted for my HMCS's this week too, pretty cool stuff!!! As far as the high contrast visor, you haveta take another color vision test with the visor on....yeah right.....

So matmacwc, does that meen if you know someone who knows someone? You can potentially pick these up cheaper than your run of the mill catalogue store?

-Aaron

Gibson and Barnes - El Cajon, Ca., 1-800-440-5904 - New Catalog, HGU-55/MBU-12 with COM - about $1,200, I've got a set I ordered for a high altitude skydive, FL290. Good times, remember it well. Now I'm using it for CAP in the T-34B.

Forum: Off-topic

Obtaining a pilot helmet?