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That looks freaky!!! Like something someone out of Star Wars would wear. Or an astronaut.

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Elite 3K Joined: May 10, 2004 Posts: 3098 Status: Offline

Yeah, that's the JSF helmet. I wonder if anyone will make a "cosmetic only" version for sale so that civvies and museums can have them for display or just for Halloween Wink

?

Bushmaster wrote:

Would like to drop my two cents on the behalf of the Army... Our guys have the sh*t same way as the AF guys. I see our Apache guys come to hot refuel rearm and they have custom helmets, by custom, like shiny paint jobs, colorful flag stickers etc, today we got one guy with Iron Maiden's Eddie's eyes painted on top his helmet. I have not asked if it is something you do after reaching so many hours or a certain rank, but I think that would make sense, noobs are pushed around everywhere.

If I ever get a seat in the Apache, I would want to have a custom one too, it will be a patch of 78th FS Bushmasters, and Batman.. Smile

Funny my brother is a apache driver and I'm sure he told me they do not have there own helmets...you loose it when you transfer???? maybe different with reserve guys as they dont move much.

ViperKeeper wrote:

Funny my brother is a apache driver and I'm sure he told me they do not have there own helmets...you loose it when you transfer???? maybe different with reserve guys as they dont move much.

Possibly because they don't have the additional complication of wearing an oxygen mask, and the associated custom fit for that to be effective.

Enthusiast Joined: Jan 31, 2005 Posts: 88 Status: Offline

toured SANGB LS a while ago, said all helmets are fitted and that even a grain of sand in a helmet can cause irritation with all the vibrations... due to the close fit. On top of maintaining helmets, LS plays with NVG's and does survival training with pilots Smile

lots o fun stuff Smile

I just joined as LS at Battle Creek ANG, so that's what they've told me my job is lol

EDIT: misspoke myself regarding being fitted...

Enthusiast Joined: Jul 17, 2007 Posts: 99 Status: Offline

Quote:

Funny my brother is a apache driver and I'm sure he told me they do not have there own helmets...you loose it when you transfer???? maybe different with reserve guys as they dont move much

.

Huggy's right again with this one. Especially with combat edge every helmet is custom fit to each pilot. Trust me you'd know if you got the wrong helmet. I know the Air Force has had thier own helmets for decades.

I will ask about the custom fit tomorrow, your brother fly in the reseves? (just curious, A model Apache?) I am not sure how the Army Reserves work, but if he is ever deployed, doesn't he get attached to an active unit? I am in support of 1-3 Battalion of 3D Combat Aviation Brigade and I have seen my share of custom painted helmets, yesterday we got a young guy with Corvette logo, and the top of the helmet was all black. Now with the IHADSS helmet, you have an additional piece on top where your visor goes in, which makes it apart from the perfectly circular AF helmets, and that is the part I have seen customized in general. Maybe they are only allowed to do that. Again, let me ask tomorrow. I sure as heck would not want to give my customization to another pilot.

The only thing I could think of that might require customization in our helmets would be the for the positioning of your HDU, but I don't think it is likely. I think they just come in different sizes and you get to keep the one that is issued to you.

Ok, it was the first thing I asked to our standards chief, the IHADSS helmet is two parts, I have never worked with ALSE so I didn't know, the top part that houses the visor is given to the pilot, not the helmet itself which houses IR equipment and electronics. For the top part, they can do whatever they want with it. Bottom part can only be decorated with velcro patches, nothing else.

Every pilot/WSO gets their own personal helmet for the duration of their flying career. (JMHCS units get 2 helmets each) If it needs replacing they get a replacement. The reason pilots don't take their helmets home is because they cannot be trusted to take care of their helmets thats why

The helmet shell comes in 3 standard sizes--Med, Lrg, XL. The liners have always been customized within the limits of the available technology. In the 50s it was Velcro'd foam/leather pads, then custom molded cyanoacrylate foam, then Thermo-plastic, and currently space foam. The space foam liners are not really custom.

During the 60s and 70s the visor housing of the 26/P and 2A/P helmets could be painted or decorated and much more was done than was authorized. When the 55/P came out in 84, painting helmets went away as it clashed with the "tactical" concept behind the grey paint. What you see in the Eagle pic above is a custom embroidered visor cover-they're common and style is up to the SQ/CC.

The current mask is the 23/P its made of the same grey silicone as the older 12/P, which was originally OD/Sage green. The hardshell is made of fiberglass not metal. The masks come in 4 standard sizes--a 5th was planned (Extra Small-Short) but I don't know if it's been fielded.

As you were....I'll be in the area all day

Quote:

(Extra Small-Short)

More females in the flying positions... why not? Very Happy

Newbie Joined: Aug 05, 2007 Posts: 9 Status: Offline

Excellent

Bushmaster wrote:

I will ask about the custom fit tomorrow, your brother fly in the reseves? (just curious, A model Apache?) I am not sure how the Army Reserves work, but if he is ever deployed, doesn't he get attached to an active unit? I am in support of 1-3 Battalion of 3D Combat Aviation Brigade and I have seen my share of custom painted helmets, yesterday we got a young guy with Corvette logo, and the top of the helmet was all black. Now with the IHADSS helmet, you have an additional piece on top where your visor goes in, which makes it apart from the perfectly circular AF helmets, and that is the part I have seen customized in general. Maybe they are only allowed to do that. Again, let me ask tomorrow. I sure as heck would not want to give my customization to another pilot.

The only thing I could think of that might require customization in our helmets would be the for the positioning of your HDU, but I don't think it is likely. I think they just come in different sizes and you get to keep the one that is issued to you.

He is flying out of balad with his active unit from Germany. Im sure he said the helmets belong to the unit..and when he PCS's he will have to get fitted to another. ...So the answer to active apache guys is NO they dont get to keep the same helmet for their entire career.

ViperKeeper wrote:

He is flying out of balad with his active unit from Germany.

What unit is that? Apaches are stationed in Taji and Baghdad.

Quote:

Im sure he said the helmets belong to the unit..and when he PCS's he will have to get fitted to another. ...So the answer to active apache guys is NO they dont get to keep the same helmet for their entire career.

I talked to a CW5 during a refuel today, refer to my post above.

Bushmaster wrote:

ViperKeeper wrote:

He is flying out of balad with his active unit from Germany.

What unit is that? Apaches are stationed in Taji and Baghdad.

Quote:

Im sure he said the helmets belong to the unit..and when he PCS's he will have to get fitted to another. ...So the answer to active apache guys is NO they dont get to keep the same helmet for their entire career.

I talked to a CW5 during a refuel today, refer to my post above.

2-159th Balad

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Do pilots have their personal helmet?