Another Question About Helmets

[tDawe]

ebay has helmets up for auction that seem to go for a few hundred US, I know that if I purchased a surplus one from the states I may have to send it away to a place like helicopterhelmet.com to get re-wired with civilian electronics, and maybe a new liner too. I was curious if anyone has ever done such a thing, or if its pipe dream thinking I can score a helmet for less then the blue book value of my car.

Just wondering where people on this site who choose to wear helmets went to purchase their lids?

tDawe

 

[XoNe]

I know mine came from goverment sales in the states. I also know that oregon aero or aviation I can't remember which has some pretty good aftermarket upgrades for all the popular helmets out there.

Hope that helps you out a bit.

 

[PedalJam]

I bought my brand new Gentex out of the box for $ 400 CAD from a army surplus store in New West B.C.
It was wired for military , but Flight Suits in California has an easy fix . They sell a patch cord about 12 inches long that you just plug on your helmet cord and bingo your civilian. Cost is about $ 100.00
eBay is great for finding flying stuff , cheapest place to buy brand new Nomex flight suits .
Good luck B)

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Yes I would definitely check out army surplus stores if you are looking for a helmet that won't break the bank. Mine came with my flight program and it now looks like it has been through a war. Funny thing is I only have over a 100 hrs. But none the less I have come across helmets like mine for a steal at a local gun show where they were selling old equipment. They may be a little old, and a little repair may be necessary. As for the wiring if you have a solid knowledge of DC you should be able to repair your helmet. I have made repairs to a friends using my helmet as a reference, finding out which wires were used for the mono earphones and which other 2 were used for the microphone input. And it ended up working fine and he still uses his headset to this day. I have also seen some senior pilots that especially look for the headsets without the shell around the earphones. I have used my flight instructors like this and it was especially comfortable. I once came across a helmet like this for $120 Canadian and didn't buy it and I am still kicking myself for not picking it up. So take a look around just be sure to buy a helmet with the right plug on the end.

 

[L'ACADIAN]

hey tDawe i decided to buy my lid from flightsuits.com ,all kinds and some with beautiful paint jobs for those people who can afford them......mine plain white and new and a little expensive but well worth the expense for no problems i think . anyway good shopping !!

salut !!

 

[skullcap]

tdawe;

If you plan on flying for the US forest service ensure that the helmet you purchase is approved. I may be wrong but the only ones approved to my knowledge are the SPH series and the HGU 84 and HGU 56.

Also any of the older helmets not made out of graphite or kevlar may have a 5 year shelf life and are really not much better that Sinead Oconnor's old hairdoo(albeit a bit quieter).

I would like to know if the new CGF or Alpha helmets are approved for the USFS so if anyone knows please advise.

If you have to squeaze your head into a bubble window of a 206 to do a bit of longlining stay clear of the SPH's, in my opinion they restrict your ability to move in and out of the window easily, specially if you have a prkins plast window. Astar's have a rather limited area to move to the right as well if you are tall. If you are in a bell medium or larger there is a ton of room for any type of bonedome.


Good luck

 

[tDawe]

Thanks all for the replies, I saw a post on lids on PPRUNE, someone said that painting the helmet with certain types of paint could comprimise it's integrity in a crash, anyone know if there is any truth to this?

tDawe

 

[Batfink]

I know it seems that a new helmet is WAY TOO EXPENSIVE for a low time, just spent everything he can and can't afford just to get the licence kind of guy, but just remember that that little bucket of fibreglass may just save your life one day. It is a significant investment, but it is one of the most important one's you'll ever make. I know this to be true...

Cheers


p.s. I'm a fllghtsuits.com fan myself. You don't need the fancy artwork, it just gets trashed getting in and out of the machine...

 

[Randy_G]

tdawe, there are some types of paint that will weaken the structure of the helmet. Which ones they are I haven't the foggiest. :blink: If asked, the manufacturer will let you know what's safe to use. I had mine painted a few years ago, but I had Flightsuits do it. I took it down there for them to do an inspection on it. It cost around $150 or so in '99. If you go for one of their standard colours (in the catalogue), the paint doesn't cost you extra, since they repaint it white after the inspection anyways. That changes if you want a design, or custom colour.

Cheers