Spirit of St Louis Replica (Ryan M1/M2 NYP), ES-XCL

Good point TGA,
However, I was on another tack – I was just responding to the suggestion that display pilots should all wear helmets. A rule which woul’ve covered the Ryan’s pilot, would be awfully restrictive, and wearing a helmet in this type of a/c while displaying does not normally happen – helmets are regarded by most pilots flying such a/c today us unwanted…
That’s all.

I can’t see a scenario that someone flying a non-aerobatic cabin a/c would be expected to or would normally wear a helmet.

You don´t need an aerobatic A/C to wear a helmet.
Aerial working at low level come in my mind:

Firefighting, crop dusting (well almost non aerobatic), choppers etc…
As for low level geophysical survey flying in fixed wings, helmets can be mandatory. Not by law but by contract specifications.

🙂

I can’t see a scenario that someone flying a non-aerobatic cabin a/c would be expected to or would normally wear a helmet. Such a rule requiring it would be very restrictive too.

As regard’s the Ryan crash, the AAIB report (and thanks to these guys – at least we learn of these accidents) preventative maintainance, better welding, and several other factors caused the structural failure. A helmet might have saved his life. But no accident woul’ve been better.

Still tragic.

I’ve nothing against helmets.

I’ve a lot against even more pettifogging rules and regulation.

(See the hi-viz jacket thread)

Moggy

Difficult one to answer. The FAA I believe were the first to push
for the use of bone domes. That was back in the 1950’s.
Some aircraft might be actually difficult to fly wearing one – the Mew Gull springs to mind as a machine with very limited headroom
and I am sure there are others.
The subject of seatbelts is interesting. It’s okay not to wear one in an airliner when the belt sign goes out yet people have been killed after being thrown around cabins during turbulence.
In the case of the Ryan replica he might have stood a better chance of survival with a bone dome but in fairness there seem to have been other issues with the machine addressed in the report which could have prevented the accident happening in the first place.
I use one if I am open cockpit flying only – I feel in cabin
aircraft your awareness around you is slightly diminished by the
helmet.

I really feel that Helmets would not save many if any pilots of warbirds in all the accidents i can think of they would have maybe only have some effect in some landing accidents,but even then its normally crush injuries that pilot suffers sadly when i aircraft hits the ground harder than intended its the pilot that comes of worse.

If they are proven, and i stress IF as i do not know but i suspect they are, to save the lives of pilots in situations where survival would not be possible without them then i think they should be Mandotory.

Its ok Moggy saying, “We are quite capable of making our own minds up whether to wear a helmet or not……They are our heads”, but if they save lives then they should be worn and lets also not forget that the actions of some, right or wrong, will reflect on others.

If we have less fatalities in warbird displayign and operation then so much the better for everyone, wearing bonedomes may not ensure this but it may be a small step towards helping it.

A side point, if we make a Spitfire pilot wear protective headgear then shoudl we apply this to the next aviator down the strip in his Cessna 150?

hears to a safe 2004,

best regards, steve

Originally posted by JDK
Gosh, I’ve just posted on bondomes on the Flighltine Rules thread!

As far as I’m aware it’s up to crew or operators to specify, there’s no legislation I presume. The RNHF wear domes, so maybe there’s a military thing.

I’ve never liked bonedomes in vintage a/c; looks ‘wrong’ but it is the pilot’s own head, so as far as I’m concerned it’s up to him or her. I’d be surprised to see anyone wearing a ‘dome in something like a NYP replica cabin, but as you say, Damien, one wonders.

I was so excited to see the Ryan at Coventry, took a load of pics on the flightline, and watched as he ran it in hold waiting to taxi for takeoff. I still feel sick thinking about it. We left.

Let’s take a moment to remember Pierre Hollander, the man who brought his aircraft to show us and never got to go home to see his wife and kids. 🙁

R.I.P Pierre had wanted to see the Ryan so much did’nt make to Coventry on the saturday,sad it ended this way,As to bonedomes i am sure its not down to us to say whether pilot wears one or not only the pilot can judge where he/she needs one.

Gosh, I’ve just posted on bondomes on the Flighltine Rules thread!

As far as I’m aware it’s up to crew or operators to specify, there’s no legislation I presume. The RNHF wear domes, so maybe there’s a military thing.

I’ve never liked bonedomes in vintage a/c; looks ‘wrong’ but it is the pilot’s own head, so as far as I’m concerned it’s up to him or her. I’d be surprised to see anyone wearing a ‘dome in something like a NYP replica cabin, but as you say, Damien, one wonders.

I was so excited to see the Ryan at Coventry, took a load of pics on the flightline, and watched as he ran it in hold waiting to taxi for takeoff. I still feel sick thinking about it. We left.

Let’s take a moment to remember Pierre Hollander, the man who brought his aircraft to show us and never got to go home to see his wife and kids. 🙁