Offshore Flying Helmets

[MINI]

I can remember an old friend of mine many years ago who flew for a company owned by the Cod Father.They were not allowed to wear helmets while flying offshore.They said it was because they were trying to portray an airline image.How lame was that!!!Is that still the case.I allways felt sorry for the chief pilot that had to tell the crews,NO HELMETS..

[Bladestrike]

Certainly not an issue with the Cod Father''s operations. As a matter of fact, they''ll pay half the purchase price. Most guys flying offshore with the red chicken on the side wear brain buckets domestically. Alot of the guys that tour don''t bother due to the heat, lugging helmets all over the place, etc. They are pretty common with the 76 EMS guys as well. I have heard that they are frowned upon at Cougar but I can''t substantiate that.

[RDM]

Hey Bladebeaterupper..............

 

How things going over there, silly season is upon us here on the rock, my how i love fog

 

With regard to helmets I would say that 1/3 of us wear them, actually most of the dudes from industry do wear them and the ex-mil types prefer not to. But it is definitely not a issue, or should it be.

 

I once questioned a operator (once say who) about wearing helmets, they said "we do not allow our pilots to wear helmets", I replied "may I have that in writing please" there reply "that is a pretty nice helmet your wearing in our a/c" nuff said eh!!!!!!!!

[Bladestrike]

RDM, Same things with our ex-mil guys, I guess they figure if no ones shooting at them......? I'd say only 5 to 10% of our guys go bucketless.

 

We're having quite a short fog season compared to last years. Took too long to warm up me thinks. Sorry about the misinformation, we have a couple of ex-Cougar guys on board and you know how the scuttlebutt gets distorted.

 

Hows things with those guys from the other coast holding the purse strings? Any big changes?

[MINI]

Geez....I thought this one would have gone through the roof with replys.I was hoping to sort some of you out,who you are,how long in the off shore biz,etc.I guess none of you were around when Craig Dobbin told my chief pilot at the time Rob Freeman to tell us no helmets in the off shore.The only time I wore a helmet in the super pussys was when I ferried CGSLC a brand new AS332L from Texas to Halifax.That was 1981.Boy time flys.

[Bladestrike]

Although I'm relatively new to the offshore market, I have been flying these beasts since the early eighties, and I have seen a significant change in attitudes towards safety, including the wearing of helmets. This may not be a popular comment but I'm not so sure we've smartened up all that much. I believe fear of litigation is the driving force, for the operators and customer alike. Its a CYA world out there!

[412driver]

we really beat this one to death a while back. what i found when flying the 76 in SE Asia, was that no one wore one. when i flew 412''s in the gulf, same thing. in these areas i did not wear one. i''m in northern canada right now and don''t take off without it

 

 

but i NEVER heard anyone say that it was not allowed!!

 

my 10 pesos........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[downwash]

Yeah, I''d love some smart-*** to tell me I couldn''t wear a helmet. I wouldn''t need it in writing, either, before his *** was in a sorry sling!

 

It''s easy for these brainless wonders to lay down ''policy'' like this, but not so easy to back it up. If any of them had ever been in the position of keeping their tiny brains together because they had worn one, they''d have a different attitude, no doubt.

 

There''s been ongoing discussion since helmets started to become common in the industry - fears about having to provide them for customers, and the costs involved (like everything else that MUST be provided, the cost would get incorporated into rates) - could you make customers wear them, especially if one size (and a questionable state of hygiene) had to fit all?

 

But the guy that makes his living flying them, and risks having his brains scrambled in any substantial wreck (and even some rather innocent-looking ones), MUST have the unquestionable RIGHT to wear a helmet, and any company that denies that right, be damned!

[Longdog]

Since this is a helmut topic, for you that are constantly wearing them, what type of new generation ones would you recommend. The company I am currently working for is going to issue us each a brand new one so any recommendations would be appreciated. Light and not too hot??

[downwash]

I don''t think there''s a helmet made that can''t find a climate too hot for it and, if it''s to have any meaningful crash attenuation, it''s gotta have a degree of weight. Kevlar probably does as good a job as anything at a marginally reasonable price. The latest couple of Gentex models probably fill the bill as well as anything, although you''ll hear no end of personal preferences, all well-justified. If you''re not hung up on glamour, and you can find one of the David Clarke shells that take their headsets, you can get in as economically as possible with a fair degree of safety. ''Fair'' just doesn''t cut it for everyone. Like so many things, personal tastes will be involved.