A Balance Between Creating The Lightest Helmet And The Safest

By Maria Morrison

In the years before closed-cabin airplanes, pilots would almost always wear a cap when they flew. That traditional brown leather cap either evolved into a more durable helmet, or faded into nothing. Those in aviation who do still wear a helmet are mainly those involved in the extremes of aviation: aerobatics, warbirds, bush flying, etc. Here at AirVenture, there are at least two aviation helmet companies in the display buildings; Bonehead Composites is in Hangar A, and Flighthelmet.com in Building C.

When manufacturing a helmet, there is a “constant need for a balence between lightweight, low-profile and durability and crash protection,” says Flighthelmet.com owner GM Bell. Each of the two companies focuses on different parts of that balance. Flighthelmet.com produces helmets between 2.0 and 3.0 pounds, with two broad categories for either Helicopter or Fixed Wing pilots. Conversely, Bonehead Composites focuses on the “lightweight, low-profile” aspect of the equation, producing composite helmets that range from 1.3 to 1.6 pounds.

The smaller, lighter helmets are made mainly for those flying airplanes in which space and weight are limited. Racers, for example, have very small canopies in order to cut down on parasitic drag as much as possible. A small, light helmet is very important so that pilots have as much mobility within that tight canopy as possible. The helmets are made of composites, mostly carbon fiber and fiberglass, and add 1/2 inch at most to the top of a head.

More tactical helmets are similar to those sold by Flighthelmet.com. These are made from kevlar with a styrene impact liner. They add 3/4 inch to 1 3/4 inches above the head. It is very common for helicopter pilots to wear helmets, and the fixed wing helmets offered are consumed mostly by those in extreme flying.

Common to both companies was a removable, washable liner, options of a visor, and the ability to adjust different parts of the helmet. Made-in-the-USA Bonehead helmets range from $750 to $1495, with additional costs for upgrades and add-ons. Flighthelmet.com helmets, which can be equipped with ANR through their work with Lightspeed, range from $999 to $1395, with add-ons costing up to $2500.

Coming up in the helmet market are improvements in cooling and venting systems, as well as the constant battle between the lightest, smallest product and one that will still provide a safe helmet to fulfil the purpose it was created for.

FMI: www.boneheadcomposites.com, http://flighthelmet.com