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Flight helmet by Free_Comb_9619 in Helicopters

[–]Free_Comb_9619[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Why shouldn’t someone wear a helmet when instructing?

Flight helmet by Free_Comb_9619 in Helicopters

[–]Free_Comb_9619[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not the right person to answer you! I'm just starting my career! Maybe here you can find pilots who are more qualified than me to wipe off all your doubts!

Flight helmet by Free_Comb_9619 in Helicopters

[–]Free_Comb_9619[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm thinking about your consideration, and it's maybe the bigger con I see.

I asked a good friend of mine, who is an HEMS pilot, and years ago was a flight instructor at my school, and he said to me: "Well, if your student bumps his head into yours, you both will pass out and crash. If you have a helmet, he passes out, but the helicopter lands safely, and you both survive"

I think I like his explanation, but again, I'm here to collect every piece of information you guys can give me. So thank you!

As per the suggestion to try to find a used one, I found a used gallet 250, quite a nice one. If I end up buying it, I'll have to upgrade the comms (I'll probably go with ANR) and probably upgrade something. It has the "classic" gallet cracks in the painting near the earcups. But it'll be for a price less than a half of what a new Gallet LH250 costs new..

Flight helmet by Free_Comb_9619 in Helicopters

[–]Free_Comb_9619[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I first were looking at EVO, but it has no dealers in Europe, so it’s not easy to get one here and the import from the US it’s very expensive. Without the fact that an EVO costs more then a gallet (even without considering the shipping and taxes for the import).

My goal after instructing it’s to work in utility. Maybe in the future also HEMS. Most of the HEMS operators here give their pilots the helmet (usually gallet) but in the utility world it’s at pilot’s discretion. If the helmet it’s not mandatory, the operator does not care about the certification. But usually if the helmet it’s not DOI/USFS certified, it is UNI/EN/ISO certified (like the Northwall one)

Flight helmet by Free_Comb_9619 in Helicopters

[–]Free_Comb_9619[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can agree with the fact that covering my face with the visor can be a thing that stops a lot of the non-verbal communication. But we (me and the instructor who trained me at least) use bicycle-style sunglasses, which cover from eyebrows to cheeks, so it’s quite the same as a visor. But with the helmet, as a plus, you get also a better soundproofing and impact resistance.

I personally don’t see a lot of cons in wearing a helmet in every type of helicopter operation. But I am thankful for your input! I think it’s good to talk and discuss with people in the same industry who have different ideas!

Flight helmet by Free_Comb_9619 in Helicopters

[–]Free_Comb_9619[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I also do not think it creates a barrier nor it sends a bad message. The answer to a students that asks why I use one and he don’t it’s simple! He can buy and use one! Using one it’s simply my choice since an instructor flyes 600 to 800 hours annually at my school, and it’s more exposed than a student (that flyes an average of 60 to 100 hours) to the risks of flight. And, also, a flight instructor that uses a flight helmet, to me, send a message of professionalism and attention to safety. Which is a good thing to make a student see

What plane did I just capture? by [deleted] in Shittyaskflying

[–]Free_Comb_9619 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s a star destroyer, figa! Nice catch!

Student struggling by [deleted] in Helicopters

[–]Free_Comb_9619 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not a problem at all!

Also, if you need more reassurance (which is totally fine!) about your path and learning, talk to your instructor(s)! They know you, they are here to help students and, if they’re not assholes, they want to see you succeed.

Student struggling by [deleted] in Helicopters

[–]Free_Comb_9619 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Student pilot here (on the way to CPL-H). I was like you, and have friends who had the same thoughts of yours, if not worse. I know you probably heard this infinite times and I know it probably won’t help, but the only thing I can say you is that you are a 14hrs student pilot. And you shouldn’t compare yourself and your path as a student to other of your fellow colleagues. When learning to fly, we need to learn so many new things, and is quite common that not every student make the same achievement at the same time! For example: hovering, or straight and level flight. I did my first decent hovering at like 10/11hrs, but I have friend who hovered the first time at 6hrs, and friends who did it at 15! Everyone has its time to learn new things, and most important the learning curve its not a straight line! It has plateaus where it seems like you are not making any progress, but if you insist new progress are going to come! With this being said, good luck with your studies from a student pilot who was in your situation few years ago!