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Question about their flight helmets.

Do Apache pilots wear two types of helmets?

I saw a video on Airshow Buzz with a Raptor pilot trying out the gun system on his brother's Longbow. The Raptor pilot is wearing a typical helmet that looks top heavy while his brother is wearing what looks like a more conventional helmet but with the eyepiece attachment.

Just a curious question.

Mike H.

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Question about their flight helmets.

Do Apache pilots wear two types of helmets?

Why yes they do. The first helmet they wear is the one on the first day of transition training. It is small normally around size 7. Then as they transition they get the bigger one. First they tell them they are flying the best attack helicopter in the world (blech) and their heads get a little bigger. Then they tell them they have lots of power and their heads swell some more. They tell them they can hit something from 10K away and the swelling continues. Then they tell them that it works like a champ and the head has swelled to the point of explosion and then they give them this big helmet with the monocle. It is the only helmet known to fit the over inflated heads and egos of an Apache driver.

OK snake driver running for cover. LOL :)

Just kidding there is only one helmet. It is very large too. :D And Apache pilots are my friends, even if they do fly a POS that can kill something 10K away. LOL

Floyd

Edited by Floyd S. Werner, Jr.
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They have to hope it cranks and then get past the enging start checks first :taunt: Erick

Why yes they do. The first helmet they wear is the one on the first day of transition training. It is small normally around size 7. Then as they transition they get the bigger one. First they tell them they are flying the best attack helicopter in the world (blech) and their heads get a little bigger. Then they tell them they have lots of power and their heads swell some more. They tell them they can hit something from 10K away and the swelling continues. Then they tell them that it works like a champ and the head has swelled to the point of explosion and then they give them this big helmet with the monocle. It is the only helmet known to fit the over inflated heads and egos of an Apache driver.

OK snake driver running for cover. LOL :taunt:

Just kidding there is only one helmet. It is very large too. :o And Apache pilots are my friends, even if they do fly a POS that can kill something 10K away. LOL

Floyd

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Oh, you guys are cruel!

Admittedly, my information is a bit dated (10+ years ago), but for flight test ops we did use different helmets. If the PNVS was required, we had to wear the big helmet everyone is familiar with (I don't remember the designation of it). The Polhemus head tracker system uses info from IR diodes mounted in the helmet to determine the crews head position. Only the standard helmet has the diodes.

If we were flying a mission that didn't require PNVS or other mission systems, we just wore regular SPH-4's or HGU-26 helmets. We had a couple special SPH-4's for training that you could attach the monocle sight to, but the head tracker didn't work.

So the short answer is, there was only one helmet for normal operations, but things might have changed.

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Apache pilot helmets are quite a bit larger than the standard helmets we're issued, they have little storage compartments in them to store Crayons and coloring books and sometimes Legos. (Gives them something to do while the crew chief fixes the APU.) :whistle:

Edited by chopperpilot71
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Apache pilot helmets are quite a bit larger than the standard helmets we're issued, they have little storage compartments in the them to store Crayons and coloring books and sometimes Legos. (Gives them something to do while the crew chief fixes the APU.) :coolio:

I'm a tellin' you all!! :popcorn: Jon's gonna gitcha!!! :whistle:

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Crouching Jon, Hidden Apache :blink:

I'm kinda surprised. I didn't notice him on yesterday and haven't seen him on today. I know last night was his night for flying but, we usually talk sometime during the day on IM. But, he never replied yesterday.

Oh well, probably busy with museum stuff!! :thumbsup:

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I'm kinda surprised. I didn't notice him on yesterday and haven't seen him on today. I know last night was his night for flying but, we usually talk sometime during the day on IM. But, he never replied yesterday.

Oh well, probably busy with museum stuff!! :salute:

He was in PA all day yesterday. I got a text message from him around 4:15 yesterday after he had landed. Haven't seen him online since then so I guess he'll be there through sunday.

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I'm kinda surprised. I didn't notice him on yesterday and haven't seen him on today. I know last night was his night for flying but, we usually talk sometime during the day on IM. But, he never replied yesterday.

Oh well, probably busy with museum stuff!! :salute:

Battle of the Bulge re-enactor event in PA. He'll be there through Saturday.

Chief Snake

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*AHEM*

There is only one type of helmet for the AH-64, either variant. The difference you're seeing is the visor housing. Front seaters have the old-style SPH-4 style visor housing because they have NVG mounts on them. Front seaters frequently use goggles on missions to increase the crew's situational awareness. Same IHADSS Helmet, different visor.

I just logged 7 hours over 2 days, nearly two of that on Thursday night. While it ain't a Longbow, I'll fly an AH-64A over just about anything out there. Nothin like draggin the runway at 130kts, 50 feet off the deck and then doing a cyclic climb out....

:D

screw you guys, I'm goin home.

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"F*** me, hold tight. What's that?"

"It's me re-enactor kit, Turkish."

"No, Tommy. There's an Apache flying overhead. What's an Apache doing flying overhead?"

"It's for protection."

"Protection from what? 'Zee Germans'?"

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I was miffed... The Germans had the two Tiger tanks from Saving Private Ryan. I was actually flying when they took to the field on Friday. My backseater and I had planned on rolling in and doing several simulated attacks on them, but when we got the grids for their location, turned out they were operating in an area that had Restricted airspace overhead. Couldn't get permission to enter....

Almost had 2 Tiger kills to my credit....

Edited by Cobrahistorian
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The Germans had the two Tiger tanks <...>

"And, the fact that you've got "replica" written down the side of your guns. And, the fact that I've got "M230 Chain Gun" written on the side of mine, should precipitate your b@lls into shrinking, along with your presence. Now . . . fu** off."

Great film!

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