Motorcycle helmet on trike + proper seatbelt

[Loco]

Hi guys , from the tragic accident of Graham (http://www.avcom.co.za/phpBB3/viewtopic ... &start=120) Flymed made a very sobering post which made me think...

Perhaps I should be wearing my motorcycle helmet and neck brace while flying trikes?!

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Just wearing the typical trike helmet (buzzcom, airmagic etc.) looks nice and is better than just goggles but how much brain protection will they afford in a serious accident?

Mounting my headsets will just be a challenge...

AND what about trike seat belts, they typically only strap to your middle and not your shoulders as well making me think in an accident your upper body can whiplash forward?!

Your thoughts will be much appreciated...

Cheers
Ant

Again at risk of those who do not understand the purpose of this forum, I need to warn my fellow pilots out there.
This is a very unfortunate case with ramifications I am not at liberty to discuss here, but from a pure aeromedical protocol perspective, he will not fly again for at least 10 years to come, and probably never again. This is in the protocols as published on CAA's website for all to see.
So, by virtue of this forum, we are supposed to learn something from this tragic event:
Accidents are not always avoidable, but some are and others are at least manageable. The injuries to the head causes amongst other things brain swelling, nerve tears, bleeding and a permanent unpredictable risk of developing seizures and epilepsy. Research have showed us that proper head and neck protection by the use of a quality helmet and neck support reduces the risk of such injuries by magnitudes. For most of us this would seem like excessive precautions, and I am not to argue that, but those who involves them selves with aerobatics and/or open cockpit flying without a proper helmet is irresponsible. The leather dome so favoured with the classic open cockpits is useless and is there to keep comms together and to keep the head warm. It may help against a bee sting, but nothing more.

The second point is the seat-belt. The axis of movement in an aircraft accident is extremely violent in all directions and easily approach G-forces in excess of 80 G's in a low performance aircraft. In high performance aircraft these forces can easily exceed 120G's. These forces are practically instantaneous and the effective brain injuries sustained because of this are always very serious, and is the result of the brain effectively smashing itself against the inner surface of the skull, both in the direction of the force applied and in the opposite direction with recoil (called a contra coup injury). The greatest of these forces are experienced through the whip-lashing of the head and neck after colliding with the aircraft's frame or other rigid structures. This can be lessened by a good measure with proper 5 point restraints and a helmet. The restraint retards the oscillatory movement of the body, thus harmonising the body's movement with the aircraft structure's, thereby lessening contact with such structures; protecting not only the head and neck but also the whole spine and internals (excluding penetration wounds), and the helmet absorbs a massive amount of the forces against the head by slowing the stopping time of the moving head by means of crushing the inner cushion and dissipating directional forces through the hard dome of the helmet.

Please take care and take this seriously. I have had my share of seeing and investigating similar but fatal cases, and most were avoidable.

[micromed]

Hi Anthonyhugo
Thanks for posting my little post here on microlighters. This is a very serious topic especially for us weightshift flyers. I have published an article about this in Misasa's magazine 3 or so many years ago. Try to get AlanMac to publish it again, I think there is good reason to read it again.
Regards
Chris Opperman

[Tumbleweed]

I can't find the previous topic on seat belts, but one feature of the GT 450 is a second seat belt from behind the pax's left shoulder which crosses over the pilot and fastens to his bottom right, effectively minimising forward movement.

AS for trike helmets, I think they are designed for for 50 m/ph take off and landings oopsies and I can vouch for Air Magic's fantastic impact absorbsion feature.

[Tailspin]

Ant

With your motor bike helmet you will suffer from loss of peripheral vision, also the helmet will get very heavy on long flights.

Now you also need to put your comms in the helmet. Good Luck

The thing is where do you want to stop, should i wear a chest protector for that bird strike eventuality, and lets not forget the motor cross boots to protect my Ankles in case i have an out landing on a rough runway.

Trust me, i have hit the ground vertically in a trike and walked away from it, what saved me was not the body Armour i was wearing but rather that guardian angel. We wear helmets cos we want to as a decision to protect our noggins cos it is better than nothing.

Ant don't get caught up in the hype, if it were up to the paramedics we would all be wrapped in all sorts of protective gear, but then where would the adventure be
You can wear your helmet by all means, but think carefully about laying out too much money.

just my 2c worth.

[ZULU1]

Gavin, the peripheral vision is pretty much why trike helmets are as they are at present, irrespective of origin. To improve this we are now making the bibs out of clear polycarbonate and this allows you to taxi with the visor up and see the dials and switches much easier. Regarding protection we can offer a military pas helmet, no problem..same fit everything. Difficult subject to address this as fitting headets in full face helmets is a compromise. But willing to listen..

[Triker]

I have wondered why almost all trike manufacturer not manufacturer the 3 point harness as found standard in Aerotriker cobra's
Or that straps that go over both shoulders as found in the Cheetah.

They are and feel so much more safer. That forward whip with your head against the bar or knees would be eliminated at least.
Maybe make this a requirement in future?

[Splinter]

Ant

The thing is where do you want to stop, should i wear a chest protector for that bird strike eventuality, and lets not forget the motor cross boots to protect my Ankles in case i have an out landing on a rough runway.

.

Should you wear a chest protector? No. Should you wear motorX boots? No. Should you wear a helmet? Yes! Why the different anwers? Because someone told me the other day that from the neck upwards they can only fix your teeth china! Think about it, its true!
Chest injuries, fix the broken ribs transplant a heart, remove a kidney whatever! Heal a broken ankle or cut it off doesn`t matter! Cant do that with a brain!

Remember when I bought my 1st bike! The salesman would not let me buy a cheap helmet! His words were, a $10 lid for a $10 head!

[Loco]

Thanks guys some thought provoking stuff

Did anybody manage to incorporate their intercom system into a standard motorbike helmet? Paul do you supply such a system?

And did any of you upgrade your Aquilla's to have a 5 point safety harness like the Cobra's?

[ZULU1]

Ant and others, it is possible but so far i have yet to use one with success, in a trike environment a seal is required around the ears. I get many calls from Hardly Dangerous owners wishing to do this and without exception, "they will give it a try" and fail miserably. As Gavin states, its a waste of time. Even the Jhb metro tried it with full face helmets and failed. But if you see the thread on Gyro headsets and the route we are taking with that project, a off shoot will possibly be worth a try. See what we make for EOD and this has no choice for a ear cup. These take two watts with no outside noise, this requires all types of audio trickery to prevent feedback. So at present we leave motorcycle helmets to motor cycles.

[lamercyfly]

..the inertia type seat belt for the front pilot, as used in the Cobra, is actually a nightmare! Yes, a nightmare. I aborted a journey from Durban to Jo'burg in a 912 Cobra because of the interia seatbelt. Landed at a farm outside Newcastle and called it a stop!

Try flying in very thermic sky, and what happens is the ruddy shoulder strap works loose, transferring that 'looseness' into the lap restraint, and after 2 minutes of being 'bumped' around the sky, your seat belt is LOOSE!!! So you let go with one hand and jerk the darn thing tight, only for it to work its way loose again... bloody scary at 2000'AGL when your seatbelt comes loose all the time, and you are being tossed from one 45deg bank to another while your nose does not know which way is up or down..

All hunky-dory if you only ever fly in calm conditions..

5 500hours in a trike, and I have not ever felt the need for a helmut or a shoulder restraint in the front seat... and I have had in the region of 30plus engine failures.

If ever I was doomed to fly highveld winters, now that's another thing. Then I would wear a helmut just to keep my face protected from the cold,but for impact trauma? I'll take my chances, and enjoy 'free flight'.

Now, that is your worst scenario, is it not. I mean, a bad landing? Turbulence in the sky making you feel exposed? What exactly is it you are trying to protect yourself from? Yourself?

Get out there and fly more, get more current, climb to 2000'AGL, glide and touch down on the 'spot'.. Fly in the wind, get current landing EXACTLY ON THE SPOT, EVERY TIME. When you land, dont just land somewher beyond the threshold. EVERY time you are on downwind, pick a spot on the runway, and touch down EXACTLY there. Do it with the engine some-times, as you would in a precautionary, do it with full glide sometimes, but until you can land on the SPOT every time, keep practicing.... NEVER just land. Make every landing you ever do a precise touch-down. I've walked away from all my engine failures because of that priciple.. May it be God's will that I outlive my medical..

Get that right, and you most probably will never need a helmut for trauma... If you gonna fall out the sky, best you have jam in your pocket, cause you gonna be toast, with or without a helmut and seatbelts and chest armour and... that quote about jam is from a book by Lucian something or other..was a great read!

Regards.

[Triker]

Lamercy, then there's something seriously wrong with that seatbelt of your cobra as mine has never done that. In actual fact, it went slightly tighter when i get jolted and bumped around. Its a standard car seatbelt. Does your car seatbelt go loose when the car moves/bumps/shakes? Don't hope so.

[Madman]

Hey Ant

I too thought about the idea of a bike helmet as I used to race superbikes...but you don't fly as fast as you ride on the road,plus there ain't taxi's and other wackheads that can cause you to crash...it's all you and how you fly,plus I know it will be very uncumfy on long trips as a long trip with a bike becomes really uncomfortable.

Just fly your trike..and stop worrying about what to wear

[Conrad]

Both my trike helmets are 2 x open face bike helmets,
I have built 5 other helmets for guys around with Zulu's headset kits,
Mine works fair enough.

[Loco]

Both my trike helmets are 2 x open face bike helmets,
I have built 5 other helmets for guys around with Zulu's headset kits,
Mine works fair enough.

Hi Conrad can you please post some pics I'm very interested to do the same

[John Boucher]

Was asked the other day why I use helmets inside the Cheetah...

Well it does get rather bumpy over the mountains and with one's head so close to the overhead crossbar - the solution was the purchase of 2 helmets from Air Magic. With the upgraded intercom, the headsets fitted in nicely and they are extremely comfortable.... the shoulder straps, the helmet etc. I just feel a lot safer!