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Best helmet for backcountry

The only maintenance my Z2s have ever needed is when the volume sliders get dirty and adjusting them makes the sound cut out, spray the sliders with ether or contact cleaner. Like new in a few seconds.

I’ll order a couple of helmets soon. What’s the story about Barney’s stocking them? Denali Cub?


Barneys will be carrying them. Team Wendy is working with them directly. I am supplying the adaptors. I am manufacturing a batch now to be sent out to Team Wendy next week. So I would expect they will have stock mid July. I do not know what/if there will be any markup.


Skywagon8A. I wish it were that easy with the visor. I tried a few different products/techniques. Ultimately I don't have enough time to make to manufacture the visors and maintain the quality assurance that I need. This is really just a side hustle to try an offer a quality and inexpensive option to the pilot community. The pilot community is already small enough, just trying to make it a little safer.
 
denali, I though that you only wanted one for yourself and didn't realize that you were wanting to make several of them.
 
denali, I though that you only wanted one for yourself and didn't realize that you were wanting to make several of them.
To build tooling for an optically correct spherical face shield is difficult, and hideously expensive.

The forestry industry is already building spherical face shields that claim to meet some standard or another. Kask in Italy makes shields. Retail for $75 or so. Smoke, clear and mirror. I believe Kask is the OEM manufacturer for Stihl and Husqvarna.

All that said I just replaced my 5 point harness with Schroth. I believe this is a better use of my personal protective $$.
 
Skywagon8a,

I am the one packaging and reselling the helmets packages at skycowboysupplyco.com. I did a lot of searching on how to source a cost effective flight visor that would mate with the helmets. First tried adding pigment to one that is manufactured by Team Wendy. But was unsuccessful. Ultimately landed at the Kask visors and had to develop another adaptor.

Upgrading seatbelts is definitely a no brainer. But they don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

I just had someone get a helmet after smashing their head in wind shear @500 ft. They said they were lucky to reorient themselves.


Sent from my iPhone using SuperCub.Org
 
To get the best noise reduction that I could, I bought a fixed wing helmet from Government Sales https://www.aviationhelmets.com
and had the ear bud jack and the ANR installed for the earphones as well. Double sound reduction. I can hear the other planes in the pattern on climb out in my SuperCub.Org with the window up and the door down.

I have the paraglider helmet (that I posted above) with ANR for the rear passenger and I use this new helmet for myself. Total cost is around 1300 bucks, but the safety of being able to hear other pilots well is worth it to me.

by the way, I bought the 4 point harness set from Cubcrafters but I can’t figure out how to install it without tearing up the skin of the plane and the liner. The installation instructions are of no help at all. If anybody has installed this I would like to hear how it was done!
 
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As a user of a number of different aviation helmets I can’t say enough good about the lift aviation helmet..
very lightweight, comfortable and the fidlock system is awesome.



Lift Helmets --START-- at $3250 with a Bose A20 !!!!!???????? You can add a strap on lense for $80 !!!
 
Comparable to most other production helmets for aviation...save $400 and buy just the shell and send it to tiger performance....they installed the Bose A20 for under $1400 in mine.
 
Not juts helmets, but now Aviation Shoes..... What the heck....??

I just use a pair of hiking boots!!
After 14000 hours I think I could use some of those magic shoes.
 
I bought the Sky Cowboys helmet to try back in July.

Installation is easy like others have posted, done in under 30 minutes. I initially broke the plastic leg of the Peltor support. Customer service was great, but I had a trip planned so I just got a new Peltor attachment.

The Sky Cowboy’s helmet is nice and light. I like that it’s not too heavy and it’s comfortable to wear on a couple hour flight. The helmet is a SAR helmet. I found it wasn’t too hot on a summer day but I’m in Alaska so summer is cooler.

Compared to the David Clark helmet, this is more comfortable. I like the flexibility to add whatever headset. I used an old spare Bose X headset and it works really well. I think this is better made helmet. The David Clark helmet I have cracked one winter sitting in the hangar.

My biggest complaint is the ear cups. The only adjustment to fit your head/ear combination is adding different liner thicknesses. I found it hard to get the liner thickness perfect so the Bose muffs fit my ears right. Ideally there should be an adjustment with the Peltor piece to bring the ear cup up or down.

Overall I think this helmet is great for price and convenience. I don’t like it as well as my HGU55 but that’s probably due to the fit. The HGU55s ear cups are held in by velcro and you can easily adjust them. For the cost, fit and ability to install whatever headset, this helmet is a win. For low budget, this is a great option. IMG_0226.JPGIMG_0224.JPG
 

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I bought the Sky Cowboys helmet to try back in July.

Installation is easy like others have posted, done in under 30 minutes. I initially broke the plastic leg of the Peltor support. Customer service was great, but I had a trip planned so I just got a new Peltor attachment.

The Sky Cowboy’s helmet is nice and light. I like that it’s not too heavy and it’s comfortable to wear on a couple hour flight. The helmet is a SAR helmet. I found it wasn’t too hot on a summer day but I’m in Alaska so summer is cooler.

Compared to the David Clark helmet, this is more comfortable. I like the flexibility to add whatever headset. I used an old spare Bose X headset and it works really well. I think this is better made helmet. The David Clark helmet I have cracked one winter sitting in the hangar.

My biggest complaint is the ear cups. The only adjustment to fit your head/ear combination is adding different liner thicknesses. I found it hard to get the liner thickness perfect so the Bose muffs fit my ears right. Ideally there should be an adjustment with the Peltor piece to bring the ear cup up or down.

Overall I think this helmet is great for price and convenience. I don’t like it as well as my HGU55 but that’s probably due to the fit. The HGU55s ear cups are held in by velcro and you can easily adjust them. For the cost, fit and ability to install whatever headset, this helmet is a win. For low budget, this is a great option.View attachment 44840View attachment 44841

This is my personal opinion,but this kind of “bump” helmet might be good at preventing a scalp laceration, but it cannot be very good at preventing a serious concussion or brain injury. Your HGU55 offers you real protection. For a low budget approach with good shock cushioning and audio, you can’t beat the sturdy Chinese ANR paraglider helmet that I listed earlier in the thread.


Sent from my iPad using SuperCub.Org mobile app
 
The helmet is pricier in terms of features it has, Better find another better option which has headset too
 
I like the fit and weight of the Sky Cowboys helmet, but the plastic "locks" on the helmet, that hold the individual headsets in place, are not going to last. As soon as the weather gets cold they will break. Definetly not up for real bush operations.

The helmet also needs a visor. Not a little drip edge, but a longer functional length. I keep 2 different colors of sunglasses hanging on the X bar above my head, but sometimes the visor on a ball cap gives the best clarity in shadowy conditions. Especially, when you are in rain, with intermittent sunshine.

Good clarity, coming in for a landing, can be worth a hundred feet of runway.

Jonny
 
Hey Guys! Appreciate the feedback! FlyLow, the peltor "Legs" should slide up and down, and also rotate front to back so that you can get it in the right position. There is a bit of friction there, but it's made to move and stay. They also pop in and out for donning the helmet.

Jonnyo, So far no breaks... I live and fly in Maine and haven't has any issues yet. And my cub heating leaves something to be desired. I have thought the same thing about the visor/brim. Shouldn't be too hard to design. Will see what I can do!
 
ANR cancels the full spectrum. We just notice the difference in low more.

As to impact protection, I suspect that the new air bag belts might be a better investment in a Cub.

Best of all, don’t hit anything you don’t intend to. As Bill Brine pointed out, a poorly designed helmet or one designed for a different impact scenario might actually be worse not better than a headset.

In my experience, helmets CAN BE more comfortable on very long flights than headsets IF they’re REALLY well fitted. But most folks aren’t sitting in a Cub for seven hours in a day, most days. I have, wearing a good aviation helmet.

i never crashed wearing a helmet, so can’t attest to use in a crash, but the one incident I was in, I was very glad I was not wearing a helmet, there was a lot of forces going on, with body parts being flailed. Great shoulder belts saved the day there. A helmet would have added mass to my head, and my wife says that’s dense enough without the helmet. But that wasn’t a Cub.

Which is one of the issues—there are literally thousands of variables in these kinds of events. Trying to predict those is tough.

If you have the discipline to actually WEAR a good helmet in hot summer weather, a GOOD helmet MAY help protect your noodle in an ugly event. I’ve worn em because I was required to, but I’ve seen a lot of them riding around in baggage compartments too.

MTV

Always wear a helmet people. This guy is speaking the truth here.
 
I recently purchased Skycowboy's Helmet. I have to say, it's pretty much exactly what I think I need. I have read all of the posts here regarding helmets and I agree with almost all of the comments regarding all of the aspects of certification, use case, trauma statistics, etc.... We all make good points and I think, FOR ME, this helmet will provide adaquate protection for what I may find myself dealing with based on my type of flying.

I have flown it about four times now with about an hour or so each time. So far it fits well and I have no comfort issues. I'm still fine tuning how I like it. (Pad thickness, BOA tightness, Chin strap, etc...) It feels very light on my head and the lens has good coverage. The added height in the cockpit will not be a problem for me @ 5'-11".

My experience with SkyCowboy was fantastic. Communication was perfect. The helmet shipped in a reasonable timeframe and was well packaged. It came with instructions specific to my headset. I basically sat down with a small screwdriver and a small pair of pliers and I was done in less than 20 minutes. It's my belief that helmets will become more commonplace for recreational flyers and higher risk, off-airport commercial operators in the future. I remember having seatbelts and not using them, riding in the back of pick-up trucks, and riding bicycles without a helmet. Now most people would not consider doing that. This is a natural progression toward a safey.
 
Today I finally drove across town to try on a Team Wendy helmet. I didn't fit my head well at all. No criticism of the helmet, I wanted to buy one. it just wasn't a good fit. A friend told me to try another local store, Eagle Enterprises, for a similar but different helmet. I stopped in and walked out with a Kask Super Plasma helmet. Similar in concept to the Team Wendy, uses the same adapters, has an add-on retractable visor option, and fit like it was made for me. Another option to consider.


https://www.kask-safety.com/en-us/safety-helmets/superplasma-ansi-csa.htm
 
$149 for the helmet, $79 for a mirror lens visor. The adapters are on back order. I think this solves my head bump on the Cessna front spar fear. It's light, well ventilated, and I already have Zulus that I like. It should be a good fit. In Anchorage you can try Team Wendy and Kask on to see how they feel. It proved worthwhile for me. And I got a new Qwik Clot field trauma kit while I was there. Barney's and Eagle are two of my favorite shops!
 
I posted this some time ago, but I got very little response. I now have two of these ANR helmets and I can’t say enough about them. The earphones themselves are part of the protection, it supplies true ANR, it comes with a sturdy microphone, it is comfortable for long flights, they are cheap (offer them $300) and the helmet is strong and tough. I took off the visor. My SuperCub is loud on takeoff and I can hear the radio clearly. Here’s the link to the eBay listing. If the link doesn’t work, go to eBay and look up “Yueny aviation ANR”

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ANR-aviati...724911?hash=item3f7e8721ef:g:E24AAOSwPh5ZN2w2
 
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A little follow-up. I've installed a set of Zulu 2s into my Kask Super Plasma helmet. I learned a few things that I'll pass on and NONE of this is any knock on Team Wendy's helmet or Sky Cowboy Supply. The Team Wendy helmet didn't fit well so I found an alternative and as it turns out there are other alternatives as well. Using the Sky Cowboy plastic adapters you can fit Zulu 2/3, Bose A20, and DC headsets into any safety helmet that can accommodate Peltor hearing muffs. Team Wendy's Peltor hangers are different than Kask's so buy the Peltor muffs for the helmet you like and use the Sky Cowboy adapters ($75) to install your headsets. Word of warning? Once you disassemble the headset there's no turning back. I couldn't put my Zulus back together on a bet, but I don't intend to. In fact I'm going to buy a second Kask for the right seat. Thanks for the well thought-out adapters, Sky Cowboy!
 

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So I guess I’ll offer a Pirep. I tried my new helmet in my 180, which has no headliner. I can’t sit up without the helmet hitting the roof. I’d need to lower my seat significantly in order to use this helmet, and that reduces forward vis. Overhead clearance will be worse for guys with headliners. I guess it’s relegated to being a back seater helmet in the Cub. Now I need to replace the headset for the Cessna, so I figure this was a $1K experiment that didn’t work out as planned.

The moral of the story is to try your helmet on in your airplane to make sure it works before you disassemble your expensive headset!
 
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I use a David Clark helmet it will fit a Bose headset with a little work. I also use a military helicopter helmet with the earpieces cut out. Loved the drop down tinted visor but it was heavy and gave me some neck issues.
DENNY
 
Some may remember I disassembled a pair of Zulu 2s and did the Sky Cowboys thing in a Kask helmet. It’s a great setup but too tall to use in my Cessna. I had a new idea for my low head clearance 180 to keep my head protected somewhat from hitting the front through spar. I bought a cheap baseball base coach’s helmet, essentially a batter’s helmet without the ear flap, cut it for my new Zulu 3s, popped out the headband cushion (no damage, easy to snap back in), and used some velcro to hold the headsets to the helmet. Presto, cheap, easy bump helmet for the Cessna. Very comfortable and very light.
 

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I think this is a good solution. A hard plastic shell with some padding is bound to add several factors of protection compared to the human skull. One thing I think needs to be added to it is a chin strap to keep it in place on impact. I know of several snowmobile accidents where someone did not have the chin strap fastened and their helmet flew off during the impact.
 
I have no illusions of the baseball helmet being a crash helmet. In my case it’s a (barely) better than nothing solution for my Cessna. I’ll continue to wear a real crash helmet in the Cub, because I have enough room to do so.
 
I have no illusions of the baseball helmet being a crash helmet. In my case it’s a (barely) better than nothing solution for my Cessna. I’ll continue to wear a real crash helmet in the Cub, because I have enough room to do so.

If it can take a 90 mph fast ball to the side of the head, that has to count for something! :smile:
 
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I flew with a skycowboy set-up yesterday and liked it. Didn't really even notice it was on.

For those with the skycowboy set-up- is the visor worth getting or should I pass?

I'm wondering if I should butcher my $1,200 Bose A20 or try it out on my DC 13.1's (which are really for passengers.) Any regrets on losing your A20 to the helmet?
 
For A-20 owners you may like the Sport Aircraft Seat’s helmet. Daniel made some adapters for A-20s that allow you to convert for his helmet and back to standard easily. His helmet isn’t shown on his website but he’s made a bunch of them.
https://sportaircraftseats.com/
 
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