Helmets - article in LA Times - food for thought

[pink_albatross]

There is an article in the LA times about helmets used in winter sports:
http://www.latimes.com/health/boostersh ... 4259.story

some highlights:

- Hockey helmets are best at low speeds(2 to 6 meters per second), bicycle helmets are best at high speeds(8 m/s). Alpine helmets scored the worst of the three at all speeds (urgh, I fly with a snowboard helmet, which scored better than HG/PG helmets). Above 4 m/s all helmets showed damage (i.e. replace helmet after impact)

- "Helmets are designed and tested to mitigate the risk of an injury; they are not designed to eliminate head injuries," said co-author Blaine Hoshizaki, director of the Neurotrauma Impact Laboratory at the University of Ottawa in a news release.

[dbodner]

and for the metrically challenged among us, roughly double the m/s to get to mph.

[Ashley Groves]

You will also have to consider neck fatigue as we are in a prone position. Helmet weight will play a big part in a long flight. Fatigued pilots will be more prone to error. This is not such a problem if the individual is vertical and the skeleton suports the weight.