The only reason I like my two piece is because of the combat top. Other than that it's kind of "meh", but then again I have an LRIP one that doesn't quite match the current config. I've heard that two piece green flightsuits are on the way to allow two piece use past 1OCT11.
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remember when helmets looked cool?
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They definitely are cutting them smaller too. I can cinch the velcro on the ones I was issued in API all the way tight, but the ones I got a couple months ago are definitely smaller in the waist and chest. Cue fat jokes.
Guess they'll have to start making vanity sizes in flight suits now.
Yeah, Mid, it's the flight suits getting smaller....uh huh...
Yeah, Mid, it's the flight suits getting smaller....uh huh...
In regards to the "how much has to be light colored tape" question I offer the following example. The helmet you see below was issued to me in the Spring of 1984. I was "syllabus complete" in the RAG and doing the usual waiting for orders to the fleet squadron. When my helmet came in, I was given the option of waiting on the paraloft to tape it up or I could do it myself. All of the white (or what used to be white 17 years ago) tape was applied by yours truly. I was advised by the FRAC Senior Chief to do white only, as the fleet squadron will put on their "tape scheme" when you check in. I strayed a bit and added my initials in red. Once I got to HSL-33, they put on the rest of the red you see. Along both sides of the long, red stripes were also long, blue stripes. Shortly after my arrival, an instruction was released giving new percentages of reflective tape helmet covering. I forget the exact numbers, but I want to say it was something ridiculous like 90% white and the other 10% had to be "light" colored as well. This instruction deemed the blue reflective tape "too dark", as in , "not reflective enough" and was subsequently removed. So you could have whatever designs you wanted as long it was only 10% of the helmet surface area and was made from red or yellow tape. Not many takers. The hull number you see (DDG 994) was added while on det aboard said ship.
^^^ I'm just a bit jealous anytime someone mentions cruising on a 993- the superior air conditioning (according to legend better than any of the other classes of smallboys), that's the only reason why. 
Probably a better question is if people referred to them as 993s, Kidds, or something else?
Probably a better question is if people referred to them as 993s, Kidds, or something else?
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
I was about to make fun of the Princess Leah, but then I realized the pigtail, pre-amp, and boom mic are the exact same as what's on my helmet now.
^^^ I'm just a bit jealous anytime someone mentions cruising on a 993- the superior air conditioning (according to legend better than any of the other classes of smallboys), that's the only reason why.
Probably a better question is if people referred to them as 993s, Kidds, or something else?
We referred to them as Kidd-class. And the Callaghan was damn fine boat. Our det all knew we were lucky to be on a Kidd-class ship. She was only four years old when I sailed on her. Yes, the air-conditioning worked as advertised and was put to good use in the Gulf of Oman during the Summer of 1985.
I have also heard the term Khomeni-class used for the 993s.
This actually kind of surprises me. I thought they would have changed all of the helmet/ICS hookups to a common/standardized setup by now.
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
Don't forget, I fly a platform that was first introduced to the fleet in 1964. The bird I flew tonight was delivered to the USMC in 1969. However, my pigtail didn't change from flight school to the fleet, nor did my boom mic. They only added a pre-amp when I got to the RAG...
It kind of looks like the connector is the same one used on the -57. The -60 has as different connector, kind of like a 1/4 inch phono plug, but shorter.
Fun fact: The Army's connector is slightly different than the Navy (or at least the Bravo) connector. When I had a Blackhawk pilot in the back pointing out some landmarks on a flight, he could hear but couldn't talk because his male connector just wasn't quite long enough. Many jokes ensued.
Fun fact: The Army's connector is slightly different than the Navy (or at least the Bravo) connector. When I had a Blackhawk pilot in the back pointing out some landmarks on a flight, he could hear but couldn't talk because his male connector just wasn't quite long enough. Many jokes ensued.
I agree.
Maybe Bell and Kaman got them from the same place way back when... for comparison, can anyone say if the H-3 and H-60 connectors are the same? Lumpy? Kow?
Navy issue helmets were pieces of crap back in the 70's.......your choice of 3 sizes, hard plastic shells with styrofoam inside and foam pad inserts used to adjust for fit, ear pieces that hardened in what seemed like a very short time. They tended to slide down over your face when pulling G's. Many would hand cut the visor housing to provide a little more "look-up" capability when looking back and up over your shoulder. After getting to fleet squadrons, we usually acquired form-fit helmets from a private source at our own cost or some squadrons even absorbed the cost for privately procured, quality form-fits that didn't give you hot spots on your head after an hour of wearing. After arriving at VT-22 in 1981 for my instructor tour, the Navy finally started issuing an improved helmet with fabric-lined, small bubble-wrap for padding that was actually fit to your head. Since many if not most of us instructors already had high quality form fits, we bribed the PR's into getting with the Corrosion Control guys and painting our Navy-issued helmets in an airshow quality paint job. This was our static display airshow helmet that we kept at home and only used on special occasions, so as to not get the PR's in trouble for maintaining an unapproved item. This was their product. We thought they did a great job.
Since I broached the subject of "Unapproved Flightgear", the PR's in my last couple of duty assignments had a love/hate relationship with me. They made me promise I would never leave any of the following described items in my gear when I wasn't flying. I acquired some spare parts and using some epoxy, and soldering equipment, fashioned my own boom mic setup, which was strictly verboten, but sure was handy flying in the adversary business my last 10 years as a TAR. The lower portion of the pictured apparatus plugged into the standard O2 regulator setup, between the the helmet plug and the lower portion. I placed a small toggle switch in the portion where the boom mic plugged in and could toggle back and forth between the O2 mask mic and the boom mic. I still had the boom mic from T-34B days at Saufley and modified a standard bayonet fitting to adapt it.......just take the mask off and snap it to the torso harness, insert the boom mic, and flip the switch.
