Flight helmet

Lore & Background

In the first days of aviation, leather helmets used in motor-racing were adopted by pilots as head protection. During World War I, British Engineers led by Charles Edmon Prince added earphones (now called headphones) and a throat microphone to make a "hands-free" communications system for flight helmets – then called "aircraft telephones". The Group's first product was a hand held "aircraft telephone" and, over a 3-year process of experimenting with various voice microphones, found the hands-free throat microphone built inside a flight helmet much more user-friendly in open-cockpit airplanes due to excessive wind noise and vibrations.

The initial design of early leather flying helmets was adapted during the 1930s to become the iconic type B helmet which enabled the external attachment of radio earphones, oxygen masks, and removable goggles to protect pilot's eyes from the elements. A detailed description of a typical Type B helmet can be found on the website of the Imperial War Museum (London, England). It is made from six vertical panels which meet at a central ridge panel running from front to back. There is a rectangular horizontal panel which goes across the forehead and it includes padded leather oval housings at the ears. The chinstrap, also made of leather, is stitched to the right side and buckled to a small strap on the left. The brown leather of the helmet is lined with buff-colored chamois and has a rectangular length of brown-colored material sewn to the inside of the forehead.

By World War II, improved oxygen masks became common as planes flew higher where thinner air required a breathable air supply to the pilots and crew. After World War II until the Korean War, the leather headpiece was gradually replaced with a hard helmet to provide head protection during bailing out (and later with high velocity ejection). Also, goggles were replaced by a built-in visor which was tinted to protect against sun. Current headgear (appearing after the Vietnam War) usually includes communications equipment (headset and microphones) to let pilots communicate with ground operations and their crew.

Reader's Guide

The flight helmet's significance lies in its evolution from a simple leather head covering to a complex piece of equipment integrating protection, communication, and display systems. Initially adopted from motor-racing, the helmet was transformed during World War I by British Engineers led by Charles Edmon Prince, who added earphones and a throat microphone to create a hands-free communications system, addressing the problem of excessive wind noise and vibrations in open-cockpit airplanes. The 1930s saw the development of the Type B helmet, which allowed external attachment of radio earphones, oxygen masks, and removable goggles. By World War II, improved oxygen masks became necessary for high-altitude flight. After World War II and through the Korean War, the leather helmet was replaced by a hard helmet for protection during bailing out and high-velocity ejection, and goggles were replaced by a built-in tinted visor. Current headgear, appearing after the Vietnam War, typically includes communications equipment for pilot-to-ground and crew communication. The design also considers comfort factors such as weight, center of gravity, and cooling, as well as compatibility with oxygen masks for high-altitude and NBC protection. The helmet's legacy is its continuous adaptation to meet the demands of military aviation, from basic head protection to a sophisticated interface between pilot and aircraft.

Did You Know?

• The flight helmet is sometimes called a "skull dome", "bone dome", or "foam dome".
• The Type B helmet, developed in the 1930s, is made from six vertical panels meeting at a central ridge panel.
• After the Vietnam War, current headgear usually includes communications equipment for pilot-to-ground and crew communication.