Why would an RAF flight helmet be red?

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

Sorry, no pictures or even a worthwhile description, but somebody has just mentioned that they have a hard shell helmet, RAF they think, but painted red.

First thought was early Red Arrows, but I can't recall them ever wearing anything other than white.

Any thoughts?

Moggy
Moderator on his hols.

Original post

Member for

15 years 8 months

Posts: 286

Early Red Arrows helmet was white overall with a red arrow on the top with the pilot's number. Red Pelicans possibly?

Member for

15 years

Posts: 281

Even if it is an RAF 'dome it may not have been painted whilst in service.

In the recesses of what I have got left of a memory, I think I recall handing Spencer Flack a red helmet when he was crewing in to G-HUNT. But as it was at a Valley air show in about 80/81 I could be talking complete dirigibles.

Member for

13 years 2 months

Posts: 865

could it have been to another use when life expired etc for flying. may have been used by an aviation enthusiast type motorcyclist or even some type of motorsport?. i was a painter in the RAF (in case ive not mentioned it loads a times already) and we used to paint life expired helmets for private use now n then.

Member for

16 years 8 months

Posts: 197

It was painted red for wet drill use only

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 2,841

Painted helmets

I can't shed any light on why a particular helmet may be painted red though being a member of an aerobatic team does seem the most plausible.

I recall seeing pictures of the HGU-33 helmets worn by 74(F) Sqn. members not long after they got the F-4J(UK) Phantoms in the early eighties. These helmets were painted all over to represent a tiger's head and were a beautiful job.

I'll presume it was one particular chap but does anybody know who did the painting?

Whilst on this point, I also recall that bikers used to paint their helmets until someone pointed out that the paint and the solvents it contained could compromise the strength on the helmet and its impact resistance so it shouldn't be done. Wouldn't this apply to flight helmets too?

Anon.

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 1,891

Jet Heritage pilots wore red mk3 helmets


Whilst on this point, I also recall that bikers used to paint their helmets until someone pointed out that the paint and the solvents it contained could compromise the strength on the helmet and its impact resistance so it shouldn't be done. Wouldn't this apply to flight helmets too?

Depends on the type of paint, and the what the shell of the helmet is made from as the two may react. There are still lots of companies that will respray a bike helmet to a specific design, so it is possible as long as you know what you're doing.

Simon

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 1,493

There is one such company that specialises in painting helmets based in the former 92fis headquarters building at Shepherds Grove, a regular customer is Lewis Hamilton and Maurice Hammond also had his helmet painted there.

Member for

19 years

Posts: 1,177

RAF Mk3 helmets were used on my Squadron for ground running of the aircraft by engineers and were life-ex and for ground use only. Usually hand painted and with no mask, just a throat mike.

Member for

18 years 9 months

Posts: 2,766

It was painted red for wet drill use only

I used to wear red and yellow helmets when being kicked out of Whirlwinds and Sea Kings in the late 70s/early 80s into the North Sea. I think they standardised to yellow for better vis in the sea, however, I remember being issued a red helmet for use above the snow line in the Cheviots.
I've attached 2 pics (1980) of me in the doorway of a Sea King looking rather cold, wet and beat-up (the red one was identical in build quality)

As a member of HM Coastguard a few years later, I was (as a cliffman) issued with the same [manufactured] helmet for rescue work, both yellow and red. These were replaced with a different type around 94ish. The picture (1993) shows me and the poor sod I was rescuing at Watergate Bay, Newquay. Note, next victim on ledge, above!

Baz

Member for

13 years 2 months

Posts: 865

Depends on the type of paint, and the what the shell of the helmet is made from as the two may react. There are still lots of companies that will respray a bike helmet to a specific design, so it is possible as long as you know what you're doing.

Simon

its the cheaper and also plastic helmets your not meant to paint. im part way painting a modern composite bike helmet for a lady customer, its "TIGER" the Tiger

Member for

19 years 7 months

Posts: 1,566

It was used by the OH&S aerobatics team - known as the Safety Matches. :D

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 2,841

Wrong!

The Safety Matches used brown helmets - it was the Swan Vestas who used red!;):D

Anon.

Member for

13 years

Posts: 520

At the risk of a smart answer, I have a red helmet with tape letter "C"s, one on each side. The helmet is a MK1A and came with a green G type inner and a lateish H type mask. Red is sprayed and it's not a bodge job. It's definitely never been near large quantities of water and I believe the set was straight from MoD disposals.

Any ideas what this was used for? I did wonder if it was for some sort of competition or team building type event but it's in too good a condition for that

Member for

18 years 2 months

Posts: 809

On Hawks and Tornados in the 80's we used to have standard aircrew bone-domes painted red for ground running. They were usually sprayed by the painters, not just brush painted.

Member for

13 years

Posts: 520

Just browsing through You Tube, was it definitely RAF? Captain Scarlet has a red helmet

Member for

14 years 2 months

Posts: 316

It was painted red for wet drill use only

I have heard that too from a RAF Squipper.

(Bunsen, as for Captain Scarlet, he was only issued with a red helmet when he crewed an Angel Interceptor to rescue Rhapsody Angel!);)

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 158

It was the old polycarbonate helmets that could not be painted (Centurion was a popular make at the time). Fibre glass or modern materials are fine.