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Author Topic: For safety equipment geeks.....  (Read 4052 times)

Offline Obviousman

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For safety equipment geeks.....
« on: February 21, 2022, 09:43:18 PM »
I found this in a pawn shop when I was at a medical appointment; I know it had been there for a few years and I decided to get it. Missing heaps but after the initial restoration and new parts, doesn't look half bad.

(New visors, new locking knobs, new ramshorn, new boom mic and associated cabling, etc)

The history.... Obviously the helmet was used on HS2 ("The World Famous Golden Falcons"), and for the SPH-3 that would mean SH-3 Sea Kings. That narrowed a little but still not a lot.

I did some research and found that LCDR Kish was promoted to CDR (Commander) and went on to command HS4. HS4 (now HSC-4) couldn't help that much but I found a Facebook group for HS2 and got some further details: He was LCDR "Paul" Kish, a pilot on the squadron, callsign 'Snake', a good stick and apparently well-liked. Oh - and he had a killer moustache.

I next went to the Naval Helicopter Association, and check with their Retired Affairs Director, hoping that CDR Kish was or had been a member. Turns out that the Director was an old friend of CDR Kish, and has reached out to him, not only to hear of his old helmet but also to be a life member of the Association.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the result!
« Last Edit: February 21, 2022, 09:45:01 PM by Obviousman »
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Offline LunarOrbit

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Re: For safety equipment geeks.....
« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2022, 08:58:14 PM »
A flight helmet has been something I've always wanted to own too. Some day.
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Offline Obviousman

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Re: For safety equipment geeks.....
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2022, 11:04:53 PM »
Do it. Just do it. But there is a myriad of choices:

I happened to find this helmet in a store and like you, had always wanted to own one (I don't know how the thousands of USN aircrew were allowed to keep theirs!). But it was an SPH-3, the predecessor of the dual-visor SPH-4 I used to wear when I was on Sea Kings with the RAN. That made it a little sentimental. I have money that won't be use to me dead, so I bought it (AUD$290).

That's made me think about looking for a HGU-26/P helmet that I wore during training. Keeping with my own history, I'm now going searching for a HGU-26/P with a P.1A oxygen mask.

But otherwise there are heaps of choices. The "Top Gun"  helmets are everywhere, most knock-ffs with a section of genuine articles. These are the APH-6 for the Navy stuff, or a HGU-2A/P for USAF crews or  HGU-22/P with MBU-5/P oxygen mask for the fighter geeks, etc.

Look, research, decide, buy, enjoy.
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