OT: Air Force to wear Sweet New F-35A Helmets?
So the Air Force Falcons may be rolling with their stylin' new headgear on Saturday. Here are a couple of quick primers so you'll know the back stories:
So what's the big deal about an F-35A helmet, you ask? Well, at $400k a pop, quite a lot it appears:
September 12th, 2017 at 2:16 PM ^
but does it prevent concussions? At $400k each, you would think you could accomplish that.
September 12th, 2017 at 2:41 PM ^
We're talking the F-35 pilot helmets, not the football ones and no they don't prevent concussions. Think of it as essentially a football helmet with softer padding, and oxygen mask instead of a facemask and a bunch of technological doo-hickeys.
As a former C-130 pilot I have to say I find the integrated night vision option intriguing.
September 12th, 2017 at 2:53 PM ^
As a former Cessna 172 pilot, I find the idea of a helmet interesting.
September 12th, 2017 at 5:24 PM ^
They're basically the easiest way to access all the crap you need when flying an unpressurized plane above 12,000 ft. It's also easier to hang NVG's off of them.
Plus if getting your head bounced off of the seat while doing something to create a G-force, they're handy(happened flying as a Pilot Training Instructor, not in a 130).
September 12th, 2017 at 3:45 PM ^
As a former n64 Rogue Squadron pilot, I find all of this laughably archaic.
September 12th, 2017 at 6:37 PM ^
Philistines... give me the original PC X-wing game for some real fun. Behold the glory of pixellated 3D graphics (and I've never seen another game where you can take down a complete Star Destroyer with nothing but a single A-wing fighter). Good times.
September 12th, 2017 at 3:27 PM ^
As a former pilot of many cockpits...I find the above post's sarcasm hilarious.
Just Joshin ya. It is interesting stuff.
September 12th, 2017 at 3:45 PM ^
Got the sarcasm, but figured I'd talk to some of the technical bits, what else am I going to do on a Tuesday? Work?
September 12th, 2017 at 6:20 PM ^
That's what she said.
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September 12th, 2017 at 5:14 PM ^
I'm a former Herc guy too!!! E models mostly... Pope and Yokota. Retired in '10.
September 12th, 2017 at 5:20 PM ^
MC-130H's out of Kadena
Tweet FAIP at Vance to start.
Separated in '08 and started with Ross in '09.
Loved visiting Yokota for Typhoon evacs.
Nice to know there's another driver of the four fans of freedom around here.
September 12th, 2017 at 5:45 PM ^
Most fun you'll ever have with your clothes on...
I bet we know some of the same people...
My email, [email protected]
September 12th, 2017 at 7:04 PM ^
Ha! We had FAR different C-130 experiences. Slick guys were cool, but AFSOC sucked Donkey ass and the Talon II's were/are uniformly hangar queens, I had much more fun as a FAIP.
E-mail inbound.
September 12th, 2017 at 10:08 PM ^
Side note, I got my dirt qual on that little island north of Okinawa back in 2003, on nvg's.
Good times...
September 12th, 2017 at 9:08 PM ^
thats the closest I have come to being a pilot.
September 12th, 2017 at 4:39 PM ^
Speaking of which...anyone watch the Vikings/Saints last night and see that hit on Stefon Diggs?
Why in the HELL do we throw college players out of the game for targeting, but in the NFL it's just a flag?
I feel like it should be the other way around. (Actually I think unless you are deemed 100% intending to hurt someone it should be a personal foul and 2 personal fouls and you're done). And yes, I think there's a different between being reckless (Devin Bush) and going Vontaze Burfict on someone trying to end their life.
September 12th, 2017 at 6:41 PM ^
This was my biggest complaint about the rule when it was first proposed. Considering that (from what I've seen) most, if not all, of the head contact in targeting calls was unintentional, an ejection seems far overblown. Ejections should be reserved only for truly egregious behavior on the field or sidelines.
September 12th, 2017 at 2:20 PM ^
Helmet comes with a visor instead of a pair of aviators? Do not want.
September 12th, 2017 at 3:15 PM ^
Visors look FAR cooler.
September 12th, 2017 at 5:16 PM ^
Looking cool is only half as important as sounding cool on the radios.
September 12th, 2017 at 5:21 PM ^
Nice deep voice, sound unflappable and you're there.
September 12th, 2017 at 2:20 PM ^
Is there a really cool flyover on Saturday?
September 12th, 2017 at 2:21 PM ^
Yes, and a parachute entrance into the stadium
September 12th, 2017 at 3:09 PM ^
meh... T-38, could be better
September 12th, 2017 at 2:23 PM ^
I love flyovers...and the wings on Michigan's helmets.
September 12th, 2017 at 2:28 PM ^
they have fun trying to come into the NO FLY ZONE!!!
Wait? That isn't us? That was actually a stupid name given to some other team's secondary like five years ago?
Never mind then.
September 12th, 2017 at 2:29 PM ^
$400,000 per helmet, approximately 3 helmets per F-35A, approximately 3,100 F-35As. That's $3.72 billion. For helmets.
September 12th, 2017 at 2:38 PM ^
Don't think we have anywhere near that many F-35As right now. About 120 in service.
Still a lot of money though, for something we hope never gets used as intended.
September 12th, 2017 at 2:41 PM ^
The United States plans to buy 2,663 aircraft. Its variants are to provide the bulk of the crewed tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy and the Marine Corps over the coming decades. Deliveries of the F-35 for the U.S. military are scheduled until 2037.
From wikipedia, large number but spread out over 30 years.
September 12th, 2017 at 6:19 PM ^
Fleecing of America for this junk.
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September 12th, 2017 at 3:10 PM ^
hey a billion here and a billion there, eventually you're talking real money...
September 12th, 2017 at 3:28 PM ^
Killin people is expensive yo. Those Toyota Hiluxes aren't gonna blow themselves up (well... usually...)
September 12th, 2017 at 11:02 PM ^
If you're telling me it would have saved goose's life, then that's a bargain.
September 13th, 2017 at 12:52 AM ^
$400,000.00 for helmets to be worn by pilots making what. $100k? That damn Delaney must be behind this!!
September 12th, 2017 at 2:29 PM ^
so if it rains they'll have to forfeit.
September 12th, 2017 at 4:18 PM ^
Or if it's too hot
or too dusty
or the pro sup is being a dick
September 12th, 2017 at 5:19 PM ^
Pro sup.... Truth
September 12th, 2017 at 9:01 PM ^
Or the pilot would just rather get a round of golf in...
September 12th, 2017 at 2:32 PM ^
Oh, we're on to you.
Stop making us feel bad about wanting to beat you Air Force!
Why can't you just be Ole Miss or Baylor or some hate-worthy OOC opponent like that?
September 12th, 2017 at 2:46 PM ^
and I hate the Dallas Cowboys. Let kick some Air Force ass.
September 12th, 2017 at 2:36 PM ^
Michigan gets some of these cool, night vision helmets. Then we play all our home games at night.
And we never turn on the lights in the Big House!
Homefield advantage.
September 12th, 2017 at 2:45 PM ^
Danger Zone!
September 12th, 2017 at 2:53 PM ^
It's no "I'm All Right," but still pretty good. (And both are better than "Footloose.")
September 12th, 2017 at 3:29 PM ^
Song for a Navy movie.
September 12th, 2017 at 2:42 PM ^
Let's Play some Solid Football
Go Blue
September 12th, 2017 at 3:00 PM ^
If they wore the new F-117 Nighthawk helmets, then we couldn't see their heads, and there would be a shit-ton of unintentional targeting, and all our players would get ejected in the first half, and they'd win by DQ.