Safe Clothing

What was that!!!  This is often the reaction of many of us to the loud and noisy figure passing us by dressed in old leathers with a battered helmet stuck on his head - the Biker!

Maybe we need to step back and ask why the Biker dresses this way. Experienced motorcyclists know the dangers, particularly the injuries they might sustain, if they fall from their motorbike, even at a low speed.  Good riders dress for the occasion - not because they plan to fall off every time they set out - they are merely taking sensible precautions.  On the roads today, they are smart, road wise and aim for survival, hence the helmet and leathers.

Exactly the same dress sense is important - though often ignored - in other activities such as:

·         covering up on the beach against too much sun exposure to avoid skin cancer

·         cricketers wearing all sorts of things to protect against a fast bowler

·         In motor racing, a complete set of specialist protective gear is mandatory

·         A fireman wears clothing suitable for the job

What about flying?  Why do the Military Defense Forces purchase expensive Nomex flying suits - coveralls - and equally efficient gloves, boots, socks and helmets for their aircrew?  It's significant that most of this clothing is fire resistant.

Many people have survived the crash landing of an airliner but died from toxic smoke inhalation or, overcome by the heat, have perished in the ensuing flames.  Dress sense, rapid evacuation and fire suppressant provision provides the best protection against heat, fire and smoke.  A smoke hood may be of use but may, on the other hand, cost the potential survivor valuable seconds of escape time trying to put it on properly and then removing the smoke that is already inside the hood.

In aviation, particularly for aircrew, dress sense means: 

·         covering as much skin as possible

·         wearing well-fitting clothes, not too tight, but certainly not loose and flowing

·         the more layers you wear, the more protection from potential heat and flames

·         choose light colours and a tight knit, rather than dark colours and a fuzzy material

·         the best protection in everyday clothing is closely-woven, light-coloured wool or wool cotton mix fabrics.

Although synthetics generally are not good (they melt into your skin), some, such as Nomex, are expressly designed to offer fire protection.  They are expensive and not found in everyday clothing, but may well be one of your best investments if you are a regular flyer.

To check the characteristics of a material, take a few strands and burn them.  If they melt - don't wear the garment they came from.  Try to find something that merely chars when put to the flame.

Shoes are very important items of your clothing. 

They must be:

 ·         well-fitting

·         made of leather

·         shoes with open toes, high heels, sandals, thongs ought not to be worn in the aircraft

·         because of the problems during the emergency evacuation of a badly broken-up aircraft, flat shoes are obviously to be  preferred - higher heels can so easily get jammed in wreckage; they certainly will make their wearer less sure- footed at a time when agility could equate to safety.

Dress sense is applicable equally to a Cessna 150 and a Boeing 747.  Indeed, it is important in all forms of transport.  Just like the motorcyclist, none of us expects to become involved in an accident, otherwise we'd stay indoors.  But once committed to a journey, the statistics act against us. 

Therefore, to be prepared might mean the difference between a long life and a tragically short one, or even worse, years where each day is filled with agony of third degree burn scars:  the Guinea-Pig Club of WWII could tell us - but they had the odds really stacked against them.

Summary: DRESS SENSIBLY

          -  Close-Knit Wool or cotton/wool blend shirts and pants - Covering as much of your skin as possible

          -  Enclosed, Low Heeled Leather Shoes or Boots

          -  Nomex Gloves

Thoughts:

a) - I once worked for a guy in the Northern Territory who owned the largest helicopter mustering company in Australia. In the aviation folk lore - he had a reputation as a great flyer and a bit of a Larrikin (which I never ever witnessed). I truly respected and still respect this man. My respect was reinforced by the clothes he wore when flying an old Bell 47G 3B1 for long periods in very hot and arduous conditions. He always wore the following visible items: 

·         Leather boots

·         Thick denim cotton jeans

·         A Nomex type T shirt with a rolled collar – similar to that used by a racing car driver

·         A long-sleeved wool/cotton blend shirt with the collar up

·         Military Nomex gloves

·         A good quality flight helmet

·         Metal framed with glass lenses sun glasses. 

 b) - I was at a metro airport to meet a friend coming in.  There were many small feeder liner and light twins arriving and departing while I waited. Guess what I noticed most of gung ho young pilots were wearing! 

·         Short sleeve blue or white shirts – made of synthetic nylon fabrics

·         Smart long dark pants which had a nice sheen to them due the nylon type of stretch fabric

·         Modern plastic high style wrap around sunglasses

I certainly wish them luck if they are involved in a fire – they are going to need it as well as an expensive plastic surgeon!!!

TC

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Safe flying