USMC Flight Helmet

[TLeo]

Hope everyone had a good Christmas!

Not doing much collecting at all lately and not around the forum too much, but did recently pick up this Marine squadron helmet as a sort of present to myself and thought I would share it here. It is a HGU 68/p from VMFA-312 Checkerboards. My information is that it was used by the aviator through flight training, (hence the taped over boom mic hole) and used in the squadron until replaced with a newer one. The pilots name is under the liner so there might be some research potential. Nice and complete example with all the avionics etc. present as well as Velcro around the edges for attaching a camo cover.

 

[mohawkALSE]

Cool 68P. When you take the visor off, is there metal brackets on the LH and RH side for the NVG banana mount? I think its funny that the 68P helmet was designed to have a high speed external visor assembly (I think referred to as the 600Kts Visor?) and they seem to always remove them now. You can surely see evidence of that on this helmet where the tracks were. Part of that reason may be to put the banana mount brackets on the helmet for the NVGs, not entirely sure though as Im not too familiar with USN/USMC life support equipment. You should try to find a Marine flight helmet cover for it, would look cool even thought it would be something that didn't come as a complete set.

 

One of my friends in the Air Force was bummed he had to turn in his original flight helmet from UPT (flight school) when the ALSE techs found a discrepancy with it. They said in order for him to get his new helmet and in order for the squadron/wing life support to get more replacement helmets they needed the turned in helmets. He was hoping to keep it as a desk piece since it was no longer serviceable. Its funny because when another friend of mine reported in to a new assignment he got issued a totally new helmet and mask, they didn't even want anything to do with his original helmet/mask. This is also they same way I keep inheriting nomex and leather AF flight jackets from them.

[TLeo]

This one has not had the two nvg brackets mounted yet but that is one reason for taking the visor tracks and stock visor off of Navy and Marine helmets. I had a squadron commander tell me once that they often replaced the new guys helmets that they brought with them from training so he likely got a new helmet with the brackets on it. That was a while back so I assume they still do.