HGU-26 Air Force Flight Helmet

[MilNut]

Found this several years ago at an antique store. Always liked the camo flight helmets. 

[MilNut]

Also got his flight helmet bag and a M-65 type Field jacket. The jacket was just like a M/65 but with elastic cuffs. Never seen one before or since. No bag pics. 

[Scott C.]

Nice - the camo on the helmet really makes it "talk".  

 

The HU-26 is what I wore at flight school in the early 1980s.

 

[MilNut]

Very nice and colorful Mr. C.

[Scott C.]

Early in the flight training program, the instructors put together a "craft" day for the students of each class as a bonding project: come up with a unique design for the visor covers of class flight helmets. The design above is what our class eventually agreed to and we used a box of leftover vinyl craft tape to apply it. There were two rules for the project:  the design couldn't be obscene and the edges of the design had to be 1/4-inch away from the edges of the visor cover so edge cracks in the covers could be spotted before spreading.  Once finished, a soft strip of felt was added at the top to keep helmets from scratching the aircraft canopies.

 

After completing flight school, your first operational assignment location would 'pour' you a new helmet. For me it was a grey combat type for C-130s; not sure what the issue/stock number was, I couldn't find one.  I carried & wore this one for the rest of my 20 years in the USAF. It had provision for NVGs (which I didn't get to keep) and has a Velcro patch in the back for the battery pack (the weight of the battery pack on the back would help balance the weight of the NVGs out over the front).

 

[MilNut]

Scott C,

  Cool story. I think your flight helmet is a HGU-56 but I might be wrong. I worked with the C-130 FST at Cherry Point for about 10yrs as a Draftsman. We did everything from SATCOM to the Fat Albert Paint Scheme.

[Scott C.]

3 hours ago, MilNut said:

 I worked with the C-130 FST at Cherry Point for about 10yrs as a Draftsman. We did everything from SATCOM to the Fat Albert Paint Scheme.

Wow, that's great. The Fat Albert paint scheme is one of the finest a Hercules has ever sported IMHO!

[Mikeym_us]

8 hours ago, MilNut said:

Scott C,

  Cool story. I think your flight helmet is a HGU-56 but I might be wrong. I worked with the C-130 FST at Cherry Point for about 10yrs as a Draftsman. We did everything from SATCOM to the Fat Albert Paint Scheme.

HGU-55 as the HGU-56 is a Army helicopter helmet.

[MilNut]

Mickeym,

  Interesting facts on the HGU designations. I was almost right😜

[Mikeym_us]

22 hours ago, MilNut said:

Mickeym,

  Interesting facts on the HGU designations. I was almost right😜

Specially since I own a HGU-55. I wish I had a HGU-56 but I've been seeing those going for insane prices.