This is a question I've always had:

I know a guy who is a retired Air Force pilot. He has his old helmet (complete with oxygen mask) on display in his office. Does the Air Force typically allow you to keep your helmet or at least let you buy it or is this not done anymore?

I would imagine they still do. If you have had a helmet for an entire career I doubt and almost guarantee they won't make you turn it back in so they can reuse it. I've never seen anyone get a used helmet when they started out and that is in the Marine Corps. With the fat-a$$ budget that the Force has, it is a definite yes that anyone could keep their gear.

You can keep it (usually.) Sometimes you can even get another one, if your last one is too F'ed up.

Great to have, the chicks really dig it. ;)

BENDY

Keep em.

I have an SPH-4, 39P, 55P, and 56P (current use).

For our guys who separate/retire, the life support guys actually set out their visor so everybody in the squadron can engrave their name on it and the helmet is presented as a going away gift.

Often times, helmets do not last an entire flying career. Shortly after the individual gets fitted for their new helmet and its ready to fly, I've seen the old helmet perched atop thier locker, put there by the life support folks so that they can take it home.

I've killed two helmets so far in my short career -- once after UPT, and once as a T-38 IP. Both times, the LS folks left the not-fit-for-flight helmet on my LS locker to take or dispose of as I pleased.

Originally posted by Toro:

For our guys who separate/retire, the life support guys actually set out their visor so everybody in the squadron can engrave their name on it and the helmet is presented as a going away gift.

Wouldn't that obstruct your vision when you're wearing it in your car as you are driving down the interstate?

Yeah, never heard of anyone NOT getting to keep it, even if you only wore it for 6 months in Tweets and then went to heavies. Little Rock even issues guys coming out of Corpus NEW helmets for some reason. My theory is that somewhere along the line somebody showed up that had done the Whiting Field - Corpus route and thus never had an AF helmet, so without asking any questions they just said "Looks like all guys from Corpus don't have helmets, let's give them a new $800 one without even asking if they have one." Works out well for me, I have a souvenir in my office and one to fly in.

I've also seen LS guys take old helmets, cut them in half laterally, and mount it on a huge plaque, mask and all. Probably hard to visualize, but it looked pretty sweet.

Think we'll get to keep our JHMCS helmets? :D

If you've got a hot life support chick, you can ask her to polish your helmet.

Originally posted by rumblefish_2:

Think we'll get to keep our JHMCS helmets? :D

Those things have to be killer in high G maneuvers.