Is That What You're Going To Wear?

Is That What You’re Going To Wear?

Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 01:13 PM ET

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In 2017, NASA's Langley Research Center drop-tested portions of a retired regional jet's fuselage to learn more about crashworthiness for future designs. The test memorialized here used the center wing box portion of the fuselage, supposedly the strongest. NASA/Langley Research Center

Key Takeaways:

General aviation aircraft lack inherent crashworthiness, making personal protective equipment (PPE) crucial for pilots, especially during higher-risk missions.
Key aviation PPE includes helmets for head impact protection and multi-point harnesses for occupant restraint, offering significant safety benefits even in non-crash scenarios.
Flame-resistant clothing, such as Nomex flight suits, gloves, and balaclavas, is vital for mitigating severe injuries from post-crash fires, a significant and often fatal risk in aviation accidents.
Despite the proven effectiveness of comprehensive PPE, as demonstrated in other high-risk activities like Formula 1 racing, its widespread adoption in general aviation faces challenges due to low public acceptance.

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Anyone who paid attention to news coverage during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic likely is familiar with the term “personal protective equipment,” or PPE. In the medical profession, PPE can include masks, gloves, gowns, booties and more. But PPE isn’t only for doctors and nurses.

Construction workers wear hardhats, steel-toed boots and Day-Glo vests. Many motorcyclists have adopted the initialism ATGATT, for All The Gear All The Time: helmets, boots, gloves, leathers, whether riding on the street or off-road. No shorts, flip-flops and tank-tops, even if it’s only a quick trip to the corner store. Motorcyclists refusing to wear helmets often are referred to as “organ donors” behind their backs.