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 significant crashworthiness, making personal protective equipment (PPE) crucial for pilot safety, especially in higher-risk operations.
Effective PPE includes helmets to protect against head trauma, multi-point restraints for occupant containment, and fire-resistant clothing (e.g., multi-layer Nomex suits, gloves, and balaclavas) to mitigate injuries.
Post-crash fires pose an extreme threat, highlighting the necessity of specialized fire-resistant attire to significantly improve an occupant's ability to survive such events.
Despite the proven safety benefits, there is a prevailing lack of public acceptance and a cultural stigma associated with wearing comprehensive PPE in general aviation.

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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.