I’ve bought a helmet!

Troll · July 13, 2019, 5:35am

Very cool!
This is now a Mudspike Flight helmet thread!
What type of helmet is that?

chipwich · July 13, 2019, 1:22pm

Thanks Troll. I think that dad wore that during his time with the 77th flying the F-100D. He is far left.

Not sure if he kept it when he went to England In the Voodoo, but for sure he got a new one when he transitioned to the F-4C. That one was a completely new design and was custom fitted for each pilot. It was all white at Shaw AFB during his initial time in the Phantom, but had OD tape applied to it when he arrived in Da Nang.

chipwich · July 13, 2019, 1:30pm

Yeah, a different helmet in the F-101. TDY in Tripoli.

wheelsup_cavu · July 13, 2019, 7:55pm

Was that at Wheelus AB?

Wheels

chipwich · July 14, 2019, 2:58am

Affirmative. Their wing out of RAF Woodbridge Bentwaters was doing a squadron rotation in the early 60s. Dad said he liked the beach there, but that the accommodations were spare. Like cots in a hanger type of thing.

Hangar200 · July 14, 2019, 1:06pm

By the time ENS Hangar200 floated by with VF-32 aboard CV-67 in the winter of 86-87, the place was called Um Atiga (or something like that) and was where the Soviets deployed a couple of Tu-16 BADGERs on a regular basis.

wheelsup_cavu · July 14, 2019, 6:39pm

Thanks, was reading the Wiki page and I noticed as Hangar200 mentioned it was occupied by the Soviets after we left. I hadn’t realized we had a presence there as long as we did.

Wheels

chipwich · July 14, 2019, 7:50pm

I should have mentioned his wing CO at the time, Robin Olds (81st TFW).

Kinger · July 28, 2020, 12:00pm

Wanna buy another helmet?

Troll · July 28, 2020, 12:28pm

That is one auction I would have wanted to see…

Fridge · July 28, 2020, 12:55pm

There is a lot of cool stuff in that catalogue.

Hangar200 · July 28, 2020, 4:01pm

The Helmet Tom Cruise Wore in ‘Top Gun’ Is Up for Sale

OK…cool enough…the guy who played the “Mig-28” pilot was a naval aviator named Bob “Rat” Willard. Despite getting the finger from Goose and Maverick, he went on to have quite a successful career, ending up as a four-star admiral.

In the Summer of 2009 he was the Commander of the US Pacific Fleet when I reported aboard as his N2 (Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence). As you do, I had an “In Call” with Admiral Willard; about 15 minute one-on-one for a chat in his office, where he got to know me, outlined his expectations…typical “dog sniff” stuff.

And there, sitting unambiguously on an end table in his office, was the Black Helmet with Red Star that he wore in the movie.