Do Warbird pilots wear Nomex flight suits for safety or to look cool?

[flybuddy]

Recent article by Rod Hightower regarding Nomex flight suits and inexperienced fliers poking fun. What do you think? Should all pilots wear them (Cessna, Piper, etc)? Are warbirds more apt to go up in flames? What about "O" and "L" type warbirds?

[CraigCantwell]

I've been physically on fire several times in my life. Wearing Nomex gear would have reduced the burn damage to not much more than a sunburn on one incident and would have completely prevented one. I prefer to wear it and don't care about any "cool" factor involved.

[sphealey]

IMHO it isn't Nomex per se that causes the irritation. Auto racers, even at the club level, were wearing Nomex long before its existence was generally known outside the military. However, those early-80s auto racing suits were almost entirely white or dirty grey since those were the only colors of the fabric that were generally available on the civilian market. If warbird pilots, or Fly Baby pilots for that matter, want to wear Nomex for safety that's great. It is the wearing of olive drab Nomex with epaulettes, patches, and other psuedo-military accouterments that grates.

sPh

[rosiejerryrosie]

Required wear for all military pilots....

[Bob Dingley]

I doubt that safety is a priority for many, especially if they throw their fire protection away by rolling up their sleeves, unzipping down to their navels and wearing tennis shoes with polyester socks. My first emergency was a fire that burned a 2 X 3 ft hole in the side. This was a couple of years before Nomex came into use. On that day I was wearing the issue grey poplin one piece that we had to soak in water/borax fire retard solution and air dry. It had zero "coolness" factor with all the dried white splotches and streaks.

[Joe Delene]

I'd say with the $$$ they put into upkeep & flying their 'warbirds'(much for our viewing pleasure) they can wear whatever they want. I was an 'extra' during the filming of 'Andersonville' in GA back in the early 90's. The filming was rather slow, but it came to a halt when one got thrown off the set for having some type of 'walkman' or other modern music device on his head. He was escorted away.

May as well dress the part.

[Mike M]

"It is the wearing of olive drab Nomex with epaulettes, patches, and other psuedo-military accouterments that grates."

OD is normally the cheapest and most readily-available Nomex flying coveralls color. As low as $55 new. Other colors start over $150 and go up from there - fast. http://www.armysurplusworld.com/prod...roductID=45032 andhttp://www.google.com/search?q=nomex+"flight+suit"&hl=en&lr=&prmd=ivns&s ource=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=NC85TsXRLoihtwfd l6XeCQ&ved=0CHIQrQQ

Might there be something else here "that grates" ? Might you be annoyed that Nomex-wearers are trying to make others feel inferior? Nobody can do that, people make themselves feel inferior. If it really bothers you, just point and laugh and let THEM feel inferior instead.

I've been wearing Nomex to work for over forty years. It may be non-breathable, non-absorbent, non- non- non-, but at least it doesn't wrinkle as badly as most other fabrics when slept in. Your mileage may vary.