Fighter Pilots Are Taking Full Advantage Of The Air Force's Lifted Ban On Custom Helmet Art
While it's long been a fixture of naval aviation, recently relaxed Air Force rules mean its flyers now have some of the coolest helmet art we've seen.
By Jamie Hunter December 23, 2020
The War Zone
U.S. Air Force pilots are creating incredible personalized artwork to adorn their flying helmets. Previous strict USAF rules regarding any changes to flying helmets have been relaxed as part of a push to improve morale in squadrons and empower the more junior ranks. The result is some stunning helmet wraps that are now appearing in increasing numbers throughout the Air Force. These helmet decals are often designed to represent an individual squadron or airframe and foster esprit de corps among the aircrews that wear them.
Disgruntled officers approached then USAF Chief of Staff Gen Dave Goldfein in 2019 to seek his blessing to implement changes in regulations as part of the wider bid to help improve squadron culture and morale, thus helping to address a serious issue with retention. U.S. Naval aviators have traditionally customized their flying helmets with reflective tape, callsigns, and squadron emblems, but USAF aircrews have been prohibited from doing so in recent years due to specific Air Force Instructions, or AFIs.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38402/fighter-pilots-are-taking-full-advantage-of-the-air-forces-lifted-ban-on-custom-helmet-art
