Protecting the noggin of fighter pilots since the late 1940’s, the modern day hard pilot helmet is certainly a symbol in military aviation these days. The combination helmet, sun visor, and attached oxygen mask is a lot like the armor of a knight — fearsome looking, but serving much more of a purpose than the visual impact. Much like football, the evolution of the fighter pilot helmet went from soft leather helmets used during and before World War II to the hard, protective helmets used today as aircraft speed increased. With the jet age came the even more cranium-perilous need for ejection seats to exit high speed aircraft in emergencies. With the rapid acceleration of the “rocket-powered car seat” and violent ejection sequence, the need for a solid “brain bucket” was needed more than ever.
Most helmets used in recent years by U.S. Military pilots are made by Gentex Corporation and illustrated here in tattoo form is a helmet styled after the HGU-55/P style of helmet.
The tattoo was created by artist Nathan Kostechko at Manifest Studio in Los Angeles, CA. Nathan is featured this month in International Tattoo Art magazine (May 2009).
Please click on the image above or the link below for two larger images.
Click the above image for the full-size photo.
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