Although I have seen this question online as a humorous question, I do hope that I get a serious answer...

Why did kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
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03-03-03, 12:39 PM
frankvan
Well, first of all, unless there are some still around, I'm presuming you mean the ones from WW2 here. The ones from Japan. Ok. The japanese were very fanatical about protecting their homeland during WW2, and for the young pilots who volunteered to be Kamikaze's it was a big event, they were doing a grand thing for their country. Therefore when they did fly, it was an event, and as it was an event they would want to look like real pilots. And real pilots wore helmets. I think that answers the question. They wanted to look like real pilots.
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03-03-03, 05:36 PM
MkStfnz
Okay. Thanks, frankvan. I was referring to the Japanese Kamikaze pilots during World War II.

03-04-03, 09:33 AM
Fourbrick
I think it more likely that they wore helmets because their radios were in their headsets. Although they normally kept radio silence, they were given various orders on which ships to attack. Incidentally they didn't have to look "like real pilots". They were real pilots and very good ones at that. Just because their obeyance of their oaths to the Japanese Emperor made them into suicide pilots does not detract from their competence.

03-04-03, 12:15 PM
Elexina
The first thing I thought of was: regulations. You’re supposed to have a helmet on. An un-helmeted pilot would likely arouse suspicion. Good point about the radios, too, Fourbrick. I think, though, that what FrankVan might have meant by “real pilots” was that they would blend in better. If someone happened to see them, they wouldn’t be able to tell right away that they were kamikaze pilots because they would look more like other pilots.

03-04-03, 02:21 PM
methos
In addition to appearances and the radio, i bet there was actually a degree of safety. What if something happened on the way to the target? Just because the pilots were willing to die to destroy their targets doesn't mean they wouldn't want to survive an accident or confrontation on the way there.

03-04-03, 07:18 PM
Scotty
Fourbrick is correct,it was for radio communication only.

03-07-03, 03:31 AM
Ewood27
As an ex-pilot of non-suicidal tendencies, My view is that they wore helmets for radio communication, though that would be rare on a kamikaze flight. Also, if they flew high enough to need oxygen, the mask would be attached to the helmet. We're so used to pressurised flight today that we forget that without it oxygen is needed above 15,000 feet or so.

The helmet would also reduce the noise level. It's kind of noisy sitting just behind a big engine, and the noise numbs your brain.

Elexina, they were proud to be kamikazes. It was an honour. They wore white headbands. Furthermore, if they were seen while in the air, nobody would notice whether they wore a helmet or not. An intercepting fighter pilot doesn't get that close and isn't looking for that kind of clue anyway.

Methos, safety was the last thing on their minds. Having gone off to die for the Emperor, the greatest shame would be to come back again. If they couldn't make their attack they would make sure they died anyway. The Japanese developed, but as far as I know never used, a piloted glider flying bomb which would have been launched from a bomber and flown by a kamikaze pilot to the target. It had no way of getting back to safety and no undercarriage or other landing gear. The pilot was to be locked in his glider before take-off and was committed even before he was launched.

It could simply be that the helmet was part of their flying gear and it didn't occur to them that it wasn't needed for a suicide flight. In those days, remember, men habitually wore hats.

03-07-03, 07:04 AM
Elexina

quote:Originally posted by Ewood27:
Elexina, they were _proud_ to be kamikazes. It was an honour.

I know that. I never meant to imply that they weren't proud. I never said anything about pride. All I'm saying is that there were practical reasons for wearing helmets, that it's not just a stupid Stephen Wright saying.

03-07-03, 02:23 PM
Ewood27
Sorry, Elexina. I got the wrong idea.

Yes, there were practical reasons, but the more I think about it the more I am inclined to think that the helmet was simply part of the official flying clothing. Kamikaze pilots were sent off with a fair degree of ceremony. They would have made sure they were properly dressed as Japanese military pilots, no doubt in their best uniforms, to give due honour to the occasion. Being properly dressed for flying included a helmet. I wonder if they had parachutes, for all that they would never have used them

03-07-03, 02:58 PM
methos
EWood - Thanks for the correction. As I said, it was just a guess. I should have taken the valuation of honor over life into account. The question of whether or not they wore parachutes has me really curious.....

[This message was edited by methos5000 on 03-07-03 at 03:24 PM.]

03-07-03, 05:02 PM
MkStfnz
Thanks for all of the great answers, everyone!

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