Kamakarzie Pilots

[doc_steve]

Is it a myth, or did Kamakarzie pilots really wear helments??!

[Octavius]

No pilots wore helmets in World War II. They wore leather flight caps and goggles.

See: http://www.tmgnow.com/IMAGES/kamikaze_pilots.jpg

[Clanad]

And... that was because the earphones for their radios were built into the leather flight caps...

[janesmythe22]

Seat belts too.

[Romeo]

They wore leather flight caps called 'helmets'. 'Helmet' does not necessarily mean a hard covering, historically it is merely a head covering that covers the ears.

[Loosehead]

The record for a kamakazie is 11 missions. Seriously they didn't want to die needlessly and often they would go out and not find or reach a target, mainly US ships so they would return to base. They used all the standard equipment of the day.

[d0gsb0dy]

I was always led to believe that the planes only had enough fuel for a one-way trip. Anyone know different?

[Champagne]

You have to remember that these were soldiers just like any other, doc_steve. Had they not worn helmets, then what's the point of the uniform? And if they don't have to wear uniform, then are they allowed a Starbuck's coffee and a few crisps 'n dips whilst up in the air? etc. etc.

So yes, the uniform applied to Kamikaze pilots.

[Octavius]

Of course Romeo, if you go back far enough into history you will find that originally the word helmet came from the Greek coryth (or koryth, korys) which meant "helmet, crown of the head".  This was also the name given to the Corythosaurus �helmet lizard�.  It had a hollow, helmet-shaped crest on top of its long, narrow head.

I thought we were only going back to 1944/45.

[ludwig]

Loosehead - that record breaking guy who flew 11 missions and never found a decent target  - They've only got his word for that right?

'So you're back again Yamamoto?' - 'yep, flew around for ages, didn't get a sniff of an enemy ship - just my luck eh?, oh well, maybe next time'

[Scylax]

More to the point, kamikazi pilots also had parachutes.  The seats in many Japanese planes were austere metal contraptions; parachutes provided G-plan comfort.