Whilst pilots generally have a very safety-conscious outlook, especially in terms of accident prevention, are we stopping short of the mark when it comes to our own self-preservation?
As a child I inadvertantly started a washing line inferno when I ran past some cotton shirts with a Guy Fawkes sparkler.
I'm reminded of that flaming episode whenever I feel a bit chilly on a flight and think about buying one of those cold-storage worker "fridge-suits" or one of those nicely insulated flight-suits - most of which seem to have a synthetic nylon or polyester outer. I currently use an old SAAF Nomex (fire resistant) flight-suit but they're certainly not very warm when you're flying in an open cockpit. Perhaps I'm being a bit paranoid here but it's something that weighs quite heavily on my mind when I consider the 70 litres of fuel sloshing around almost under my bum.
Reading through the CAA accident reports over the years is always sobering. All the more so when one reads the reports which make reference to post-accident fires. Quite a few of these instances may well have been far "less-serious" were it not for the ensuing fire.
The recent helicopter accident in Natal which claimed the lives of an experienced instructor and his brave student (who "walked away from the crash" before returning to try and rescue the instructor) had a desperately sad ending when both apparently succumbed to the their burn injuries. The student died several weeks later from complications arising from his severe burns. I don't know if they were wearing fire-resistant clothing, and I use this example not to judge or to speculate, but simply to illustrate the tragedy of surviving the physical impact of an aircraft accident only to succumb later to the horrific complications that arise from burn injuries.
Yet, we seldom seem think past the immediate eventuality of such an accident - the walking away from it part! Are we giving a enough consideration to this when we fly wearing nylon windbreakers or other synthetic weave fabric clothing? How often have you conscientiously attached that ground wire to your aircraft before refueling - yet stood there wearing static-prone nylon clothing!!!??
Nomex, Kevlar, Indura, modacrylic and other fire-resistant (and anti-static) materials used for flight-suits are fairly expensive (and often have very specific washing instructions!). But when one considers the agonising, disfiguring, treatment intensive, and all too frequently fatal consequences of severe burns, it's an investment that comes cheap at the price!
That said, there are other options and alternatives that one can consider. Leather, wool and even silk have fire resistent properties. (Did you know that virtually all the carpeting, seat covers, blankets and curtain fabric used on commercial airlines is pure wool?)
Various fabrics and weave types will have different burning characteristics. Heavier, closer weaves are harder to ignite than light ones. Cotton and linen burn with a vigorous hot flame whilst nylon, polyester and spandex burn more slowly than acrylic, but with the same melting (sticking to the body) and "dripping-flame" action. Thats not to say that all these fabrics are a no-go as many can be treated to improve their fire-resistant properties. Indura, for example, is 100% flame resistant cotton.
Fire-resistant or retardent fabrics are not necessarily "fire-proof"! They are simply fabrics (often chemically treated) which are harder to ignite, burn more slowly (allowing you time to remove) and which may even self-extinguish once the heat source is removed. This can make all the difference when it comes to reducing the extent of burns or surviving those "life or death" seconds it may take to escape from burning wreckage.
So yes, I guess I won't be making any fashion statements at the airfield wearing my bright orange ex-SAAF Nomex flight-suit. I'll weather the "Primi Piatti waiter" jokes - but hopefully, if the sh1t ever hits the fan, I won't come out of it looking like a pizza!
Dave
