Choosing and purchasing a helmet

When you purchase a helmet, the most important moment is choosing the right size.

Take your time when choosing a helmet.

Try several, and follow these criteria: 

Put the helmet on and fasten the strap:

• The helmet should not be so loose that it moves around, but neither so tight that you can feel a continuous pressure on your head
   

• A helmet that is too large may slide down and obstruct your eyes
   

• Try to pull it off, moving it back and forth: if it tends to slip off or move around, it is too large
   

•  Lean your head forwards, grip the helmet’s rear edge, and try to pull the helmet off.
   If the helmet slides off, it is not suitable for the shape of your head.

The full face helmet provides protection for the chin area, unlike the open face helmet. Consider this carefully when you are choosing your helmet.

If, while trying on the helmet, it does not perform satisfactorily for just one of these criteria, you should try another size or another model.

Never purchase a second-hand helmet, even it the price is good. There is no way of discerning its real conditions (whether it has been involved in an accident, etc.). 

The structure of a helmet 

• Outer shell:
  • composite fibre material.
     
• Crushable foam inner shell:
  • expanded polystyrene.
     
• Comfort lining:
  • expanded polyurethane and transpirant, non-allergenic textile.
    The lining enables the helmet to be adapted to different sizes, and it makes it more comfortable.
    It may be removable and washable.
     
• Vents:
  • provide internal ventilation and air circulation.
     
• Chin strap.
  • This usually has a rapid fastening system.
     
• Visor:
  • Anti-abrasion thermoplastic material; it may also be anti-fogging.
    It should be replaced when vision is impeded by small scratches on the surface.

Using the helmet 

Once you have chosen the most suitable helmet, make sure that you wear it correctly.
For safety, it should always fit snugly, and the strap should be tightly fastened.

A helmet will never be able to guarantee total protection for the head when subject to the forces produced by whatever type of impact.
However this is no excuse to forego wearing a helmet.
You should always wear your helmet, in order to exploit the protection that it provides, whatever impact may occur.

 Four things that you should never forget:

1. Before using the helmet, read the instructions and follow the suggestions on how to attain a correct fit.
2. Do not use the helmet without fastening the strap.
   An unfastened helmet will fall off during the first impact, leaving the head defenceless for successive impacts.
   There is also the risk of it falling off during flight.
3. Do not fasten the helmet using just the velcro.
   The velcro that may be present on the strap serves purely to stop it flapping in the wind.
4. To ensure maximum performance, never modify your helmet, whatever the circumstances.

In case of accident 

• If the accident happens to you:
  • The inner shell will be deformed – though the deformation may not be visible to the naked eye – because it has absorbed the impact.
  • After an accident, even if the impact was minor, the helmet should be replaced, regardless of whether there is visible damage or not.
• If you witness an accident:
  • Keep calm.
  • Report the accident immediately, if possible by phoning for an ambulance (dial 118 in Italy).
    Only medically-qualified personnel know exactly how to deal with injuries.
  • Never move an injured person, unless this is absolutely essential because of a situation of greater danger.

if the spinal column is damaged, moving the injured person could damage the spinal cord, causing permanent paralysis.

• If the victim is wearing a helmet, do not remove it, but open the visor to facilitate respiration.
• Keep the victim calm, and, if possible, cover him. Shock provokes shivering and a sensation of cold.
• Do not give the victim alcoholic drinks.
• Stem the flow of blood from wounds, protecting your hands with gloves or similar, throwing them away later if they have been dirtied with blood.
  Do not apply tourniquets: if you place a tourniquet in the wrong position, you could worsen the situation.
• Never put the victim into a private car. Wait for the ambulance.
  If the victim is conscious, talk to him or her and try to calm him or her down.

Helmet maintenance 

The helmet protects your head, and so it should be treated with care.

The visor should be changed when it has scratches preventing satisfactory vision.

The helmet can be seriously damaged by: 

• Paints and varnish

• Petrol

• All types of chemical solvent

• Excessive heat (do not leave your helmet exposed to the sun)

• Inappropriate modifications  

Scrupulously follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

Never modify your helmet in any way. 

If it is not right in some way, replace it... choosing more carefully this time! 

A helmet does not have a fixed lifespan. However, it is a good rule to replace it after five years of correct use.

The 4fight 

Characteristics

4fight is the ideal helmet for paragliding and hang-gliding, for those who want a light and practical helmet without sacrificing safety.

The visor was introduced into paragliding and hang-gliding helmets in order to improve their aerodynamic performance, enhancing passive safety characteristics, and also improving active safety, by increasing the width of visual field.

Expanded polystyrene, used for the inner shell, is a material that can readily be deformed. Its function in this helmet is to absorb impact by means of deformation and/or partial destruction. An excessively rigid material would not permit the dissipation of impact energy, and all the stress would be transferred directly to the head. 

Warning!

• DO NOT MODIFY OR REMOVE THE INTERNAL POLYSTYRENE PARTS IN ANY WAY.
• NEVER USE PETROL, SOLVENTS, BENZENE, OTHER DILUENTS AND/OR CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES ON ANY PART OF THE HELMET.

The inner comfort lining is removable, washable and replaceable. It is made in transpirant, non-allergenic textile.

The label showing the helmet’s EN 966 certification is fixed under the inner lining.

Accessories

 The interior of the helmet includes a number of velcro fasteners which facilitate the use of:

• The talk and listen system (headset and microphone) which enables the radio to be used during flight.

Removing the inner comfort lining

The inner comfort lining is made in removable fabric.
It consists of four parts: the top inner shell padding, the two cheek protectors, and the rear support for the nape of the neck.
All four parts are washable or replaceable.

Cheek padding:
Fold the cheek padding towards the interior of the helmet, detaching the velcro fasteners that hold it to the fixed chin guard padding.
Repeat the operation for the other cheek pad.

Removal of the top inner shell padding:
Pull out the tab that fastens the fabric lining at the front, exerting a light traction on the shell’s edge trim and pulling the fabric lining gently. Once the tab has been freed, unfasten the velcro fasteners that hold the padding to the polystyrene inner shell.

Nape padding:
Pull out the tab that holds the padding in place, between the polystyrene inner shell and the lower part of the helmet tail, gently pulling the padding towards the interior of the helmet. At the same time, free the sides of the padding by exerting a light traction on the shell’s edge trim.

Fitting the inner comfort lining

Assembly is performed by inversing the removal procedure. Take great care to assemble the padding symmetrically.

Cheek pads:
Using the edge of the polystyrene inner shell for reference, reposition the cheek pads, making sure that the velcro is correctly fastened to the fixed chin guard padding.

Top inner shell padding:
In order to position the top padding, place it on the polystyrene inner shell, starting from the rear side.
Check that it is symmetrically positioned, and then insert the tab at the front, between the polystyrene inner shell and the trim at the edge of the outer shell. Check once again that the position is correct, and then fasten the padding by applying pressure over the velcro fasteners. 

Nape padding:
Insert the tip of the tab attached to the nape padding between the polystyrene inner shell and the lower part of the helmet tail.
After checking that the padding is symmetrically positioned, push the tab right in, and fix its lateral extremities, pushing them lightly under the outer shell’s edge trim.

Fitting the visor 

Position the large washer and the screw in one of the visor’s side holes. While holding the visor slightly upwards with respect to the shell, in order to prevent the washer and screw from losing contact with the shell and sliding out of position, screw in the screw, stopping when you feel it tighten slightly.
Repeat the procedure for the other screw.
The two screws should be fastened to a minimum torque. The rubber washer between visor and outer shell provides the friction necessary to hold the visor in position.

Should you wish to fly without the visor, remove this washer and cover the screw-holes using the respective stickers provided. 

At intervals, it may be necessary to replace the double-sided adhesive film that holds the rubber washer in position.

Removing the visor 

The visor is easy to remove. Just unscrew the two lateral fixing screws.
During the operation, just take care not to scratch the shell or the visor with the screwdriver

Cleaning 

Visor

• Use only water and neutral liquid soap and a soft cloth for drying the visor.
• Do not rub the visor too vigorously.

Interior polystyrene

·         Use only a damp cloth.

·         Leave to dry at room temperature, protected from direct sunlight. 

Comfort lining

• Hand-wash carefully, using just water at maximum 30° C and neutral soap.
• Rinse in cold water.
• Leave to dry at room temperature, protected from direct sunlight.

Important information 

Pilots accustomed to flying with just sunglasses or even without any form of eye protection may have to get used to a visor gradually.
If at first you find the visor uncomfortable, just raise and lower the visor during your first flights with the helmet until you feel comfortable with it.
In situations of high humidity and/or wide temperature variations, the visor could fog.
In this case, you will appreciate the advantage of a visor with respect to flying with sunglasses.
You just have to open the visor slightly and it will immediately unfog.  

The helmet and visor produce a different airflow sound, that enables you to hear your variometer more clearly.

If you turn your head sideways, the airflow may break away from the surface of the visor, provoking anomalous sounds (jet effect).
These sounds will cease immediately when you return to the normal flight position.

As described above, the helmet is not a totally rigid structure.
It was designed so that its deformability enables it to absorb impact.
For this reason, the helmet should be stored so that, when not in use, it is not exposed to any anomalous stress that could damage it.
For example, if you – as many people do – place the helmet in the harness backpack, make sure that no-one sits on it.

If the helmet receives a violent blow or a powerful stress, it may be necessary to replace it.

In the case of normal, correct use, it is in any case advisable to replace it every three (3) years.

Warning!
Failure to follow these instructions could reduce the protection offered by your helmet.

Icaro 2000 wishes you happy and safe flying. 

Icaro 2000 reserves the right to modify the characteristics of its products in any way, without any prior notice.