Shoes for flying? Comfort / Saftey? Racing Shoes?

[Bristol]

I statred flying about a month ago and found that wearing boots (construction type) just really wore my feet out and probably didn't do my hover performance any good either. I started wearing tennis shoes, and made some improvements. It's hot as hell down here in Florida, so I started thinking about a more comfortable shoe for flying. I flew with a guy last week that had racing shoes and he loved them. Much cooler, much easier on the feet and eaiser to control the foot controls.

 

QUESTION: Anyone else buy specialized shoes for flying? (except tennis shoes?)

 

At the risk of violating the AUP here, I bought some racing shoes from Piloti, they are excellent.

[Witch]

How about barefoot?

 

Egads, maybe I shouldn't bring this up as I'm sure someone'll quote an FAR.

 

Later.

[Gomer Pylot]

I've worn all sorts of footgear over the years. Justin ropers are good, but hot down here in the summer. I usually save the boots for winter. In the summer I wear whatever comfortable shoes I have at the time. I have some Sperry Topsiders that I like a lot, because they handle the rain and water well, and provide good traction on wet helidecks. They're also good for preflighting wet helicopters in the dark. I know several pilots who have been badly injured slipping and falling off helicopters.

[Grant B]

This is a good question. I used to wonder about this too.

 

So far - comfortable is of course essential - but for me not too thick soles - so that I feel the pedals more.

 

I was in Florida too. In case of rain and slippery surfaces - maybe have a rubber (training shoe) type bottom.

 

I tried boots, trainers (running shoes/sneekers) and normal leather shoes. The trainers were probably better so long as they are not too thick.

 

(Also as you get more flying done - your relationship with the pedals and overall seating posture will probably get a little more relaxed too. At least for me this was the case).

 

I'd be interested in what you decide for hot, fashionable, Florida flying.

[joker]

Pink flipflops of course (thongs for those aussies out there!)

 

 

Flipflops are perfect. They don't slip, the stay on your feet all the time, not easy to catch on pedals, and great for protection if you are faced with a long walk out of the Florida swampland! Of course those are all the factors that are important for me when choosing a flight shoe!

 

Joker

[Grant B]

Yeah. They would look great too with any CFI uniform.

 

The chicks dig them!

[spw1177]

I like to fly in a pair of race boots. They have a thin, solid sole that is good for pedal feel and they have a fairly flat thread design so they don't get caught on the pedals. They are designed for your foot to be resting on your heel for long periods of time, so they are more comfortable in that position than other shoes. The pair I own are black and they are quite cool compared to a pair of black leather shoes I sometimes fly in. And to top it all of they are made from a self extingishing material.

 

The downsides are that they can be uncomfortable to stand in for long periods of time (again thin, solid sole). I have had good luck with them as far as traction when standing on the helicopter, but I don't think I would be comfortable in that situation if the machine was wet. And on ice they are as good as ice skates.

[Wally]

Racing boots are fine if all you have to do when "it" quits is wait for the tow truck, but most of us need to remember- except when you're offhore- you're one (fill in the blank) away from a long walk. Wear something appropriate.

[Gomer Pylot]

All this stuff sounds cool, but if you're flying over land, hiking boots are far more appropriate than racing boots or whatever. The pedal feel is really immaterial, and very soon you'll be wishing for something comfortable for walking around the heliport and standing for long periods. Get some comfortable shoes or boots, whatever you can wear for a long time while standing or walking, because what you're wearing while flying is really very unimportant. Lots of offshore pilots wear work boots because the grating on offshore platforms will eat soft soles very quickly, and anything with a thin, soft sole becomes painful very quickly. My boat shoes have very thick soles, they're not the thin type. On land, get something appropriate to the terrain you may be flying over. In a helicopter, you won't be flying for very long at a time anyway, so don't worry about it.

[rotor91]

Hiking boots, high tops, are my choice. When I first started flying, we had a CFI that flew barefoot. Just as I split the needles, he'd walk up, kick off his flip flops into the gravel off the pad, and hop in. He always flew barefoot.....this is the same guy who fastened his passenger seatbelt(in his car), even though, he was the only one in his car! A bit off kilter!

 

R91

[cptcoma]

...try the classic VANS skateboard shoes. Very soft soles but still proper shoes.

[West Coaster]

...try the classic VANS skateboard shoes. Very soft soles but still proper shoes.

 

I'm along the same lines as that, but wore Converse. Very comfortable for flights around cities. If I'm heading over the sticks for any distance though I throw on boots, or at least bring them with me just in case.

[Huey]

Wear something without grooves on the bottom, your pedal work in the robbie will be a lot smoother. I wear cheapo dress shoes from Payless. Smooth, comfortable and CHEAP!

 

Kit (on this site) has some good stories about barefoot in Florida...

[Guest pokey]

i fly with whatever i have on that day, in summer all i ever wear is sneakers, reebok, nike OR what ever catches my eye at wallmart winter is usually hiking boots w/ treaded bottoms so dont slip on ice/snow. I used to fly w/ a guy that had these G I A N T sized oily & greasy "herman munster" type work boots, i never did let him get in MY ship, but we flew in his,,,,, (he had no carpeting),,,,,, he was like herman on the pedals too,,,, at times? i would be pushing/fighting him so hard on the pedals that i thought we were going to "physically bend" the interconnecting touque tube OR shear the bolts ! ( a 300 ) I would yell & scream "feel the pedals" ! I recomennded that he try a pair of light sneakers on the next few flights?----didnt help werth a dam.

 

OH ! BTW Witch? you will be happy to know that as far as i know, there is no FAR that prohibits barefoot flying,,,,,,,,,,HOWEVER ! IF you dicide to remove additional pieces of clothing?---there may be local ordinances against that

[StuandJoy]

I fly barefoot all the time. I got blasted on here when I first mentioned it awhile back but I see nothing wrong with it. Obviously depending what terrain you will be flying over. Mine is mostly water.

[Guest pokey]

I fly barefoot all the time. I got blasted on here when I first mentioned it awhile back

 

i seen some "blasting" here too---- C'mon PPLs ! lighten up & share info, rather than "condem" !

[DFWFlyer]

I have a pair of Airwalks that should do well. Fairly flat, skit resistant, non marking soles and breathable canvas. Can get at Payless shoes for about $25.

[delorean]

For precision pedal work, you need to be able to move the pedals with you ankles. If you're wearing boots (cowboy, army, whatever) and you can't flex your ankles, you'll be pushing with your whole leg which isn't very precise, especially in the R22.

 

Also, wear something with a tacky or grooved heel so your foot doesn't slip off the pedal. Dress shoes with leather soals slip off Robinson's smooth pedals easily.

 

Up in the chin bubble it gets really hot in the summers and freakin' cold in the winter so pick your shoes & socks accordingly. I carry the foot warmer packs for long flights in the 206 during the winter.

 

I've always worn regular 'ol tennis shoes--that works for me.

 

BTW, driving barefoot is illegal in most states if you check....and it should be for flying as well. Think about all the stuff that could and potentially hurt you if you weren't wearing closed toe shoes: Bird strike through the chin bubble, sun heats up the black pedals, oil pressure line or torque line starts spraying hot oil from under the dash, etc. Whatever the case, what's gonna happen when you can't add left pedal when coming into a hover? That goes along the same line of safety as always wearing a helmet with the face shield down when flying to protect your eyes.

[Bristol]

Hey everyone,

 

Thanks for all the replies. There's lots of good advice in those posts (some good humor too). I'm working on hour number 8 tomorrow, things are falling into place, so I'm excited to get with the program and excellerate my learning.

 

Bristol

[StuandJoy]

BTW, driving barefoot is illegal in most states if you check....and it should be for flying as well. Think about all the stuff that could and potentially hurt you if you weren't wearing closed toe shoes: Bird strike through the chin bubble, sun heats up the black pedals, oil pressure line or torque line starts spraying hot oil from under the dash, etc. Whatever the case, what's gonna happen when you can't add left pedal when coming into a hover? That goes along the same line of safety as always wearing a helmet with the face shield down when flying to protect your eyes.

 

So you're saying that every time I fly an R22 I should wear a nomex flight suit and gloves, fire resistant boots, and a helmet with full face shield? Thats a little impractical. Everything in life is inherently dangerous. I can understand as a safety issue in a liability sense, but as an ORM issue it varies.

[jdrockin]

Try Indoor soccer shoes. Wonderfully comfortable while walking, tough soles for oil rigs(although I wouldn't know how rigs actually are) yet soft enough to feel the pedals, and they look good enough to distract the girls from looking at my face Personally, I wear Adidas or Kelme, but most athletic companies make them. Coat with mink oil or your choice of water-proofing stuff and you've got a great multi-purpose shoe...I doubt they're fire-rated, though

[delorean]

So you're saying that every time I fly an R22 I should wear a nomex flight suit and gloves, fire resistant boots, and a helmet with full face shield? Thats a little impractical. Everything in life is inherently dangerous. I can understand as a safety issue in a liability sense, but as an ORM issue it varies.

 

That's why I said "That goes along the same line of safety as always wearing a helmet with the shield down" If you already are wearing a helmet and it has a face shield, why isn't down all the time? I didn't say you should dress like a firefighter or racecar driver to go around the pattern. You have to decide what safety measures you're going to take that aren't imposed by the FAA or your insurance.

 

Nomex clothes & helmets are expensive and not everyone can afford them. But everyone owns a pair of tennis shoes that they can wear to fly. The same logic goes for carrying spare eye glasses, keeping your seat belt on during cruise, taking a big coat with you on cold days. If you already have them, why aren't you using them? It's not going to cost you any extra time or money to take them with you.

 

I'm a paranoid guy. In EMS you only see the worst of the worst. I won't get near a motorcycle, a horse, or get up more than one story on my roof--I've picked up dozens of victims of each (and, granted, some were idiots, but $hit happens and I've invested way to much in education to risk losing any brain cells.) Ever see the movie "Along came Polly" with Ben Stiller?.....Yeah, that's me-- germ-a-phobe and always weighing the risks. But its working: never been in a car accident, never damaged an aircraft, haven't been sick in four years, never broken a bone, yet I still lead a fun life.

 

Read up on how many fatal helicopter accidents are from traumatic head injuries. Reading my company's internal reports, in three of the accidents over the last 20 years, the flight crews have come back with significant damage to their helmets. One crew member had a blade impact the helmet and deflect off of it. And operating single pilot, what happens if you hit a bird at 120 knots that knocks you out? That's why I wear a helmet......shield down.

 

And this is going to turn into a big thread I'm sure based off the original topic. I just want to address one more time (and this can be applied to anything), make a list of all the "what ifs" and if that [grossly] exceeds the [one or two] advantages, just don't do it, ok????

[Gomer Pylot]

Not that you have to worry about it, but on offshore oil rigs the floor is metal grating, with rough raised surfaces. Athletic shoes get the soles eaten off in a couple of weeks. You need thick, hard durable soles for there. I've quit worrying about it, though, because I don't have to stay on one full time anymore. My main worry now is the helideck, which can be very slick, especially newly painted ones. I just land, drop off a load of critters, load the inbound critters, and leave again. Now and then I get to shut down, find the galley, and get a meal, if it's a really good day. Otherwise I just keep shuttling on crew changes. That's why I worry more about slips on slick decks, and wear sturdy boat shoes most of the time, or at least non-slip soles. Horses for courses, so there is no ideal shoe for everything. This isn't the most important subject anyone ever brought up, of course, but I'm sure it will wander around all over the place for awhile.

[Witch]

BTW, driving barefoot is illegal in most states if you check....and it should be for flying as well.

 

 

Um, no it ain't illegal. One can drive barefoot and it IS legal. I went and looked in the Oregon law books one day-couldn't find one. Then looked in the U.S. Code on another day. Nope, not there. I also looked -online-for any law in other States prohibiting bare feet. Found not a one. I even had the chance to ask a lawyer, she told me she was unaware of any Federal or local statutes prohibiting driving barefoot.

 

Last, but not least, I went to a website, I forgot which one, and there it was found out the driving while barefoot being illegal was actually a myth. I think it was in Snopes.com.

 

I'll have to look into the FAR's about barefoot flying, but I suspect I won't find any.

 

Later.

[Guest 13snoopy]

I fly barefoot all the time. I got blasted on here when I first mentioned it awhile back but I see nothing wrong with it. Obviously depending what terrain you will be flying over. Mine is mostly water.

I'm with you all the way. Barefoot the minute the weather gets warm enough and sometimes before then.