Hi there,

A photo surfaced in the last week or two of a US Air Force F-15 landing in Darwin, Australia, as part of a multinational exercise, and the pilot was not wearing a helmet.

As an enthusiast and model builder, I have spied many many photos of fast jets, but never seen one flown by a pilot with no helmet.

I’m wondering why this would occur?

regards

Post the photo or a link.
Would have to see it for myself.

Yeah never seen or heard of that. Won't say it's never happened, but still.

I don’t believe the F-15 even has a speaker for the radio. But why anyone would want to sit on an ejection seat without a helmet puzzles me.

You sure that isn't photoshopped?

Photo is BS… no speaker and the cockpit is loud.

Only thing I could imagine, and even that being extreme. Some sort of dental medical emergency making wearing the helmet excruciatingly painful.

Declare emergency and reason, go NORDO, safe the seat, and remove the helmet once to a safe altitude and flight regime.

Again, all a long shot, but only explanation I can think of. If this is real. He’s not doing that for the fun of it, again, if real.

I just spoke to the photographer, its a real photo (mine is a screen grab) and he has a whole series of them but doesnt know the details.

Helmet was holding the ice and the beer.