Hi Guys and congratulations for your website.

I've been collecting helmets since 1981.

The first helmet I bought  was a camo HGU26 with full leather liner. At that time the TOPGUN motion picture was not yet shot so helmets where both rare and cheap !!! I bought it for 600 FF( 90€). I didn't know what type it was (except it was American), and didn't even know it was the beginning of a collection. I had only one helmet until 1992,and my wife was  teasing me when I was introducing myself as an helmet collector, well now she doesn't laugh anymore ;O))

I'm 32 and I live in France and work as an Air Traffic Controller in the Army Aviation.
Thanks to my job, I was deployed abroad (mainly with the NATO) and  met lots of aircrew from various nations and could therefore enhance my collection.

At first I was just collecting helmets but was welcoming any donation to my collection.
So one pair of boots on this side, a flight suit on that one and now I could dress up to 15 or 16 dummies (I don't even know !).
I have roughly 40 helmets (helos & jets) from various nations.

I feel really proud and lucky each time I display my collection. But if you are not lucky enough to see it at scale one, then you can visit my website at the following URL: http://www.chez.com/flightgear

The nicest item of my collection is a full-dress Stratospheric Mirage III pilot, but my heart also goes to my first helmet.

My last helmet in, is an HGU56, and I'm waiting for a Gallet Helo version.
My unaffordable dreams go to the Apache helmet , or Topsight prototypes.

I'm still looking for a golden Navy APH5 with hardman receivers, Swedish helmets, Russian flightsuit and boots ( special kind ), Anvis NVG mount,etc and of course not at any cost !

Vincent "Winny" Leteurtrois
Leteur3v@aol.com