Flight helmet

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"Imperial pilots never remove their helmets in flight."

―AP-5, to Wedge Antilles^[1]

Testor helmet — The flight helmet of Jessika Pava

Flight helmets, also known as starfighter helmets, were part of the flight suit worn by pilots. There were many different helmet styles throughout the various factions that fielded pilots, but they all had several design elements in common, in particular a visor protecting the eyes.

The Republic era[]

WarthogFlightHelmet-TVE — Clone pilot Warthog's Phase I helmet

Before the Clone Wars, the Galactic Republic had no central military. Various planets had their own forces; however, and some of those, such as Naboo, had starfighter corps. Royal Naboo Security Forces pilots had brown, leather-like helmets with visors.^[2] Early in the Clone Wars, clone pilots wore white helmets similar to Phase I clone trooper helmets, but with air tubes.^[3] By the time ARC trooper Fives escaped from Tipoca City, a new model of helmet for clone pilots had been introduced, and this helmet left some of their face exposed.^[4] This type of helmet was used by starfighter pilots like Clone Commander Davijaan "Odd Ball" during the Battle of Coruscant and Jag during Order 66.^[5]

The Rebellion and Resistance[]

LukeSkywalkerHelmet-SW100Objects — Luke Skywalker's K-22995 light flight helmet

Imperial pilots were not allowed to remove their helmets during flight, something that recruits were taught at the Imperial Academy.^[1] Pilots of the Rebel Alliance often wore the starbird symbol on their helmets,^[6] which often were the K-22995 light flight helmet.^[7] There were several different designs of Rebel flight helmet. X-wing and Y-wing pilots, during the early rebellion and Galactic Civil War, usually wore a rounded helmet with a chinstrap.^[6] A-wing and B-wing pilots, however, usually wore a different design with cheek pieces and no chinstrap.^[8]

By the time of the Cold War thirty years later, the Resistance's X-wing pilots wore a helmet design that was an updated version of the type from the Galactic Civil War.^[9] In all cases, modified helmets were available for those whose species prevented them from fitting into human-standard helmets. Rylothian pilot Yendor had a custom helmet with holes for his lekku,^[10] and fellow Twi'lek Hera Syndulla wore a pilot's cap and custom visor.^[11]

The Empire and First Order[]

Imperial TIE pilots wore black helmets similar in design to those of stormtroopers. They had breathing tubes that connected to a control box worn on the chestplate of an atmospheric suit, as TIE fighters typically did not have fully pressurized cockpits. Some helmets had gray stripes.^[6] Thirty years later, the TIE pilots of the First Order's starfighter corps, in keeping with the mimicking of Imperial aesthetics, wore similar-looking black flight helmets, some with red stripes.^[9]