Night jump helmet

So in addition to the Tritium altimeter, we’ve decided to modify one of our helmets for a night jump.

We’ve taken a standard 2k Composites FF1 helmet, then used copper tape (usually used to repel slugs and snails from garden plants) to build a circuit with 6 LEDs: 3 red lights on the back, and 3 blue LEDs on the front. The LEDs were very small surface mount components mounted on a flexible substrate.

We then used some polycoprolactone plastic (PCL) to diffuse the light of the LEDs as well as smooth out any sharp edges, then covered the entire circuit with clear plastic tape to ensure there are no snag hazards. We put a pushbutton switch as well as a battery in one of the audible compartments, so it can be easily switched on in freefall. Everything can be easily removed to return it to just a normal FF1 helmet.

Now all we need is some decent weather for a night jump…!