What gear do civilian HAA companies provide for new pilots? Flight suits, jackets, gloves, boots, helmets etc? Anything I need you need to provide yourself? Is it necessary to subscribe to foreflight or Jepp?

What gear do civilian HAA companies provide for new pilots? Flight suits, jackets, gloves, boots, helmets etc? Anything I need you need to provide yourself? Is it necessary to subscribe to foreflight or Jepp?

My last employer provided flight suits, jackets and a one-time boot allowance of $100. I can't speak to helmet, I believe they provided the base with one; I had my own gloves. They provided NVG visors, battery mounts for my helmet.

They had Wx briefing through contract services but were moving into EFBs (I'm an old fart- is EFB the right word here?) with briefing, logs, etc. Again, I had my own sunscription because... well, I'm compulsive, I might want Wx info before I reported for duty. And I wanted more than the limited company issue and bordering area hard-copy maps than the company provided. I write, plot on my maps.

Most HAA companies provide you with helmet, flight suits and a jacket. Flight gloves not required.  You will need to purchase your own black boots.  I have a Foreflight supscription on my personal phone, it's very handy for checking weather and seeing what FBO's are at which airports and their after hours refuel numbers.  Lots of good info on Foreflight!

to hear you are looking at continuing your flying career.  Civil flying is different, in some cases, very different.  Do your homework carefully.  It can be a pretty good culture shock, aka 'this is the way we do it', which is likely different from what you are familiar.  If you can roll with the punches and assimilate you'll be just fine.

Gloves?  Not that I ever experienced.  Never wore them excepting in the military but no one is likely to give anyone stick about using them.  

Retired, 23,ooo hours, no inc/accidents - luckily.

will give you 2 flight suits, helmet, helmet bag, $100 annual boot allowance, and will issue a jacket when you get to your base (pilots get leather; can request the crew type nomex if you want a lighter jacket instead; some programs have non-flying jackets to issue as well (non-nomex)).  

No gloves but nobody cares if you want to wear some old ones from mil days.

Most programs have some form of ball cap to issue and northern regions may have fleece/knit hats for the cold.

You can wear your own ballcap usually and ANY form of shoe or boots (as ridiculous as that may sound; it's true).  I've seen all types of colored ballcaps and every form of shoe imaginable.  No standardization there unless it's a hospital based program then I'd guess there would be more specific guidelines.  

Every base has a day and night iPad with Foreflight so save your money.  Use or any free Wx app to check weather before you come to base.  Can use Skyvector.com (via any browser) to also check weather, see radar, or do quick flight planning to see how long a flight may take if you need to figure out times before accepting a ferry flight if you get a last minute call on your off day.

They'll have an iPad strap or iPad kneeboard to use for them as well if you like to use them.  You can use your own kneeboard and just leave the iPad in the slot for it with other paper docs required in the aircraft (checklist, LZ lists, IIMC card, etc.). 

Your base will have NVG mounts but you may want a weight bag if the base doesn't have the extra battery pack mounted weight screwed/velcroed to the bottom of it (some bases do; some don't; some people just want more weight).  

No lip-lights or flashlights provided.  

Good luck

Company should provide most everything you need. The only things I ended up getting for myself:

Flashlight

NVG Counterweight

Boots/Shoes

Bedding for night shifts

On the other hand, when you leave the helmet is yours to sell and pocket the diff.  Got a military helmet;  use it.

where I worked.  One fellow got billed for an SPH4 equivalent.  He never paid it.

The one from Colorado will give you everything you asked about and a refurbished helmet that is as good as new.

The one from Shreveport will give you everything you asked for but will allow you to puschase a new helmet for which they will pay 50%, and you pay the rest through payroll deduction. If you stay one year you get to keep the helmet.

The one from Denton won't provide boots, and generously allows you to use the helmet of the pilot you replaced. If this is who you are looking at bring your military helmet and flight suits, as program flight suits can take months to arrive at your base.

Often the hospitals will provide jackets.

The one from Colorado gives you a new Paraclete, which is a very heavy helmet.  Recommend asking to keep your HGU when you retire if it's close to the "end of its service life" at ALSE.  Nobody cares what helmet you use at most bases (even if it's still OD green).

I work for the Colorado folks. Initially they issued the Chinese version of the SPH-5. It was OK. The Paraclete is a cheap helmet.  They tried to exchange my issued helmet. No thanks. I bought my own helm from Gallett. Everything else was issued( flight suits, jacket, name tags). Yearly boot allowance that I used to help buy quality hiking boots, which I wear to work.  Nobody cares what footgear you wear.  The initial issue of flight suits is two. At the 2 year mark I told my Area Manager I needed another flight suit. Did it again at the 3 year mark. No issue getting replacement flight suits. Unless you get hired for Florida, always ask for a jacket. I got the nomex jacket that matches the flight suits. Leather jacket is heavy and difficult to store. Good luck with your new adventure. Remember, what you did in the military is in the past. Be humble, open yourself to learn a new career, and never say " when I was in the Army this is the way we did it". Nobody but you cares.

Are the flight suits for fire protection (assuming they are nomex) or look cool factor? If its truly fire protection and touted as a "safety" factor, why not require leather or similar fire resistent boots and nomex gloves? Do it all or don't do any of it? Not looking to pick a fight, sincere question.

"Are the flight suits for fire protection (assuming they are nomex) or look cool factor?"

Fire protection. Now that I'm retired, I wonder if I should have bought a fire resistant balaclava? You know who Niki Lauda was? Funny looking as he was before the fire, he was better looking than I am. After the fire? Fuhgeddaboudit!

helmets definitely bad for the neck/spine - absolutely no doubt about it.

, just learn to live within your means. Things will get better.