Pretty dumb question, I'd have to say, and pretty dumb responses, too, although I can't say I don't appreciate your sense of humour...somewhat.

To have some respect and take it seriously, though...

The kamikaze pilots were highly patriotic young men (albeit pawns of a military aggressor of the worst sort), and their paramount concern was to make it to the target and do as much damage as possible when they got there. Like all young soldiers they assumed that "God was on their side", to use a common phrase, and they felt entirely justified in defending their side.

So...a pilot takes all the protective equipment he can in order to complete his mission effectively. They did NOT pack parachutes, for example, on those missions, although they usually did on conventional missions.

The helmet was needed for a variety of reasons.

1. It contained speakers over the ears, allowing the pilot to communicate with other pilots and home base...a vital matter.

2. It mounted a set of goggles, which helped protect the eyes from smoke, debris, and fire in the cockpit.

3. Its leather helped protect his head and face from injury by same, along with his oxygen mask for high altitude flying, which covered the part of the face left bare by the helmet.

4. It helped protect the ears against extremely loud noises of explosions or whatever else.

5. A pilot in a damaged plane with his helmet on was far more likely to stay in control than one without a helmet.

6. Plus, they were proud men, and they wanted to die in proper uniform, as pilots.

All of that and probably more.

Now you can feel free to go back to the usual jokes, I suppose. Remember your own patriots, like Patrick Henry, and consider what your opponents may have felt on their one-way missions to eternity.

- this post is for Nishizawa and all the rest who fell in a hopeless and misguided cause, doing the best they knew how at the time.