You may think that Darth Vader was flying an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, by looking at the following cool photograph taken by Rob Birmingham.
However, the one worn by the airman leaning out of the chopper’s left hand door is not the mask of the main character of the Star Wars saga, but a Maxillofacial Shield (MFS) attached to the standard HGU-56 helmet.
The MFS is used to safeguard the wearer’s lower face from rotor wash, flying debris and windblast during helicopter operations.
Image credit: Rob Birmingham