Feeds from any of six cameras located outside the jet can be piped into the helmet, for a 360-degree field of view. When the pilot looks down, he doesn’t see his knees—he sees “through” the aircraft, and knows what’s below him. Built-in night-vision lets him see in the dark, without needing to flip down a set of goggles. He can even aim weapons with no more than a glance, thanks to the helmet’s eye tracking capability.

All that is built into a carbon fiber helmet that weighs just about five pounds. It’s customized to each pilot, both to fit around the noggin as well as to ensure that the visuals work properly. The two-day fitting process measures things like the horizontal and vertical alignment of the pupils, eye spacing, and a litany of other variables. The helmets are custom built for each pilot, so if yours at home, you’re stuck on the ground.

“The visual effects and how information is portrayed on the visor has gone through a lot of engineering,” says Jasper. Avoiding motion sickness was key and there’s no “adjustment period” needed when pulling the helmet on.