The German protective clothing manufacturer Ballonfabrik has found a new use for Gore-Tex, in a suit that can help helicopter crews stay alive in freezing water for more than two hours. Inspired by its success in the outdoor apparel arena, in keeping walkers, golfers and climbers dry for decades, the manufacturer from Augsburg has decided to put Gore-Tex to an unusual use. Ballonfabrik, as the company's name suggests, has a history of making hot-air balloons, the high-point of which, literally, was the use of one of its products for first manned flight into the earth's stratosphere in 1931. Its new idea also has an aviation connection. It is a safety suit for helicopter crews. Specifically, the suit is designed to save the lives of helicopter passengers, airmen and women, who have to abandon aircraft that for whatever reason land on water. Pilots have had their own protective clothing for some time, but craft such as the Super Puma, in use in around 40 defence forces around the world, also carry as many as 18 passengers at a time. This suit is for them. It is breathable, fire- and flame-proof and, of course, completely waterproof. The suits are made from a form of Gore-Tex. Ballonfabrik has added super-stretch neoprene to make wrist- and neck-seals, and reinforcement pads at the knee and elbow. There is a single central zip, which comes from the German specialist supplier Tizip. Air is the key to insulation. The inner lining of the suit always contains and keeps some air trapped inside the system. This part of the suit, for which Ballonfabrik has used the Nomex material that DuPont first developed in the 1960s for parachutes, is detachable. This makes it possible to use the suit in warm-water areas without this component.