Borrowing club headsets

[BFMD]

Just wondering if it is standard procedure for flying clubs/schools to lend headsets to students and members? My club has just taken the decision to stop lending them out, stating that they are getting broken.
As a “Private pilot” I do a lot of flying with friends, family and colleagues as one off trips. Many my passengers have never flown before and never intend to fly again. Obviously, they don’t have their own headset so I normally borrow a couple from the club. This is something I have got used to and class it as part of hiring an aircraft. In my eyes, I pay a lot of money each year to be a member of the club on top of the cost of hiring the aircraft at £100 ish an hour. The headsets used at the club aren’t the most expensive on the market and have been used for at least the 2 years I’ve been a member (many more by the look of them). This has really annoyed me and several of my friends at the club to the stage where I’m thinking of looking for a new club out of principle. Surely it is just good customer service to offer them as part of the aircraft. Despite it being a club, I am a paying customer at the end of the day deserve to be treated as one. Even if the club bought 15 head sets at £150 a go. That’s £2250 over say 3, 4+ years worth of use, not exactly a lot in the grand scheme of things.
Does anyone else agree or have I just got used to a luxury not common at other clubs?
Also, what about students? Surely they're not going to expect them to purcahse a headset on day one!

[davidatter708]

I agree 100% clubs should lend out headsets as part of the membership and aircraft hiring cost
David

[BEagle]

Perhaps not unreasonable to levy a 100% deposit, refundable on return?

[Keef]

When I stopped flying with a club and joined a group, I had the same problem for a brief while.

Then I bought three old and battered headsets on Ebay (£20 the lot), cleaned them up, and they work fine. Two have no microphone, but that's no problem either - at least they can hear what I'm telling them.

[ormus55]

bought a clement clarke airlite 62 headset off ebay. prob ex mod.
works just fine.
cost about 10 quid inc pp.

[Whirlygig]

As far as I can tell, it's pretty standard in the helicopter world NOT to have your own headset. Every helicopter I have ever flown has them on board already.

Cheers

Whirls

[maggioneato]

Having started off with club headsets, I can't imagine anyone wanting to use them, I bought by own pronto, then some for my future victims. It was always a case of going along the rack to find one that didn't fall apart as you picked it up.
BFMD. What is your club going to do with all the headsets they have if they are no longer available to members?

[potkettleblack]

After my first few lessons and an introduction to sweaty grotty headsets that were so tight (not adjustable) that it gave you a headache I got my self a set of DC's. Then in the US on an hour building trip I got another set for about the same in USD as I paid in quid. If the US isn't an option for you there are some reasoanably priced sets for your pax but spend a bit of money for yourself as it will pay dividends.

[Kaptain Kremen]

There's nothing worse than putting on a pair of club headsets that are still wet with the sweat of the previous student! :sad:
Or, that faint annoying smell of sick that you can't quite find the source of, turns out to be on the end of the microphone sock that you currently have your lips pressed against.:uhoh:
i'll buy my own thanks.
KK

[BFMD]

I don't think club headsets need to be particularly grotty. The only reason they get that way is because clubs can’t be bothered to look after them. 30 seconds with an antiseptic wipe after each trip will keep them pretty clean and hygienic. I’ve used them a few times and never really had a problem. I guess the way I’m looking at it is the cost of a couple headsets will put a pretty big dent in my wallet, but its only peanuts in a clubs annual budget. If their profit margins are that tight (which I’m sure they’re not) why don’t they charge a couple of quid a time to borrow a headset. That way they’ll be paid for in no time and the remainder can be put in a headset servicing pot.

Maggioneato: Not sure what they are going to do with them. I guess they’ll have to keep some for trial flights. I don’t think Blogg’s mum would be too impressed when he turns up for his trial flight that she bought him for his birthday only to find out she needs to folk out £150 for a headset. :)

[MarcJF]

I agree, charge a couple of pounds to hire, and maybe a deposit of £50. This will ensure that A) the headset is returned in good order and B) the club build a fund to keep them working and maintained.