Protecting my ears!

[fabbe92]

Hello! I have currently started my PPL training at GSE in Gothenburg. A problem for me is that it is very noisy when we walk to or from the plane or when I conduct the walkaround. We have some 737s there that taxies 10 meters away from me. It is to loud. I was wondering if there are some special ear plugs or something designed for pilots? So I can use them when I walking on the appron.

I am planning to become an airliner pilot in the future so It would be good if these plugs works with the noice of a typhical airliner apu and these sounds that affects you when you walk under jets.

Thanks!!!

[bsmasher]

Yes ear plugs and ear defenders exist. As to which is the best for you I would recommend going to a safety equipment shop and looking at the options and choosing ones that work best for you. I prefer full earmuffs as they are hard to loose ( and its easy to write ones name on them!) while others I work with like using the single use disposable in-ear plugs. A common I see used by ground crews is 2 small plugs connected by a plastic headband I've not tried them but they look easy to fit and easy to store round the neck when not in use.

D.

[Blues&twos]

I use both on a regular basis....ear defenders are bulkier but as bsmasher says they are more difficult to lose. They can cause a problem if you have to wear headgear though..

Single use earplugs which squish into your ears are pretty good too, provided you find them comfortable - some people can't get on with them. I prefer them because you can get a box full of them, and keep some in your car, some in your aircraft/flying bag/coat pocket etc. If you find yourself at some part of the airfield and there's more noise than you anticipated you won't have to go back to fetch your ear defenders.

And if you lose a pair of them you won't care because they're dirt cheap.

[poss]

I have a set of ear plugs that I got moulded for my ears, they are really comfortable to wear and reduce the SPL (sound pressure levels) quite sufficiently.

[magpienja]

I dont think ear plugs are a good idea, always the possibility you may forget you have them in and fly with them there interfering with the ear equalization process,

I would also go with just putting a headset on.

Nick.

[SNS3Guppy]

In-ear plugs aren't likely to be forgotten, but they won't prevent your ears from equalizing, either. In fact, for years I flew airplanes that were loud enough that they required earplugs as well as a noise-attenuating headset.

For walking around the airport, you can put in earplugs, but bear in mind they don't necessarily protect you. Much of your hearing damage can come from vibrations entering in around the ears, not just through the ear canal. A headset ("ear defenders") takes care of this, providing protection and dampening where it's needed most, as well as preventing fatigue, pain, and damage through the ear canal.

An ear-protecting headset can be had for very little, and various models are available which fold up compactly and take up little room in one's flight bag or gear. I simply clip them over the back of the seat or hang them on an arm rest, and they're always handy for those times it's necessary to get out of the aircraft.

Protect your hearing. Once it's gone, you won't get it back. It goes in stages and in parts, losing some hearing in this frequency range, some in that...you likely won't even know you're lost the hearing ability until it's too late.

[Blues&twos]

Yep, sorry, didn't make it very clear, I wouldn't use in-ear plugs for going aloft!

And SNS3Guppy is absolutely right Protect your hearing. Once it's gone, you won't get it back.

[fabbe92]

So these ear defending headsets, Are they made for using during flight as well? To comunicate with atc?

Where can I buy these ear protecting headsets? Can you give me a website?

Thanks!

[fabbe92]

Don´t mind about posting links, I have allready ordered a god pair of ear deffenders. Thanks for the help guys!!

:ok:

[eharding]

Yep, sorry, didn't make it very clear, I wouldn't use in-ear plugs for going aloft!

And SNS3Guppy is absolutely right

Not completely off-topic, but I highly recommend the secondary ear-plug speakers from CEP (Communications & Ear Protection, Inc. (http://www.cep-usa.com)) - I've fitted them to Gentex helmets and various DC headsets - particularly for the Pitts, which is stupidly loud - from the OP's perspective the ear-pieces can be worn out on the parking apron, and then just connected to your existing headset or helmet for flight. I've never had any pressure equalisation problems when using them.

I'm aware there is a school of thought which says that additional high-attenuation hearing protection of this sort can prevent you detecting subtle differences in engine noise which might preclude a failure, but if you fly in high-noise environments long enough without adequate protection then you'll likely end up not being able to hear *anything*.