It sounds very much that Dr Germany has some preconceptions which are going to be difficult to surmount.
On the positive side I have yet to see the wooden headed preconceived pariah that didn’t fail spectacularly in most applications of rotary aviation. Surely the must same apply to medicine.
The main problem that I saw with the ’47 seat was not so much the discomfort of the seat which granted, compares more or less with many on the same scale, but the exposure to harsh vibration and noise levels thanks to being strapped to the firewall and its proximity to and rigidity with all of the vibe / noise generators. A situation made worse with the harsher and more uncomfortable periodic vibes of the 900 series xmons.
The R22 by comparison is super quiet, very hard to hear the donk, but on looong days, the cramped confine of the cabin possibly compares it to the discomfort levels of B17 ball turret operators.
Dr Germany might like to consider that much if not most of the hearing impairment occurs via the vibes transmitted through the bone behind the ear. That is also one of the places where one is tested from with hearing loss.
Perhaps he could also consider what is acceptable as a OH&S working noise level environment and be presented with the noise levels that rotary pilots are exposed to. Your OH&S levels may well be cemented in legislation.
Aircraft manufacturers should also adhere to that legislation.
Wearing helmets as a noise muffler when one refers to the SPH series DOES NOT COUNT. At least anytime after the first six months the ear muffs are useless, but most importantly all noises resonate and amplify within the hard shell and concentrate on a fairly broad focal point. Pick one up and look at it, see where the focal point is.
Other types of helmets actually dampen inbound vibration through the shell thanks to their shape and the materials used that adhere to the inner surface and many have a positive and separate mechanical ear muff engagement which is someway very effective.
I believe that it is crucial to use one of those at least. Noise dampening ear pieces may be fine too, but when one is supposed to listen for the unusual I would prefer to not use them.
Mind you many of us in this thread probably started off the same as I did with the telex headset which usually did not even cover the ears. 4 or 5 k hours wearing them always guaranteed that to pass the medical one didn’t need just a hundred bucks or so but a pocket full of tenners!
Motorbike enthusiasts used always scoff at our bone-domes, ‘get something that should protect your head and especially the nape of the neck area’, they would say. SPH domes make good rabbit killers in the right deceleration mode.
I notice recently on the OZ ABC inventors program, the invention of an integrated conical structured material which adhered to the inside of the hard shell which allowed much more progressive shock absorption. We need our favourite helmet manufacturers to adopt the same technology.
Also on the positive side, one is allowed to wear hearing aids to pass the hearing standards test, in OZ any rate. (CASR Part 67)
I am not aware of the tests referred to by Shawn Coyle other than those mentioned above, maybe someone else is, if I get a bit of spare time over the wet season I’ll do a search.
With regard to the bloody piles, I had a dear old uncle, an excellent horseman – bless his soul – who used to swear that riding a horse with a wet saddle was the main culprit. Was that your problem Sasless, galloping around the wet English countryside chasing that elusive filly over there?
Heh heh.