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Old 12th March 2009 | 17:46
  #17 (permalink)  
mblackey
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Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Colorado Springs, CO
There are two categories of equipment for certified aircraft, installed equipment and supplemental equipment. Pilot personal headsets are typically supplemental equipment.

Aircraft certification and headset CVR, etc. only apply if an aircraft is type certified with headsets installed. That is rarely done. That's why you see speakers and handmikes in certified aircraft and that equipment is accountable in an equipment list. Those ARE installed equipment and subject to design restrictions. If an aircraft was not certified with headsets installed, there is typically no restriction on what a pilot uses for personal equipment. Passengers, ramp, and maintenance plug about anything into aircraft comm systems without regard to any technical compatibility or operating condition.

In the U.S. a "TSO" certification program run by the FAA addresses manufacturing and minimum performance standards for articles such as headsets, but it is not authority to "install" a TSO'd article in an aircraft. In other words, replacing an installed microphone with a personal boom microphone, even though the personal mic is TSO'd, isn't authority to do it.

Bottom line in the U.S. pilots can use what they want for personal headsets without restriction by the FAA or the aircraft manufacturer as long as they don't remove or replace the installed equipment of the aircraft.

NOTE: The UFlyMike headset is TSO'd by the FAA.
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