Advanced Bionics: The world's best performing, most reliable cochlear implant systems
I understand that this technology is working extremely well for severe hearing loss. As most pro pilots, I definitely suffer from hearing loss. Among the aircraft I have flown, the DC-9, which I sat in for 8 years, had no headset capability. We used a hard plastic molded ear piece for one ear to monitor radios and the other ear was unprotected. You had to have one ear unblocked so you could communicate with the other pilot, no intercom. The cockpit was noisy. I am not talking 30 years ago, this was in the 2000's at Northwest Airlines. When flying these days I wear a standard Gentex helmet. I wear it very tight so the earcups seal well. My EMS helo flights are relatively short, 15-20 minute legs are the usual, so I am not exposed to anywhere near the noise I was in the airlines. I do have to crank up the radios.
Cheers