Preventing Loss of Hearing

[Hansard]

Have become very conscious recently of the level of noise I'm exposed to flying singles/twins every day - and seem to meet a lot of deaf older pilots these days. Can anyone offer any advice on preventing loss of hearing?

Do some 'ordinary' headsets offer more protection than others?

Are ANR headsets the answer?

What about earplugs worn under a headset? (Foam or custom moulded to fit - and is it still possible to hear ATC?)

Advice would be welcome

Thanks!

[mini]

Hansard,

Earplugs will interfere with the equalising mechanisim during altitude changes, last resort I would imagine and only during level flight. There must be a decent headset available somewhere, HSA approved etc.

[redsnail]

I used to fly an Islander and a variety of noisy piston singles. I found half an ear plug in each ear and the trusty Dave Clark's (10-20's) did the trick. I had no trouble equalizing and I adjusted the radios so I could hear them clearly. If you fly often, your ears do become used to the ear plug and you can use a normal sized one. Initially it can be a little bit uncomfortable but you get used to it. You can spend a fortune on ANR head sets but the ones I used wasn't as good as the ear plug/Dave Clark combo. Cheaper and didn't have to worry about batteries/power supplies.
Note, use fresh ear plugs or wash them regularly.
I used this combo for many years and my hearing is fine.

[Cyclic Hotline]

I got my first pair of custom fitted silicone earplugs in 1990. I truly wish I had got them before (or they had been invented :) before).

They are comfortable for wearing all day long, allow pressure equalisation, allow you to carry on a conversation with them installed and are compatible with headsets, telephones, etc!

The company I worked for at the time provided them free of charge and I am still able to order replacements, created from the original moulds.

In Aviation, your ears are going to take a beating, and once you've lost your hearing, there is no remedy - I am noticeably deaf in my left ear now.

You should be able to find a supplier in most major cities, check the audiology section or your local hearing aid supplier - who will be your next stop if you don't take care of this problem in the long term.

[Looklively]

I know they are kinda expensive, $800 ?? but the BOSE X, noise reducing headsets are the d**s b*****s.

Yes I know the price will of necessity put a lot off but if you can afford them go for it. No squeeze on the head, no headaches (which I always suffered from after a few hours) ...and what price loss of hearing.

[Jetstream Rider]

ANR headsets are worth every penny. I used to fly the Jetstream 41 (V noisy in the Flight deck) with a pair and they are great. Do some research to get the ones that are best for you, they are not nesc that expensive. Mine were £220. If you want to know the details I will search them out and post here.

Make sure you go for ones that have good PASSIVE as well as ACTIVE. Useless having the best active in the world and then letting all the noise in the sides so that they are then effectively the same as ones with purely good passive.

Might cost you a bit on batteries (not too bad) but as I say, worth every penny. Oh and also check they work as normal headsets with a flat battery - another good reason to have good passive noise reduction.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I must admit that I don't like ANR headsets - but then I do a job where I have to assume that the aeroplane will go wrong in the next 30 seconds and like to be able to resolve every noise it is making.

But, normal headsets in use in GA types (David Clarkes and the like) have a fairly poor level of noise attenuation. The headset I use in my commuting PA28 (a good quality conventional GA headset) would be totally inappropriate in a microlight, and leaves me with a headache after a couple of hours in an Islander (as does a DC).

There are some very high attenuation headsets designed for microlight or open cockpit use - Communica and Lynx are probably the best makes. They don't filter out all the "useful noises" in the way that an ANR does, because attenuation is pretty much even across the frequency spectrum, but I do find that in a very high noise environment they leave me much more comfortable without either costing a second mortgage to buy, or losing all the useful noises completely.

G

[Jetstream Rider]

I disagree, in fact I reckon I could hear more noises from the aircraft with the ANR switched on. Quite a few times I said "What's that noise?" and the Captian couldn't hear it. Tracked one down to the bottom of the flight deck door vibrating and stopped it. The chimes and other aircraft warnings that were not piped through the headset were also easily audible and recognisable. The main frequencies that mine cut out were the low side of the spectrum, but mechanical and other aircraft noises were still there. Voices outside the headset were also easily understandable. Genghis has a point though, but outside test flying I think ANR is infinitely preferable to ear plugs, going deaf or clamping something to your head.