Hearing Aids
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: 75' from the runway edge and 150' from the threshold
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59 weeks
PN
Many thanks for the heads up on both Specsavers and the VA. I was unaware that I could make a claim for hearing damage, as I had been advised by a solicitor that, as most of my time in the RAF was covered by Crown Indemnity, I wouldn't be able to claim. Having visited the VA site I will now be putting a claim in.
I have several hearing problems the most debilitating being severe tinnitus. As audiology is not contracted out by my local health trust I have been referred by my GP for an audiology consult. I am now 24 weeks into a [B]59 Week Waiting List.[B] We have no NHS as such in Northern Ireland, rather a combined Health & Social care agency, but, of course, there is no executive in place and the HSA will probably be running out of money soon.
After 22 years of working on airfields both as an SAC out laying Glims and LE58s and other such jobs with no ear defenders, or working as a Runway Controller, originally in the old Commer 'vans with absolutely no soundproofing or the newer but almost equally noisy caravans I would think that I am eligible for, at least a grant to cover the cost of a decent hearing aid. Either that or its back to my wifes home village of Dunscroft and pop down to SS in Donny and get the taxpayers of the Soviet Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire (A Nuclear Free Zone, IIRC) to pay for it.
Many thanks for the heads up on both Specsavers and the VA. I was unaware that I could make a claim for hearing damage, as I had been advised by a solicitor that, as most of my time in the RAF was covered by Crown Indemnity, I wouldn't be able to claim. Having visited the VA site I will now be putting a claim in.
I have several hearing problems the most debilitating being severe tinnitus. As audiology is not contracted out by my local health trust I have been referred by my GP for an audiology consult. I am now 24 weeks into a [B]59 Week Waiting List.[B] We have no NHS as such in Northern Ireland, rather a combined Health & Social care agency, but, of course, there is no executive in place and the HSA will probably be running out of money soon.
After 22 years of working on airfields both as an SAC out laying Glims and LE58s and other such jobs with no ear defenders, or working as a Runway Controller, originally in the old Commer 'vans with absolutely no soundproofing or the newer but almost equally noisy caravans I would think that I am eligible for, at least a grant to cover the cost of a decent hearing aid. Either that or its back to my wifes home village of Dunscroft and pop down to SS in Donny and get the taxpayers of the Soviet Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire (A Nuclear Free Zone, IIRC) to pay for it.
I was unaware that I could make a claim for hearing damage, as I had been advised by a solicitor that, as most of my time in the RAF was covered by Crown Indemnity, I wouldn't be able to claim.
Last edited by tucumseh; 7th Oct 2017 at 14:07.
Please have I got this right?
[I am another victim, probably three years of Lightnings and Hunters at EDUO, my MQ was rather near the threshold!]
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DGAC, interesting though I have a free veterans oyster card as I have a disability pension.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
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ACW, read BrianWs post above. The SSRD have retained audiology in_house.
Your difficulty will be to get agreement that you have noise induced hearing loss and not age induced.
The Veterans Agency will try and assess any loss at below 20%, I got a grant 17 years ago of £4.5k with 15%.
A friend ex lightning got nothing.
As Tuc said, the litigation clock started in 1996. Actually I know people who got more cash earlier than that.
In the 60s we were actively ordered not to wear ear defenders as we could not hear shouted warnings. In the 70s there were trials to replace lightweight headsets that only carried the earphone with noise reducing one's. In the 80s we had these but they were only used in the aircraft. In the 90s paranoia and you wear them on the apron.
If you didn't have any, tough. At Coningsby, going between the WOC and Ops you were in a concrete chasm that amplified jet noise but no ear defenders.
Truth be it known, but my problem probably originated at school when firing a 303 in a quarry.
Your difficulty will be to get agreement that you have noise induced hearing loss and not age induced.
The Veterans Agency will try and assess any loss at below 20%, I got a grant 17 years ago of £4.5k with 15%.
A friend ex lightning got nothing.
As Tuc said, the litigation clock started in 1996. Actually I know people who got more cash earlier than that.
In the 60s we were actively ordered not to wear ear defenders as we could not hear shouted warnings. In the 70s there were trials to replace lightweight headsets that only carried the earphone with noise reducing one's. In the 80s we had these but they were only used in the aircraft. In the 90s paranoia and you wear them on the apron.
If you didn't have any, tough. At Coningsby, going between the WOC and Ops you were in a concrete chasm that amplified jet noise but no ear defenders.
Truth be it known, but my problem probably originated at school when firing a 303 in a quarry.
Join Date: Mar 2010
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PN ... I tried for hearing disability assessment when I retired. I was not deaf enough, but the specialist said my frequency loss (2-4 mhz?) was apparently classic .303. My fault, possibly. I used to clear hangovers at CATCS by begging a few rounds from the ATC on Saturday mornings!!
PN I believe you are correct. Before about 1998 it was very difficult to find out what R&D was being conducted. Then it was all put on a database, so (in theory) you can now search by key word, and avoid reinventing the wheel. If I recall, a Group Captain in Main Building ran an Applied Research Package into ANR in the 80s, but his remit was for RAF Harrier only. They had difficulty integrating it into the helmet and work ceased. No process existed for others to pick it up. In 1994 I had to phone round and stumbled across this chap, who passed me all his old work. It transpired a company had carried on with development, and owned the IPR for what was inside the earshells, but not the circuit design itself, which was ours. The first production version used battery boxes, then it was fully integrated into aircraft power and comms - with the helmet becoming a comms system LRU as well as AEA.
Generally speaking, Analog ANR is aircraft type and, often, Mark specific. Anyone selling a generic aircrew ANR is having a laugh. The only exception I came across was Sea Harrier and Sea King AEW could use the same one, as the damaging frequencies just happened to be the same, but from a different source. MoD's Digital ANR was designed by 1999, the idea being a single helmet mod, and you blew the EPROM for whatever aircraft you were using that day. Analog met the old 85dB(A) requirement, DANR the new 75dB(A).
The MoD-wide noise protection business case was submitted on 1st August 1998. Don't know what became of it, but I know alternative technology is now used which wasn't physically small enough at the time.
Generally speaking, Analog ANR is aircraft type and, often, Mark specific. Anyone selling a generic aircrew ANR is having a laugh. The only exception I came across was Sea Harrier and Sea King AEW could use the same one, as the damaging frequencies just happened to be the same, but from a different source. MoD's Digital ANR was designed by 1999, the idea being a single helmet mod, and you blew the EPROM for whatever aircraft you were using that day. Analog met the old 85dB(A) requirement, DANR the new 75dB(A).
The MoD-wide noise protection business case was submitted on 1st August 1998. Don't know what became of it, but I know alternative technology is now used which wasn't physically small enough at the time.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Thread Starter
TUC which moves smartly to ANR Headphones for passenger use. Flying Emirates I certainly found some noise reductions when their headsets were powered up.
What about lost cost personal ones? Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones Wireless Earphones Headset | eBay
What about lost cost personal ones? Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones Wireless Earphones Headset | eBay
If anyone cares to look on post 3167 of the 'Global Aviation Hercules ' thread you will see page one of a noise trial done on the C130K.
Despite working on the Javelin, Hunter and Lightning plus 30 years flying in the C130K my hearing has stood up remarkably well. It is my wife who needs the TV sound turned up not me !
Despite working on the Javelin, Hunter and Lightning plus 30 years flying in the C130K my hearing has stood up remarkably well. It is my wife who needs the TV sound turned up not me !
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AA, hearing loss incideous. First noticed mine when flying in the Nimrod. My other nav, ex-Shack, had accute hearing and could pluck a weak radio call out of the ether. OTOH a 17,000 hr Shack and Nimrod pilot became so deaf as to be grounded.
I know we did everything we could to avoid the Quacks which might threaten our flying status. With hindsight I don't know why Serving aircrew could not have hearing aids.
I know we did everything we could to avoid the Quacks which might threaten our flying status. With hindsight I don't know why Serving aircrew could not have hearing aids.
Last edited by Pontius Navigator; 8th Oct 2017 at 17:56.
Alas I too suffer from too many years of Griffons either side of my eardrums. Of note shortly after the AEW came into service I took one to Boscombe for various trials, the final one being a noise assessment in the cockpit and Nav/Eng compartment. After orbiting a well known landmark (Arthur's Tower) for some time, we were asked to return to BD at maximum power. Max rpm and water meth engaged was certainly one hell of a noise, we exceeded Vne by xx knots, and on completion the boffin declared that the noise level was above acceptable limits - for a blast furnace! The results were not published!
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I spent my entire service, 9 years, as Shack groundcrew involving many starter crew, engine runs and a not insignificant number of hours as a passenger on detachments. On a periodic medical for offshore work I was warned I could fail the next one due to hearing loss. I applied for a pension and was turned down. On appeal I and my BL helper faced a panel of 6 or 7 people including a lawyer and a medical hearing expert and lost again. The reason given was that once removed from the high noise source no further hearing loss occurs.
The good thing is for the appeal MoD provide you with medical and service records. Had it not been for those records I would never have known I had served in Germany.
The good thing is for the appeal MoD provide you with medical and service records. Had it not been for those records I would never have known I had served in Germany.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
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Indeed my award specified that no further deterioration could be attributed to the initial noise induced hearing loss. I was 'lucky' for at that time they were giving some compensation. I can't recall now the ratings. I was awarded 19% which covered by back and my hearing.
Join Date: Mar 2010
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Say again PN. Yes I got the Aviation Medicine people saying I had hearing loss and I didn't care for the postings I got after that. I got given good remote controlled hearing aids - but now I need new ones.
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RF, Remote control are a great idea and essential for In The Ear though it gives you something extra to lose 
The NHS does not do ITE as far as I know with one exception and that is people with an ear issue that prevents then wearing a BTE. As for remote, I have no ide if they do that.
Now with mine, with 10 positive volume increments and 4 programs, I am really happy with them In fact a 5th program came in useful in a shop today with very loud and annoying music. Pull the batteries and it was 100% successful in stopping the noise.
The NHS does not do ITE as far as I know with one exception and that is people with an ear issue that prevents then wearing a BTE. As for remote, I have no ide if they do that.
Now with mine, with 10 positive volume increments and 4 programs, I am really happy with them In fact a 5th program came in useful in a shop today with very loud and annoying music. Pull the batteries and it was 100% successful in stopping the noise.
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PN the advantage with the remote (in a leather pouch on my belt) is that I can instantly turn off irritating music/other people's children/female chatter - then the in-ear aids just act as ear plugs
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RF, very true. Only by opening the battery ports can I get blissful silence when MiL visits.
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PN ... I tried for hearing disability assessment when I retired. I was not deaf enough, but the specialist said my frequency loss (2-4 mhz?) was apparently classic .303. My fault, possibly. I used to clear hangovers at CATCS by begging a few rounds from the ATC on Saturday mornings!!