Headsets for open cockpits
 

This would normally go in Medical and Health but I specifically want to target open-cockpit pilots, so here goes.

After getting the PPL my dream is to graduate onto the Tiger Club's Turbs by way of the Tiger Moth; and yesterday I took the first step by booking a session with one of their check pilots. I've flown open cockpit before, when I was much younger - loved it, and that's why I'm doing it now. I don't have a helmet and goggles so the Club loaned me a set. My Sennheisers weren't compatible as there was a set of 'phones in place in the helmet. I must say, it all looked the part - the mouthpiece clipped loosely in place and the goggles went over my specs no problem. So it was all fine on the ground.

I don't remember much about my joyrides in a Tiger and a Pitts back in '81 so I'd read a bit about flying the Tiger on the web. Nobody mentioned the noise. It was bl***y deafening! :eek: I think the problem was the ill-fitting headset, particularly the mouthpiece. The 80 knot blast came straight into the cockpit and was amplified by my mouthpiece. The check pilot was excellent - he shouted slowly and clearly and I divined just about everything he wanted me to do.

Now I suffer from low-level background tinnitus. Despite my being a musician it never bothers me and I forget it from month to month. Midway during yesterday's sortie I could not so much hear as feel my head ringing, and I knew I was going to be in for a session once we got down. And so it was. My tinnitus had upgraded itself to 'in your face' and 'full on'. There was no telling how long it was going to last. Well I'm now typing this twenty four hours later and the noise hasd subsided to a sulky 'almost background' level once again, and I'm a worried man.

Now that I've finally reached the stage when I can fly what I want to fly am I going to be stopped by tinnitus? Or will a better headset cure the problem? I never get this problem with my bog-standard Sennheisers in spamcans.

Tinnitus is range sensitive. The noise from a Tiger is a combination of wind noise and engine /prop noise and varies in frequency to say, a pa28 cabin noise.
You can get your GP to send you to a hearing clinic at your local hospital where they will check you out for a modern hearing aid. These are incredible things nowadays and are computer controlled. The test will identify your problem frequencies and the hearing aid can be set to combat them by anti-noise effectively the same as noise cancelling headphones.
My Partner recently went this route for tinnitus, and it doesn't cure the condition but it sure makes it bearable !

When I used to fly a Turb, I developed temporary tinnitis, as the exhaust was very close to the cockpit side and was one of the noisier ones.

I was advised to get a decent ANR headset, but funds didn't permit. What did help though was a decent helmet that made things a lot quieter and helped with the background noise.

Notwithstanding what others have posted I suspect it's mostly an equipment issue. You should be able to get the squelch to stop background noise coming through the mic, and the headset should fit.

A trick I employ when flying particularly noisy planes (mainly pitts) is to put good noise blocking earplugs in then put the headset over the top and turn up the volume on the intercom/radio. You still get the intercom, but it cuts the background down. Requires some negotiation if flying dual!

I have found that the noise level differs a lot depending on the type of open aeroplane. I think on most types wind noise will be the major factor.

I've flown a short flight as a passenger in a Tigre engined Bucker Jungmann without headset and it was absolutely deafening. On the next flight with a decent headset it was still pretty loud after a while. On the other hand I've flown a Fleet 7 wich has a very loud Kinner engine, but the noise level is never a problem really. The main difference is that the Jungmann has a much higher cruising speed, thus generating a lot more wind noise. In the Pitts S-2B noise wasn't much of a problem.

If possible, sitting a little lower in de cockpit might help too.

You will have to experiment with different headsets but it should be possible to find a combination that isn't a health hazard. Longer flights can't be good for your hearing though.

By coincidence I looked in the Tiger Club's house magazine today and found an article in the difficulties of intercom in the "demanding environment that is the Tiger cockpit". They recommend David Clarke 10/13.4s with a cloth or leather helmet from Transair. The headsets are about £200 from Sporty's, or £270 from Pooleys. Either way a big chunk from my flying funds! Anyone had experience with this setup?

Mark, I certainly will try earplugs - I use them when teaching drums.

I forgot I did use earplugs as well.

I was not happy with the prices for either the leather or cloth helmet, but got mine from the States. It has cutouts for my DC headset and cost £50 - arrived in 4 days from California. Don't even think of buying them in the UK.....!!!

Kev,

The Tiger Club were always fairly traditional and used RAF type cloth helmets and Oxy masks/mics in their Tiger Moths. They've become all 'modern' recently and now the aeroplanes are configured for 'modern' headsets. Noise attenuation is paramount, but not too much that you can't hear subtle changes in the engine note.

I use a DC headset in a leather helmet in both aircraft now. When flying the Turb, I have an ANR system attached and just hope the battery doesn't run out mid flight ;-) Years of flying open cockpit aeroplanes, sometimes with no earplugs or helmet, has certainly affected my hearing:{

So a good set of noise attenuating headsets in a cloth or leather helmet will be adequate.











PS The Tiger Club's radios have always been crap.....

We use the Lynx system orginally designed for microlights in our fleet of Tigers and they work brilliantly.

They are self powered headsets in a leather flying helmet and the intercom and radio connect via a separate box. The comms is crystal clear.

Steve

Ive had good results with Lynx as well but quite expensive time you've got all the bits and pieces that go with them.
I used Harry Mendelssohn's own make ( pilot clones ) in the Hatz with leather helmets.( Also from him) .The helmets seem to pull the headsets on better than just sitting on your head and deffo quieter.Much cheaper that DC's and still using them (years later..sans helmet) in the RV.
Ive always had excellent service from Harry over the years...wouldn't go anywhere else.When you phone for advice its always available if you are spending £5 or £500. Better than talking to some pimply scroat that doesn't know an intercom from an MP3 player!:ok:

Microavionics do an excellent ANR headset which will also fit into a leather helmet.

MicroAvionics - Intercoms, Headsets and Accessories for ULM Aviation

Kev,

I would ask around the club and see if you can find someone who will let you "test drive" before you buy. It's also worth doing the test with whichever check pilot you are intending to fly most with (if you have a strong preference that is) - the Tiger's intercoms can be fine with some combinations of headsets and awful with others.

Also, although it's a big hit, it might be worth looking at a helmet. A number of the Turb Team wear them and it would make sense, if there is any chance that you will want one in the future, to get it now - thus saving the expense of the cloth/leather version. It won't look out of place (as long as you don't wear it in the Cub or Jodel :O).

OC619

Didn't the original Tiger Moths have voice pipes?
One I used to fly in as a passenger had throat mikes,ear piece in cloff 'elmet and I couldn't hear a thing.
Lister:)

Gosport Tubes, Lister. How they coped with that arrangement, Lord knows! But they all seemed to............

My solution is an easy one and as far as I can tell the best. I have tried most of the ANR sets on the market and found them all to fall over with either wind on the mic or sunglasses breaking the ear seal.

Get a set of small earbud with a good seal - sony models all work well. The buy an adapter to change the large plug on the panel to the small female jack the headsets expect (3.5mm plug to 2.5mm socket)

Put your regular headset over your ears when you already have the bud headsets on. Don't connect the headset audio jack just use the buds to hear. Both the main headset and the buds provide great protection and the bud deliver clear sound at low volumes.

If your panel is mono then either a new stereo panel jack is needed with L and R both fed from the one line from the radio / intercom or do what I did and solder up a plug and jack that converts the size and mono to stero in one go.

I fly this setup in a very loud and windy open cockpit a *lot* and am very happy with no longer going deaf after each flight!

OC619 do you mean a bone dome type of thing?

Yup.

OC619

That's an interesting thought.. I use some etymotic (mid-range audiophile type inner ear monitors) that claim 41db noise isolation; certainly work on the tube, never thought of trying them in the plane!

Etymotic Research
 

I would second that. The Etymotic ER-4S has noise isolation up to 41dB, a clear response accuracy and can reach more than sufficient sound levels (122 dB SPL!).

I use a pair of Etymotic ER-4 in very noisy situations and they work brilliantly but I've not tried them in an open cockpit situation.

Mike

Right, you're losing me, guys! I don't do MP3s or whatever, so I'm not au fait with earpece types: I'm resigned to having to shell out for a good clarity/ear protection combination but I have to know what I'm doing. Do these Etymotic thingies work inside protective headphones, or are they stand-alone, as it were? And how compatible would they be with the Tiger's radios?

Keep the ideas coming! - we may be on the way to a radical solution..........:ok: