This one, comfortable, rugged, cheap, and good noise attenuation. I flew with one last week that I bought in 2000 and it's still going strong.

G

Thanks so much for the quick reply G, i understand the price, but is the quality still good?

Comparable, in my opinion, with a pair of David Clarkes 3-4 times the price, yes.

A few very noisy aeroplanes I'll choose to borrow the Bose from work, but a couple of hours in most light aeroplanes they're fine. I did about 90 hours last year, and probably 50 of those were wearing this headset, including a couple of fairly noisy old light aeroplanes - without any trouble. Our syndicate aeroplane (big old taildragger) has Peltors in it, but I prefer my HM budgets for comfort and sound quality.

G

Thanks so much! So you reckon they should be fine for the 152 then?

I've flown probably 70 hours in C150s and C152 wearing them, without any trouble or discomfort.

G

Agree with all the above - get your own headset once your sure you will complete the PPL

- also worth getting a fuel tester - handy to have your own, as invariably there wont be one in the aircraft when you need it...

Milton,

I own several flightcom 4DX headsets, and have had them for a number of years. They've been quite robust. I originally bought them for use with an intercom system for students.

I found that while they will work, they weren't as comfortable as I'd have preferred. Or as quiet. Headsets serve two purposes; protect your hearing, and improve communications. A good headset will also make it easier for you to hear important sounds in flight, such as the engine, the slipstream, and certain cockpit noises. Some do this well by filtering out higher frequency sounds, some by active noise attenuation, and some simply passively as a function of being on your head.

With earcup headsets such as the flightcom, I added the Oregon Aero hush kits to every one I own. These are kits of high density foam which augment the foam already in the earcup. They make the headset quieter, and improve the communications capability by making it easier to hear transmissions or intercom sounds.

I also added the oregon aero earseals and headband to each headset. The earseals are made of leather-covered "memory foam," and form to fit my head during use as they warm slightly against my skin. It makes for a much more comfortable fit. I use them inside my helmet, too. The headband is a wide one that distributes the weight of the headset, and pads it with wool. It makes for a much more comfortable wearing of the headset, especially for long periods.

Economically, another step up is the Lightspeed series of headsets, which have much less clamping force on the head, and good audio characteristics. I've owned several. They're not as durable as flightcom or david clark type headsets, but they work well, and they're comfortable.

One of the best headsets you can use is the Bose; the Bose X, or the new A20. I use a QC15 with a uflymic, and it works extremely well. It's comfortable, quiet, and not all that expensive.

If you're going to buy a headset, invest in a good one that will stay with you for a long time. It's worth paying a little extra for a quality headset.

Thanks very much for your reply, could you just have a quick look at these two and tell me what you think? Thanks so much.

Sennheiser HME 95 Passive Headset with Sennheiser Case £150.00


Pilot PA12.8s Passive Headset £150.00

At the moment im sorted for another 10 hours until i get to the navigation stage, then ill fly periodicaly twice a month to do solo navigation. Do you still think it worth getting my headset? TRANSAIR PILOT TA 200 HEADSET WITH FREE HEADSET CASE

I was also checking out this one, what do you think?

I use the Sennheiser one you have listed there. I find it comfortable to wear and it has served me well so far.

Only thing i would say about it is that the volume control box (attached on the leads) is a bit big but can get tucked out the way down the side of your seat.

For a cheap headset, you're better off buying something used off ebay. Seems to be plenty of David Clark, Peltor or Sennheiser headsets on there most of the time. Though I bought a new Sennheiser HME-95 as my first headset. The benefit is that it folds flat and will go in a courier bag/ homo-satchel.

I'd also get an A4 flightboard (with plotter/ protractor/ pen pockets) instead of the A5 ones. I use one side for a plog and the other for plain paper to write down clearances etc.

Don't waste money on a stop watch. The examiner is going to ask you what your ETA is rather than how many minutes are left subtracting from the stop watch. So a regular watch is fine.

Don't buy a chart until you absolutely need it because it will go out of date.

You may want to get a plotter for easier diversion planning, since they will fit in the flight board and do two jobs at once (heading and distance).

Good luck with your training.

Thanks, do you find the sound qaulity and noise cancelling good?

The fold flat HME-95's or the bigger 100's seem fine to me. I've used them both on C150/152/172 without any sound or compatability issues. If your dead set on a new headset either would be a decent choice for £150 - £200.

Noise reduction on the 95's is better than some of the David Clarks I've tried and they are far more comfortable to wear.