P I L O T ’ S G U I D E

Comfort FeaturesThere are a number of fea-

tures that make headsets morecomfortable to wear. The firstand usually most noticed is theweight of the headset. The heav-ier the headset, the more thatweight must be distributed acrossyour head, and the more impor-tant other comfort features suchas head pads become. Lighterweight headsets are not neces-sarily less effective than heavierversions, but there are sometrade offs that are made in thedesign.

Head pads are used to distrib-ute the weight of the headsetacross the top of your head.Their design is varied betweenheadset models, and rangesfrom ridged vinyl-covered foam,to some that are covered withthick, soft sheepskin over similarfoam pads. Depending on theheadset, you may find one head-pad works well, while anotherleaves “hot spots” on your head.

Ear seals distribute the clamp-ing forces of the headset acrossyour ears. The material of the earseals varies from foam filled, tovery thick foam, to liquid filledseals. Liquid filled seals are con-sidered better for people whowear glasses, as the liquid sealconform around the temple barsbetter than foam does. We haveworn headsets with the entiregamut of ear seals, and have

W hen pilots first start tolearn to fly, they fre-quently are interested in

buying a set of headsets. Apartfrom the fact that they are morecomfortable than earplugs, head-sets provide better communica-tions in the cockpit, whichenhances the safety of flight andreduces the learning curve fornew pilots.

Since headsets cost anywherefrom $150 to $1,000, everyonewants to make the right decisionthe first time. In an effort to assistpilots, the Aircraft ElectronicsAssociation has put together thisheadset primer. It is our goal toprovide you with the informationyou need to make the right deci-sion from the wide array of fea-tures that are available in head-sets today.

ComfortThe most

important fea-ture in head-sets is howcomfortablethey are onyour head.Everyonehas a differ-ent shapedhead, and aheadset thatfits your friendmay be nothingbut a pain to

you. Thus, no mat-ter which head-set you want tobuy, you need totry it on firstbefore youbuy it! Theinterestingthing abouttrying onheadsetsis that youcan usually pickout a bad fit within 15 minutes ofwearing a pair, but you can’t besure of a good fit for at least anhour of wearing a pair.

Getting that hour can be diffi-cult, but it isn’t impossible. Startby trying on pairs that interestyou at your local avionics orpilot’s shop, or while you areattending an airshow. If a chair isprovided, sit down and buy abook or magazine from the shopto pass the time. If you can readfor an hour without having toreach up and fiddle around toomuch, the headset should workwell for you.

If all else fails, you can rely onthe money back comfort guaran-tees available from most headsetvendors. While you should stilltry on the pair before you buythem, the 30-day return policyallows you some recourse in theevent your initial fit doesn’t workout as well as you had hoped.

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How to Choose a HeadsetB Y G E O R G E W I L H L E M S E N

found that all are fairly comfort-able, so again, this goes more toindividual preference than any-thing else.

Speakers and Mics and BoomsThe speaker in your headset is

the heart of the audio reproduc-tion system. The speakers areresponsible for the quality of theaudio that is reproduced in yourheadset, and need a good fre-quency response. Mics aremounted on a boom, which isused to position the mic in frontof your mouth. The mic is asimportant as the boom, sincewithout a good mic, you won’tget good audio reproduction,while without a good boom, thebest mic in the world won’t be inthe right place, and you’ll stillsound not as good as you mightotherwise. For mics, you arelooking for electret versions, withgood frequency response.

To get an idea of what theheadset will sound like, hook itup to an intercom system, andyou will be able to listen to howyou sound. There are subtle dif-ferences between the variousbrands in both speakers andmics, so look for the one thatreproduces your voice in themanner you most like. If the shophas music available, lis-ten to the music toget a feeling forthe quality ofaudio reproduc-tion that theheadset willprovide.

Amicmuff isprovid-

ed with mostheadsets, andmuffles anywind noisesand popsfrom yourbreath. Ifyour head-set doesnotcomewith amicmuff, we strongly recommendyou buy one.

The cost is more than worththe reduction in annoying noisesthe muff prevents.

Aside from that, the mic boompositions the mic in front of yourmouth. There are wire booms,flex booms, and combination flexand wire booms, all of which aredesigned to allow you to put themic in front of your mouth, and toeasily move it when you need to,such as when you want to take asip of water, or grab a snackwhile in flight. Look for the boomthat will work best for you.

ANR versus PNRANR, or Active Noise

Reduction (also known as BNE,ENC, and a few other acronyms),involves the use of sophisticatedelectronics to cancel out theloud, low frequency noise pres-ent in aircraft, along with sealsover the ears. These marvelscan be more comfortable overthe long haul, since they reducethe level of fatigue inducing noisein your ears.

ANR headsets are more effec-tive at reducing noise, and as aresult, are more expensive thantheir passive brethren. ANR

headsets require power for themost part to function. This meansyou will either need to connectthem to battery packs, or with aninstalled panel power module.Most vendors have achieved 40hours or more between batterychanges.

PNR, or passive noise reduc-tion headsets, depend on insula-tion in the ear cups, and sealingover the ears to keep those loudnoises out. The ear cups sealover the ears with a variety ofmethods, but generally dependon clamping pressure combinedwith the insulation and the earseals to reduce the noise levels.No matter which pair you choose,your cockpit communications withATC personnel or with other pas-sengers will be greatly enhancedwith the addition of headsets.

With this said, we do have asuggestion. Since hearing loss isnot reversible by today’s medicaltechnology, you should buy themost comfortable headsets withthe best noise reduction rating(NRR) you can afford. By takingthis approach, you will do thebest towards conserving yourprecious hearing.

Wires and PlugsThe wires of headsets are

important, because the wrongcombination of wires and cableswill mean that the headsets don’tlast as long. Generally speaking,the more strands of wire in thecable, the more flexible the cablewill be, and the longer it will lastin service.

The connecting plugs rangefrom brass to chrome to goldplated plugs. Brass is not a noble

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Continued on following page…

metal, and will oxidize and cor-rode over time.Thismeansyou mayneed topull andpush inyourheadsetplugs afew times ifthe connection getsfuzzy.

Chrome and gold don’t experi-ence this problem, with gold get-ting the nod for its noble, non-corrosive nature as the bestmaterial for connecting plugs.

Handy FeaturesSome headset brands include

extra value features, to maketheir headsets more usable.These include adapters betweenhelicopter connectors and air-plane connectors (for some rea-son, they are different—go fig-ure!) and a push to talk switchbuilt in to the headset.

Stereo/mono selectable head-sets are available as well, andsince you can’t predict the future,we would suggest you get a setthat is switchable over one that isnot.

WarrantyThe warranty on headsets

varies by manufacturer and evenby model in some cases. Thelonger the warranty is, the longerthe protection you have againstproblems. It is interesting to notethat we have never made a war-ranty call on a headset we have

owned. Take that as you will, butover the past decade we haveowned a good number of head-sets, and they all work just aswell as the day we took them outof the box.

By considering all the featuresabove, you should be in the rightposition to figure out which head-set is right for you. The most crit-ical part of this decision is findingthe headset that feels the beston your head, and then buying it.Comfort and noise reduction arethe most critical aspects of aheadset, so be sure to find a pairthat meet your needs. With cor-rectly selected headsets, you willbe able to enjoy flying more thanever before, with better commu-nications. �

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HOW TO CHOOSE A HEADSETContinued from page 2Proper Mic

PlacementBelieve it or not, the proper

placement of the microphone

in front of your mouth is criti-

cal on headsets. The mic ele-

ment is very directional, and

thus is sensitive to the dis-

tance between your lips and

the mic. If the mic is too far

away, or is angled below or

above your lips, the people

you are talking to will have a

hard time hearing you, which

means you will be frustrated

by requests to repeat your

transmissions. Instructions

vary between headset ven-

dors, so be sure to check

yours before using your head-

sets. As a good rule of thumb,

a distance of around a quarter

of an inch between your lips

and the mic is usually about

right. The mic should be

square and in front of your

mouth. With the mic in this

location, speak in a clear tone

to get the best reproduction

and sound output on the mic.

Using a mic muff is also a

good idea - the muff will help

cut out any “popped” P1’s that

might escape your lips in the

course of airborne communi-

cations, and in doing so, make

your communications as clear

as possible.