Plane Facts: Headsets

Aviation headsets have a long and fascinating history, and for good reason.

For younger pilots these days, wearing a headset is simply something you do, and few think much about it after donning the domes and hitting the active noise cancelling switch (if so equipped, and most are these days). But headsets represent a sea change in aviation safety one that's often overlooked because, well, because hearing health is little understood and appreciated. But the truth is, many older pilots, and that's not a small club, started flying without any hearing protection at all, and our hearing has suffered as a result. Headsets, which didn't begin to be widely used until the 1980s, have helped preserve the hearing for hundreds of thousands of pilots, those who take them for granted and those who know how important they are. And headsets have been around for almost as long as aviation has been. That fact, and many other fascinating tidbits follow! 

Pilot headset and other tools in hdr tone mapping effect

First aviation headset: 1910

Number sold to U.S. military: ~100

Main problem with early models: Heavy, little to no noise reduction

First lightweight, over-the-ear headsets: MS-50, 1961

Developers: Pilots Courtney Graham & Keith Larkin

Company founded by Graham and Larkin: Pacific Plantronics Inc.

Historic first use: NASA's 1969 Apollo 11 mission

Modern headset types: Passive Noise Reduction (PNR), Active Noise Reduction (ANR)

How PNR works: High-density, sound-absorbing material filters out sound waves

First commercially available PNR headsets: David Clark, 1975

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Nickname given to David Clarks: "The Green Domes"

Average noise reduction: 17-20 dB

Noise level in Cessna 172s: 100 dB

Jet engine: 130-160 dB

Level ear rupture may occur: 140 dB

Noise level exposure limit set by OSHA: 8 hours @ 85 dB

Average time airline pilots exposed to cockpit noise each year: 900-1,000 hours

Private pilots: 80-100 hours

Short-term side effects of continuous noise exposure: Fatigue, vertigo, anxiety

Long term: Hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease

Active noise reduction (ANR) headsets: Significantly reduce low-frequency noise

How ANR works: Sound waves created by headset speaker cancels out external sound waves

Concept of ANR conceived: 1930s

Inventor: Dr. Lawrence Jerome Fogel

First patents: 1958-1961

First commercially available: 1989, Bose Aviation Headset

Research/development cost of prototype: $50 million

Frequencies blocked: <300 Hz

Ambient noise blocked: ~75%

Average noise reduction: 50 dB

First significant in-flight test: Voyager's nonstop flight around the world, 1986

Time Voyager pilots exposed to cockpit noise: 9 days, 3 minutes and 44 seconds

Alternate ANR type: Dynamic Noise Reduction (DNR) headsets

Advantages: Lighter, increased noise-canceling via digital electronic technology

Average cost range for ANR/DNR headsets: $250-$1,500

PNR headsets: $60-$600

Bestselling headset companies today: David Clark, Bose, Lightspeed, Faro

Oldest: David Clark, founded 1935

Audio options available: Mono (sound from one ear cup), stereo (sound from both)
ATC radio transmissions: Mono

Purpose of stereo sound capability: Playing music

XM Radio/Bluetooth integration with avionics: Early 2000s

First headset to cut chord via Bluetooth: Airgyro Mach 5

Initial wireless range: 30 feet

Current wireless range: 2,700 feet

Ear most sensitive to noise-related damage: Left

Recommended ear for incoming transmissions: Right

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