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!
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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