Flight Training - March/April 2020 - 56

ADVANCED PILOT PRODUCTS

BOSE PROFLIGHT
SERIES 2
TAKING LIGHTWEIGHT TO A NEW LEVEL
BY THOMAS B. HAINES

WHEN IT COMES TO AVIATION GEAR,

there is no more personal choice than
a headset. Bose has been a comfort and
technology leader since it first developed active noise-attenuating headsets
30 years ago. Its latest offering builds on
that legendary technology and leverages
the one thing about headsets that all can
agree upon: Lighter is better.
The Bose ProFlight Series 2 is the
follow-on product to the ProFlight model
introduced in early 2018. Especially
designed for those flying in turbine cockpits, ProFlight is a major departure from
the more traditional over-the-ear headsets
normally associated with Bose and most
other manufacturers. Weighing only 4.5

The unit is
certified under
a technical
standard order,
so it is permitted
for use in airliner
cockpits, which
is a major market
for this lightweight
headset. However,
because airline pilots
often are not allowed to use Bluetooth
devices in the cockpit, there is a model
without that feature. You can choose
from traditional dual-plug GA connectors, a six-pin LEMO connector, or a
five-pin XLR connector.

BOSE'S LATEST OFFERING LEVERAGES THE ONE THING
ABOUT HEADSETS THAT ALL CAN AGREE UPON:
LIGHTER IS BETTER.
ounces (about 0.4 ounces less than the
original ProFlight), it rests comfortably on
top of the head, supported in part by two
boomerang-shaped swiveling pads that sit
behind and just above your ears. Ear tips
go inside your ear canals, providing a certain amount of passive noise attenuation.
However, Bose active noise-attenuating
technology then steps in to further quiet
the din of the wind and engine noise.
ProFlight provides three levels of
active noise attenuation, with the lowest
level mostly meant for ground operations
where you want to hear those nearby.
Control of the levels is via a sliding switch
on the control box. The system is powered
by two AA batteries that Bose says will last
about 45 flight hours. Battery life will be
reduced if you use the Bluetooth function.
56  FLIGHT TRAINING MARCH/APRIL 2020

Putting on the headset takes some
time. Getting the ear tips inserted into
your ears takes a minute-and getting
them placed correctly is critical to having
the best experience. The fit is so critical
that Bose supplies three sizes of ear tips
so you can have the best fit possible.
Once positioned correctly, the noise
attenuation does an admirable job of
defeating the noise in a jet cockpit. I tried
it on several flights in a Cessna Citation M2 and found it to be comfortable.
Volume for the radio or intercom input
must be controlled through the panel. The
volume control for the Bluetooth input is
on the side of the control box. I found it
necessary to turn the radio and intercom
volumes up to higher settings than we use
when wearing a more traditional headset.

The electret microphone is easily
positioned and can be moved easily from
the left to the right side. And, as you might
expect from Bose, the audio sounds great.
The most clever feature is the tap
control for talk-through communication.
This was a new feature on the original
ProFlight and has been improved on
the Series 2. Tap control allows you to
turn off noise attenuation on either ear
individually by double-tapping an ear
tip-or really anywhere on or near your
ear. It is the pressure change that causes
the system to shut off the attenuation in
that ear. The feature makes it easy for
the left-seater to turn off the attenuation
in the right ear, for example, to speak to
a passenger or other crewmember who
steps into the cockpit. Double-tap again to
turn the attenuation back on.
I also tried the system in a Beechcraft
Bonanza, and the headset is surprisingly
effective in the noisy cockpit of a piston
airplane. It is louder than an over-theear noise-attenuating headset, but for
those desiring a lightweight headset and
the freedom to easily put on and take off
sunglasses-plus missing out on "headset
hair"-the ProFlight is one to consider.
thomas.haines@aopa.org

Price: $1,046 (Bluetooth), $996
(no Bluetooth)
Contact: bose.com
http://www.bose.com
Flight Training - March/April 2020

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