Flight Training - November/December 2021 - 43

it could, while still attempting to fit
the largest number of people possible.
The newest ear seal on the company's
Zulu 3 model is thicker on the bottom
than the top because the jaw area isn't
as flat as the area above the ear, so it
makes a better seal.
These and thousands of other
decisions go into developing a headset.
But as Schrader said, none of it
matters without...
COMFORT
More than performance, price, or
features, the most important factor in
purchasing a headset is comfort. If it
isn't comfortable you won't want to
wear it. And like a helmet, it's useless
if you don't wear it. In fact, Lightspeed
considers its headsets safety
gear, and with wearability being a
primary design consideration, the
parallels are obvious.
This brings up a chicken-andegg
scenario. How do you know if
the headset is comfortable without
trying it, and how do you try it unless
you buy it first? Thankfully many
headset manufacturers and retailers
are motivated to see every pilot find
the perfect headset, so many trial
periods are available. For example,
Lightspeed has a 60-day money back
guarantee on its headsets, and Bose
Aviation offers 60 days, as do Sporty's
and others.
Another option is to go to a big
airshow or large pilot shop and try
multiple models in quick succession.
Then you'll have a better idea what
feels right.
Put the headset on and immediately
note how it feels. Is it heavy, tight
around your ears, feel imbalanced, or
just generally uncomfortable? If so,
move on to another model. Any minor
annoyance after a few minutes will
amplify over a three-hour flight.
STYLE
Aviation headsets come in two basic
styles: over-the-ear and in-ear. Most
pilots choose to fly with over-the-ear,
for reasons that range from historical
to cost. But in-ear headsets have gained
popularity in recent years, and many
pilots of turbine aircraft favor them.
With in-ear headsets you're limited to
a few companies, and not many styles.
Those who like them talk about the
lack of clamping pressure and light
weight as big selling points. Some pilots
have tried in-ear models and don't like
the feeling of having something stuck
in their ears. The band that goes across
the back of the head can be uncomfortable
for some users as well.
Over-the-ear headsets come in
a much wider variety of styles, and
they offer more choice in terms of
functions, price points, company support,
and more. Unlike a lot of other
hobbies where style can be a primary
consideration in everything from
helmets to equipment, headsets don't
offer much in this area. A David Clark
headset will be green, a Bose black, a
Lightspeed silver, and a Faro black or
a carbon fiber weave. We encourage
you to ignore the color and minor
styling cues and instead focus on fit.
Because color isn't much of a choice,
most pilots tend to ignore this aspect,
which takes away the pressure of having
to keep up with the latest trend.
FEATURES
Headset features have two main categories:
method of noise reduction and
Bluetooth. Noise reduction is accomplished
either with passive design
or active software, and Bluetooth is
either integrated or an optional extra.
Most consumers are familiar with
active noise reduction, and it has
become the gold standard in aviation
headset performance. With few
exceptions, headsets tend to have
equal performance across brands. The
companies that do ANR do it well and
effectively target the noise reduction
at the low frequency range from the
droning of the engine and propeller.
And passive noise reduction is also
consistent across the brands, with
minor differences in ear seals, materials,
and so on.
The decision of whether to spring
for ANR comes down to a few factors.
Can you afford it and what type of
flying do you do? ANR will increase the
cost of a headset by at least a few hundred
dollars. If you plan to fly anything
more than about two hours in a day, it
is worth the premium. ANR reduces
fatigue, makes communication easier,
and generally raises the enjoyment of
the experience. Also, because noise
is reduced by software, weight and
clamping pressures are generally lower
on an ANR headset, which makes them
more comfortable to wear.
That said, ANR isn't magic. Certain
airplanes will overwhelm its capabilities,
whether because of wind
buffeting such as in an open-cockpit
aircraft, or noise, such as in certain
aerobatic airplanes. In those cases, a
good passive headset is a better choice.
Unless you fly an airplane with a
power jack (LEMO plug), your headset
will need batteries, so you'll need
to plan ahead. ANR headsets perform
poorly with the feature turned off.
Bluetooth's benefits are less obvious.
Sure, you can listen to music in
your headset, but that hardly seems
worth the premium. The lightbulb
moment occurs the first time you
try to call someone with the engine
running. It's nearly impossible without
Bluetooth. This may not seem
necessary when you're in training.
You shouldn't be making doctor's
appointments and checking in on
grandma while flying, after all. But
there are legitimate reasons to make
phone calls with the engine running,
including calling for an instrument
clearance, phoning an FBO, or checking
in with a trusted mechanic. For
these more critical moments, Bluetooth
is a nice feature to have.
PRICE
Although price is usually a primary
consideration in a purchase, we'd
argue that with a headset, it shouldn't
be high on your list, at least not before
selecting fit, comfort, and features.
Once you narrow down those options,
you won't have too many choices on
price. Passive headsets tend to cost
between $200 and $300, and quality
ANR is $700 to more than $1,000. Of
course, there are exceptions. You can
find headsets for less than $100, and
there are some good ANR headsets for
less than $500. But the reason these
are cheaper is because the materials
aren't as good, the support might be
questionable, and durability could
be an issue. We suggest buying the
most headset you can afford, with the
knowledge that the investment should
last over hundreds of hours of flying.
There's nothing like a headset to
make you feel like a pilot. The joy of
plugging it in before the flight and
carefully wrapping it up afterwards
never fades. Happy shopping. FT
ian.twombly@aopa.org
FLIGHT TRAINING NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021
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Flight Training - November/December 2021

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