I thought everyone wore pale green, David Clark's... ....>>>

http://www.davidclark.com/

You are not a real Pilot until you are seen in public sporting a pair of those!... ...!

ENC, Noise-cancelling headsets are the type you need...and these are expensive, by design!

Your Flight Instructor will probably be able to advise on a suitable headphone set, to suit your pocket.

Paul... ..!

Oh...and don't forget the expensive..."Shades"

I have a David Clark H10-60, it's never failed me. I wouldn't say I've had it for a long time, I started flying in 2008, and it gets used on a very regular basis, haha. The key is in taking care of your headset. I had a friend who used to put his in his bag, and then he'd just toss his bag about, either forgetting the headset was in there, or believing it was safe because it was inside something. Needless to say, he went through a different one all three years of college, haha, and although he's a flight dispatcher for the time being, he probably doesn't have the same headset I last saw him with, haha
So, an important rule you will learn, if you take care of your stuff, it will most likely take care of you. Enjoy flying.

C wrote on Apr 16^th, 2012 at 11:56am:


Last I knew Tcco was going to a university for flight training.  Most of them don't provide headsets, it is a requirement of the syllabus you get your own usually.  And seeing as he is hoping to go down the road to be a professional pilot, it wouldn't hurt to invest in a decent headset. 

I don't have a $1000 either to blow on a headset, but have borrowed a Bose a few times and have a hard time going back.

tcco94 wrote on Apr 17^th, 2012 at 5:47pm:


Honestly, here is what I would recommend as a good quality, comfortable headset if I were in your shoes, and I was 12 years ago and still use this headset regularly. 

http://www.sportys.com/PilotShop/product/9014

As for the active noise reduction (ANR) headsets, they are much more expensive, but do work quite well.  If you've never used one, you won't know what you are missing.  But unless your parents have tons of money to buy you anything you want, I doubt you could justify spending the money to get a good ANR headset.  The cheaper ANR headsets out there, in my opinion, are not that much better than a passive headset like the above DC.

Here is a link that explains what ANR is and how it works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_noise_control

Active noise reduction is not really a "must have"... but it is really nice to have. REALLY nice. Good ANR doesn't just block out sound more; it selectively reduces the most annoying and harmful sounds. Some pilots claim they're "too quiet", but the first time I used ANR, it was in the front hole of a Stearman, and it was amazing, to me, how much better I could hear the moving parts of the engine over the roar of the exhaust and the wind. and of course, with ANR, the "roar" was more like "sssshhhh". 

But again, ANR is not vital; good passive noise reduction is enough just to protect your hearing. Compare specs; you may see some cheaper passive headsets that have very good noise reduction without the fancy electronics.

I'd suggest you buy a more modest set now (but try to avoid buying anything you can't wear first, to see if you like it)... that can become your backup/passenger set later, when you upgrade. Priorities should be light weight and good passive noise reduction, within your budget.

My 15-yr-old Telex headset has always worked fine, and its passive noise reduction rating is actually a little better than my new Bose ANR set (with the ANR off). It is fine for passengers, or for me if something happens to the Bose set. the main difference is that they are a lot heavier (as headsets go). I would probably have bought a lighter passive set to replace it, but I got an "insider" deal on the Bose set and couldn't resist.

Another thing to consider is finding a good used headset... you might find a great deal on something you couldn't afford brand new. If you find such a deal online, see if you can find the same or similar model at a pilot shop and try them on first. Fit is important... everyone's head is different, and if you wear prescription glasses or sunglasses when flying, be sure to have some glasses with you when trying on headsets (or try on some new sunglasses too, LOL).

Whatever you do, don't just buy the cheapest new headset you can find... you really do "get what you pay for" with headsets.

& don't forget to check out 2nd hand ... the ones on ebay or maybe advertised on your club noticeboard. I got a great set there including noise canceling (which is good) for 25% of new price .... & it was barely used and came with a helicopter adapter too ...

tcco94 wrote on Apr 18^th, 2012 at 3:15am:


Well, while it might be overkill for a beginning pilot, IF you have $1000 to kill, I'd highly suggest the Bose A20.  I've had the opportunity to borrow one a few times, and I've gotten spoiled.  Very lightweight, comfortable, and excellent noise reduction.

Or you could just buy the $300 DC and send me the other $700.