Noise cancelling headset
Noise cancelling technology was definitely a game changer. Almost every headset has them now, but I remember when they first started out. They didn’t quite work on helicopters, especially with two bladed systems and flying with the doors off. At least mine didn’t, haha. It was overcompensating for the rotor-slap and it felt like somebody was standing behind me slapping me on both ears simultaneously in the rhythm of the rotor-slap just slightly out of sync. I had spent all that money, never used them, and didn’t trust them for years.
I re-invested in this technology for the second time about 5 years ago, and now I cannot live without them anymore. They truly are the best thing ever. Protect your ears, young pilots! It’s something I wish I had paid more attention to over the years. It is now catching up with me.
Mike
What? Can’t hear you over the tinnitus.
Actually, my tinnitus is not that loud, and I do still have a lot of my hearing. Mine comes from a vary loud racecar, and a mahoosive ear infection, not my working at the FBOs at the turn of the century. Depending on my condition the tone is approximate what they used for ear ringing in the Saboton video for Christmas Truce. I watched the video several times before realizing the ringing was on screen, not just in my head.
I went to a ear specialist once for a bad ear infection, and they were going to check for hearing loss. The doctor asked what I did for a living, when I answered I was in aviation, he said “Yeah you have hearing loss. “