Originally Posted by
Big E 757
The problem with the noise cancelling headsets is we don't have an intercom so you will probably move one earphone off your ear so you can hear your Captain/FO, thus negating half the benefit of the headset so I wouldn't be dropping $1000 on a Bose headset.
On my last trip, the Captain had just bought a fancy, wireless, noise cancelling headset. The thing was monstrous, and he was trying to find a place on his head, other than his right ear, to put the inboard ear cup. I decided then and there, until Delta equips my fleet with an intercom system, I'll stick with my telex 850 and if the airplane I'm on is really noisy, I'll put an earplug in my exposed ear.
Just my 2 cents
Well actually, we DO have an intercom on the 73. The problem is most Captains I fly with (can't speak for other FO's) won't use it. There's a switch on the yoke and one on the comm panel by your outboard thigh. Not that hard to use really, but most don't like it. What we don't have is "hot mic". The newest 900's do, but I doubt there will be a retrofit.
I am a year 1 guy, so I use the free headset with an earplug in my headset ear, and a loose one in my "Captain" ear. It's not crazy loud, but some phases of flight are worse than others. Add a lot of "senior" pilots (great guys, though, and I hope to live that long), and you end up with some loud conversations...