sennheiser hmec26 or telex 850

 

Is it really that big of a problem? When I get out of the seat at the end of a flight or a crew swap inflight, I unplug my headset and take it with me. I have a headset case that, if empty when I put it in my bag, will clue me in. Of course, that's aside from the other pilots saying "hey man you left your headset".

For well over 20 years in aviation leaving my headset in an aircraft has never been a problem for me.

 

Is the 767 much louder than the 757? (Have not jumpseated on it).

 

Anything other than a helmet head option? The DC-PRO X look good but.........

 

I flew the 757 and the 767. A simple molded earpiece with a Telex 5X5 (or Plantronics) worked just find for me.

 

Best headset is no headset.

 

I also preferred the single ear custom mold for longer flights and ease of communication. Most often I found the over the head variety were uncomfortable or not used fully (one side moved off the ear). And of course the case of the dreaded headset head.

 

I cringed at the price but I bought the Bose A20 this summer and wish I did it years earlier. I mostly fly 767 freighters and they are loud. Flights can be as short as 30 minutes to 10 hour plus.

I'm a retired Army Reserve Aviator, flew mostly helicopters. Hearing conservation was emphasized from day one of training. I faithfully wore earplugs for my entire career.

On the civian side, I flew CRJs for 7.5 years and wore a Telex with earplugs off and on. Then I got into Boeings in 2007 and have flown 747,757,767 where the bulk of the pilots would rather yell over the ambient noise rather use the intercom. All that effort to keep hearing loss at bay I think was squandered because of my laziness flying these planes.

Now that I'm Captain, I insist that the intercom is used. I love my Bose A20. When I take a break I don a Sony NR headset.

 

It's insane.

And I've flown many times where both of us are wearing expensive ANR headsets, and we STILL pull one ear off and shout at each other, rather than use the intercom.

 

I've flown with a handful of guys on the 757 who use the intercom instead, so nice, specially when briefing an arrival/approach and looking away from each other at the EFB's. You can speak using a normal volume and conserve your ears and vocal chords. When I try using it with guys who aren't used to the intercom, it seems to exasperate them a little, so I stop - at least until I upgrade.