Q. I'm a pilot for a major carrier, and I was wondering about which of your products would be best for flight deck pilots? At lower levels, we wear ANR noise cancelling headsets, however once at higher levels, we don't wear headsets. With headsets off, radio comms come through a cockpit speaker and, as a crew, we communicate in regular fashion. But without the headsets, we are exposed to hours of ambient noise which I estimate to be at 40 db.
Our objective is to filter out engine noise while minimally affecting voice and radio. I'd like to remove as much of the engine noise as possible, while being able to hold conversations and hear the radio.
Comfort for 4 to 7 hours is a must. Also, strength and durability with continuous use: 900 hours per year. Clear silicone is visually appealing but not absolutely necessary.
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A. Given that explanation, my top suggestion would be the Mack's High Fidelity Hear Plugs. These are made for Mack's by Dynamic Ear Corporation, one of the top manufacturers of professional musician ear plugs today, and they have the complete package of features you need: they are made of a heat sensitive silicone that softens with body heat for long-lasting comfort, they are low profile for a discrete appearance, and they contain an acoustic filter that lets most frequencies pass through, but with moderate attenuation, so you still hear just about everything but at a nicely reduced volume. Voices will still come through clearly. These earplugs also come with two sizes to fit nearly everyone comfortably, and they include a nice carry case, both of which could be very useful for your purposes.
Having said all that, a couple of other standouts you might consider include the following:
- Happy Ears. These get outstanding reviews from our customers. They offer similar attenuation as do the Mack's. Happy Ears come in three sizes, and they are a little less expensive.
- Alpine Musicsafe Pro. These come in just one size, but their design is quite flexible so they tend to fit most adults comfortably, and the silicone softens just like the Mack's. One reason I suggest this is that with MusicSafe Pro, you get three different sets of filters that give you a choice of attenuation levels. This is a degree of control that you cannot get with most other musician ear plugs. Additionally, the method of sound attenuation used is a precisely-designed acoustic vent that, as a bonus, also regulates the rate of air flow into and out of the ear canal as the pressure in the cabin changes, mitigating the effects of rapid altitude changes on your ears.
Ultimately, though, almost any of the musician ear plugs will suit your situation nicely - and the different filters, sizes, and other features available from different models will likely result in various crew members finding they have different favorites. Given the extent of your potential usage, experimenting with several would be well worth the effort for each of your crew members. Ears are as unique as fingerprints, so it's likely that each person will ultimately have to do their own experimentation to find a hearing protector they can enjoy wearing... for the next 900 hours. But now you have some excellent places to start.
I hope this helps in your search for the perfect flight deck pilot ear plug!
Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.
Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore
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