How loud is an airplane cockpit?

soleil · Post by **soleil** » Fri May 23, 2014 1:40 am

Hi everyone. This is my first post here!

I am a musician, and because of that, I take really good care of my ears. When I sense that I have to raise my voice above that of a normal, conversational level, I leave the area I am in to a quieter area. That's kind of my rule of thumb concerning how much noise is too much noise.

How loud is a typical cockpit? I am thinking of becoming a pilot when I finish university, and I don't think I'd like to lose my hearing in the first couple of years.

Any help is appreciated.

photofly · Post by **photofly** » Fri May 23, 2014 8:52 pm

I don't think pilots have worse hearing than people in most jobs.

(Avoid anything that uses chainsaws though.)

PilotDAR · Post by **PilotDAR** » Fri May 23, 2014 8:56 pm

I certainly know pilots who are substantially deaf due to hours of flying with no hearing protection. I do not want to be one. Since my PPL training (when headsets were pretty well unheard of), I have always warn a good quality headset (David Clark is my choice, but NOT for their ANC). I still pass the audiogram with no problem, after more than 7000 hours in light aircraft.

It is wise to be concerned, the threat is real, but the prevention is easy too!

CpnCrunch · Post by **CpnCrunch** » Fri May 23, 2014 9:43 pm

If you're concerned about hearing loss, a noise cancelling headset might be the answer:

http://www.avweb.com/news/avionics/1832 ... directed=1

I use a cheap headset and the Cessna 150 makes a hell of a racket on takeoff, although it's not too bad during cruise.

Airbrake · Post by **Airbrake** » Fri May 23, 2014 10:35 pm

The Boeing 737NG's are around 80-84db in the front end.
most of the pilots I fly with are using the Bose A20 or the Sennheiser active noise cancelling headsets.
When I am in the back, I use the Bose QC20i. Aweomse!

black hole · Post by **black hole** » Fri May 23, 2014 11:21 pm

Your a musician and worried about noise in the cockpit??????????????????????????
Last night club I was in: I had to leave after 10 min causa the noise. I got 20 years in piston Otters.

BH

TeePeeCreeper · Post by **TeePeeCreeper** » Fri May 23, 2014 11:41 pm

CpnCrunch wrote: I use a cheap headset and the Cessna 150 makes a hell of a racket on takeoff, although it's not too bad during cruise.

I wish I flew a C-150 daily... I just got home after a full day of flying behind a R985 and my ears are still "ringing"!

All the best,
TPC

dave_091 · Post by **dave_091** » Fri May 23, 2014 11:54 pm

Loudest cockpit I have been in yet is the super decathlon.... That thing is loud.

soleil · Post by **soleil** » Sat May 24, 2014 12:05 am

Thanks for the helpful replies everyone.

black hole wrote:Your a musician and worried about noise in the cockpit??????????????????????????
Last night club I was in: I had to leave after 10 min causa the noise. I got 20 years in piston Otters.

BH

I'm a pretty quiet classical musician. I play the flute with a pianist. My mother is a classical pianist, and she's pretty strict about hearing protection as well. I guess that's where I got that from.

Donald · Post by **Donald** » Sat May 24, 2014 12:11 am

Loudest part of the day for me is walking across the ramp, noisy APU's are worse than most cockpits.

iflyforpie · Post by **iflyforpie** » Sat May 24, 2014 12:42 am

black hole wrote:Your a musician and worried about noise in the cockpit??????????????????????????
Last night club I was in: I had to leave after 10 min causa the noise. I got 20 years in piston Otters.

BH

Even with electric instruments.... the mains are pointed away from you and the monitors are only as loud as you need them to be. I found as a bassist though I usually got stuck next to the drummer... and sometimes there were a few cymbal crashes too many right next to my head....

I spend up to 8 hours a day in a 337 sandwiched between two loud piston engines. Lightspeed Zulu headphones make it not too bad.... and the only hearing loss I know of is when my wife asks me to do something I have trouble hearing her.

RadicalRadial · Post by **RadicalRadial** » Sat May 24, 2014 2:23 am

In the C-46 we have to use hand signals for the rotation speeds, gear, and power settings just because you can scream into your mic and the props will already be overpowering any noise you try to make... once you set cruise power its not too bad. The DC-3 is similar but not as bad. If your worried about becoming tone deaf, just make sure you always have fresh batteries in your noise cancelling headset.

co-joe · Post by **co-joe** » Sat May 24, 2014 2:41 am

I have a buddy who saw motorhead in the 80's and said his ears are still ringing.

Eric Janson · Post by **Eric Janson** » Sat May 24, 2014 10:38 am

A330/A340 have the quietest cockpits out of any aircraft I've flown.

We don't use headsets in cruise and you can have a normal conversation with each other - no need to raise your voice.

jpilot77 · Post by **jpilot77** » Sat May 24, 2014 5:27 pm

I would think the worst for noise would be a piston Otter or an Islander.

TG · Post by TG » Sat May 24, 2014 7:12 pm

I used to fly paradrop on a Beech 18 before noise cancelling headset came up in the market.
That's roughly one take off and 20' of climb power for every 1/2hr of flying.

So freaking noisy inside, everybody wanted to sit out

Solution I came up was: Hear plugs + head set, it did the job.

I just wish I had this idea right away, I am stuck with tinnitus ever since.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus

co-joe · Post by **co-joe** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:21 am

I think most of my hearing damage came from the King Air 100. Brutal noise. Now I find loud noises physically hurt. My GF can watch TV with the volume at 15 but I need it at 25 just to understand what's going on...

Chuck Finley · Post by **Chuck Finley** » Sun May 25, 2014 3:51 am

I think most of my hearing damage came from the King Air 100. Brutal noise. Now I find loud noises physically hurt. My GF can watch TV with the volume at 15 but I need it at 25 just to understand what's going on...

Must be a blessing when she's talking!!

CID · Post by **CID** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:10 pm

Maybe avoid open cockpits too.

co-joe · Post by **co-joe** » Mon May 26, 2014 2:28 am

Oh I can tune her right out if I want to. Unless she begins the sentence with the word tits. Then she has my undivided attention...

GyvAir · Post by **GyvAir** » Mon May 26, 2014 3:28 am

More comfortable than foam earplugs, as they are custom fitted to your ear and don't expand in your ear canal. Not just for musicians anymore!

High-Fidelity Hearing Protection

Musicians Earplugs™ are custom high-fidelity earplugs developed by ETYMOTIC over 20 years ago, following president Dr. Mead Killion’s participation in a noise study for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. They are still the highest fidelity of any earplugs available. Musicians Earplugs are a custom product, made individually for each user. They can be purchased from licensed hearing professionals.

Musicians practice and perform in a variety of different settings. They are exposed to high levels of sound, sometimes for long periods and may require different amounts of protection depending on sound levels encountered during rehearsals and performance. Some musicians use one type of attenuator in one ear and one type in the other, depending on the source and location of the sound.

Benefits
Reduces sound levels evenly so that music and speech are clear and natural, not muffled as with other earplugs
Reduces risk of hearing damage for many noisy occupations and noisy venues, such as airshows, parades, athletic events and motor sports
Enhances the music experience for audiences while protecting hearing
Lets musicians hear their own instrument and their blend with others

Features
3 levels of sound reduction: 9 dB, 15 dB and 25 dB
Interchangeable buttons
Custom earmolds require ear impressions

How loud is an airplane cockpit?

How loud is an airplane cockpit?

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