There are several essential items that pilots must carry with them whenever on-board. Or for people working in the aviation industry, few things must be present in their items checklist.
Those must have pilot accessories primarily include headphones, kneeboards, flight bags, sunglasses, extra battery, flashlights, iPods, etc. However, the most important item that a pilot cannot forget is their Headset. Whether the pilot flies an airplane, helicopter, or even jet, a high-quality and standard aviation headset is a must.
An aviation headset is different from a typical headset. A pilot headset is designed differently to meet aviation standards and requirements. Hence, a pilot headset also serves many other functions.
Since a pilot headset is an essential pilot accessory with many features, they are pretty much on the expensive side. So, when you buy a headset for yourself or gift someone, you should be very careful about your choice.
By any unfortunate events, if you cannot physically examine the product before buying, you can get one from many of the online pilot shops. One such digital pilot store is the Fallon Pilot Shop. They have their physical store, too, so do not worry about its authenticity.
Here, I have attached the link to their online pilot store: https://www.fallonpilotshop.com/. You can go through their website and look for various kinds of aviation headsets available. You can easily access the Fallon Pilot Shop online, even from your mobile devices. And, the primary concern of all buyers, yes, their products are pretty affordable and genuine.
Since the pilot headset is an accessory that is supposed to be functional and usable for a long time, one must invest in a high-quality headset that meets the requirements. Therefore, below are a few things that one should keep in mind when buying a pilot headset. You better try to avoid these mistakes to get your best purchase.
Things to take notice of when investing in a good aviation headset.
Always check for TSO Certification in a Headset.
You can always find lots of affordable and high-quality general headsets that work well too. However, to make your investment worth the money, get the pilot headset that is TSO approved. Here, TSO means Technical Standard Orders. It is the minimum standard set by the aviation industry for specified pilot accessories.
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So, the Headset that you buy is best if it fits the TSO compliant. Make sure to check if your purchase meets any of these TSO certifications. These are TSO-C58, TSO-C139, and TSO-C57. Getting a certified pilot headset will be helpful in the long run.
Whether to buy a pilot headset with ANR or PNR.
If you visit the Fallon Pilot Shop, you will see that their headset section is categorized as ANR and PNR. If you are not aware, ANR means Active Noise Reduction, and PNR means Passive Noise Reduction headsets.
The pilot headset with the ANR feature prevents the wearer from outside noise by canceling out the sound from the ear cups themselves. This allows the pilot to focus without any unwanted noise. ANR headsets are smaller and lighter as compared to other types of headsets.
PNR headsets directly block any outside sound by tightly covering the ear cups to the wearer’s head. These headsets are slightly heavier than the rest.
To ease your confusion, ANR headsets are excellent and can effectively cancel low-frequency noise ranges. However, PNR headsets can block a wide frequency range and have higher noise reduction ability. But, as a matter of fact, ANR headsets are costlier than PNR headsets.
Remember to check the Microphone’s Quality.
Let’s say you bought a branded pilot headset that looks pretty impressive and standard. But, what if it lacks a proper communication system? The one thing that a headset does is to protect the hearing of the pilot. But, another thing that is a must function is that the pilot should be able to communicate both outside and inside the cockpit effectively.
That’s why a high-quality headset should also have the best version of microphones that can transmit clear and quality voices. This is also the reason why pilot headsets with dynamic microphones cost much more than others.
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You better get the Headset with the Correct Plug Configuration.
Can you use the iPhone charger to charge a different phone from another brand? No, right.
The same is the situation with the headset plug-in configuration. Suppose the headset wearer is an airplane pilot. In that case, his headset connectors will be different from the one who is a helicopter pilot. Thus, confirm the flight, whether general aviation, or airbus pilot, or an aircraft. Then, accordingly, find the Headset that best fits the plug connector requirement. Whether the Headset has a plug configuration for Dual Plug PJ-055 GA connectors or XLR-3 connector or LEMO/Panel power connector, or military/helicopter connector.
Hope these points mentioned above will be helpful to you in your purchase of a good pilot headset.