I've always taken advantage of PPE to include hearing protection.
3 years as a line guy and I wore foam earplugs, or even the ear muffs if it was something really loud. Marshaling, sitting under an APU doing lav services, fueling, etc.
Flying Army helicopters with the doors off (and a .50 cal muzzle next to me) I used the extra insulation in my ear cups. I usually tried to double up with foamies under my ear cups if I knew we were going to be a doing a lot of shooting.
I flew at the regionals using a David Clark H10-13.4 in turboprops and jets. It worked but wasn't comfortable. I upgraded to a set of ANR David Clarks when I got to the 737 and love them. Jets are pretty quiet though relative to the other aircraft I've flown. 99.9% of the time I have them on for the whole flight while sitting in my seat.
I've ALWAYS worn at least foam ear protection on the flight line. I wear them as soon as I go out for my walk-arounds whether we have the APU running or not. There's enough noise out there from hydraulic pumps, jetway AC units, and other aircraft that I just rock them.
My hearing is still very good!
IMO DCs are pretty comfortable, I have the $330 pair that I got in Florida when I started my PPL training way back in the day and they've been great.
That said, I can see why y'all go with Bose over DC, they protect your hearing better and they're a bit more comfy.
Refurb or used Bose are probably a good middle ground.
They are good, and the G is worth it, but I still prefer my David Clarks. Simple enough that you can take em completely apart in 45 minutes. Not as comfortable maybe, but they haven't given me any trouble.
At the end of the day it's what works best for you. Choose the most comfortable, safest option.
I used my dad's David Clamps through training. Got gifted a Bose. I couldn't tell the difference... Until I tried to go back to the David Clamps. I couldn't hear anything without ANC... And the clamping became quite uncomfortable after about 45 mins.
Then when it was time to buy my own set after I got a flying job, I tried the Zulu 3s in the store. They were by far the most comfortable.
My advice is try all 3 out if you can. If there's a store near you, ask if you can try on for 15 mins. Or borrow them from a friend.
All 3 brands are similar in workmanship quality and customer servuce. All 3 models have their pros and cons. It's really a matter of personal preference.
I had a pair of David Clark’s when I first started training. They broke in about a year. Yeah, I could’ve sent them in for warranty repair, but I got Bose A20’s instead. Been using them for about 6.5yrs now no issues.
OwlProfessional422
