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Message
I don't know if it's
my personal style or my military flight training (actually my personal style was
established by my military flight training!), but I gather a lot of data about
the status of my aircraft's operation from senses other than sight.
One of the most important inputs as far as I'm concerned is sound. I
always start the engine with my headset off (I mean off my head - I don't use
ANR). I listen carefully to the engine as it cranks, fires and
idles. I can't say that I'm listening for anything in particular, just
anything unusual. I taxi and do the run-up with one ear muff pulled back
so I can hear the engine. I'm also tuned-in to the vibrations I'm feeling
through my butt, my feet and my hands, again looking for anything unusual.
On several occasions I have left one ear muff off during take-off when I
thought I heard something unusual. Obviously the airstream noise overcomes
everything else as you accelerate, but I feel the engine sound info and the gear
actuation noises can be useful input. In flight I can hear enough of the
mid- and lower frequency sounds through my DC H20-10 headset to feel
"connected" to the engine. The H20-10s do a good job of attenuating the
higher frequency airstream noise and the exhaust bark.
So what's my
point? I've tried ANR headsets and I feel they're just too darned
quiet! I feel disconnected from the machinery I'm strapped to. I
feel there is a lot of value in being able to hear what's going on with the
airplane (at a reasonable decibel level, of course!). Also, if I were
putting any effort into sound-proofing, I would focus on reducing airstream
noise so I could hear the mechanical sounds better! The worst offenders in
that regard are the openings in the wing root close-out for the aileron and flap
push-rods and the inboard gear door actuators. I'm wondering if the boots
some of you have installed do much to help that situation.
Just my 2
cents.
Lee "Moondog"
Metcalfe
LNC2 - N320WH - 492
hrs. - Kansas City (IXD)
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