Posted: 5/25/2009 6:27:45 PM EDT
|
I spent the day flying, left at 9am got back at 7pm. One thing I notice is the fatigue and feeling of overheating I get when flying, even if only up for 2 hours.
No matter how reasonable the the temp in the plane, I feel like I'm overheating, like feverish almost. Also, it seems that the sound and vibration take a toll on me. I spent a good deal of the day at 9,500, and the usual type of flight for me is a 400-1200 mile cross country. I've been trying to decide whether to get an oxygen system or a ANR headset. Seems like O2 might help with the fatigue, I don't mind paying to refill the cylinder from time to time. On the other hand, the noise is probably taking its toll too, so I am also considering the ANR headset. Any recommendations as to which I should choose? If the headset, any recommendations? I was going to get the Flightcomm Denali ANR because I have a Denali passive set in the closet I always liked. |
| Flying at that altitude for the day will exhaust you for sure without Ox, and ANR headsets are awesome. Totally worth the $4-500 you will spend. Im not sure it will help you with fatigue, but it makes my radio calls to ATC so much easier when I can actually hear what they are saying. |
|
I have a Peltor ANR headset. It's light and comfy. I love it. ANR headsets ROCK! Our flight department has all sorts of ANR headsets, including Bose X, Bose 1, converted DC's, Lightspeeds and some off brands. They all work. The only thing that comes close is a set of standard DC headsets with "gel" earcups. However the weight is too much with that setup.
Oxygen is a huge factor in fatigue. You may also want to consider diet. I find I do better with only fresh fruits and veggies. No meat, no junk. I like to bring some grapes along. It's an easy snack, with just enough sugar. |
|
Dehydrated perhaps due to the dryer air aloft?
We get this in the King Air due to the pressurization after a long flight or a long day of multiple legs. Dehydration will worsen the effects of fatigue. It's that time of year too. Often pilots will hold back on fluid intake due to no place to pee-pee in the airplane. We have a relief tube but it's in the back with the med crew so don't want to have to use it. So if we are on a really long leg I will hold back on the fluids until I know we are close to landing. Most of our legs are less than 1.5 so not a prob most trips. |
|
Water and supplemental oxygen are your best friends.
Skip any coffee or other caffeinated drinks after breakfast as they tend to dry you out. Use the oxygen whenever you're above 5K for more than an hour or 2; trust me, the benefit is dramatic. If you don't own a portable O2 system, buy one. Check out SkyOx for more details. |
|
Well in true Arfcom fashion I decided to get both.
The Flightcomms always felt a little tight although I loved the fit, so I opted for the Bose X headset. They're super light and fit well, the clamping force on my head is minimal. I drove down to Centennial airport during my lunch hour last week and couldn't resist. I hope they're worth the price of a new AR15..... I also await delivery of my SkyOx system. Got the 4 person setup, hoping my 3 year old will willingly use it as well. I'm going to be doing about 50 hours of flying in the next 2 months, so this gear will get a good vetting from me. If anyone knows of a good ANR headset that might fit a 3 year old's head, let me know. He currently has a Telex echelon 100 headset, which fits him pretty well as the width is somewhat adjustable. I'd like him to be wearing a noise canceling set since he'll be flying with me for probably 30 of those 50 hours. |
make sure u snort it off of a strippers ass.
|
So I used the Bose headsets for 2 hours flying today. The jury is still out on them, I think I'm going to buy a pair of Clarity Aloft in-ear headsets and compare the two.
Oddly, the Bose headsets did seem to pinch my head a bit and got heavy, since they weigh 12 ounces maybe I'm just a wimp. They don't do that when I wear them around the house, so maybe I'm just tense in the aircraft or it's a posture thing or something. The sound reduction was impressive. All I could hear was the propeller, all the low frequency drone was gone. It wasn't the magic I'd come to expect, but it was very effective nonetheless. Almost witnessed a midair collision between two idiots at 70 feet AGL, the debris would have taken me out, but other than that the flight with them was uneventful. |
|
Head clamp is a real problem with all headsets. Our pilots swear by Clarity Aloft. I've never tried them, however, they look like fancy ear plugs. Try flying with comfortable ear plugs and see if that bothers you (it does bother me). I do not believe the CA headsets are noise canceling.
Franklin |
|
Quoted:
Head clamp is a real problem with all headsets. Our pilots swear by Clarity Aloft. I've never tried them, however, they look like fancy ear plugs. Try flying with comfortable ear plugs and see if that bothers you (it does bother me). I do not believe the CA headsets are noise canceling. Franklin I plan to do just that this evening. Gonna fly just with some foam plugs. If that's comfortable, I'll order a pair and hope I like them. $500 for a non-ANR headset which is wire, tube and earplugs seems like a lot of cash outlay for what you get. If I like them, I'll give the Bose to the woman since she loves them and wants a set. |