What to do, what to do? So many choices, and the options to spend so much money.

Notice – Support Your Local FBO

By all means use this page as a reference, but PLEASE, after you’ve done your research here and elsewhere, check into the options at your local airport’s FBO. They may not be cheaper (but always keep in mind you don’t have to pay shipping), in fact they may be a little more expensive, but by supporting your local FBO you help them stay in business offering all the other services you want and need.

Warning

Don’t buy a helicopter headset unless you want one. Airplanes and helicopters have different jack hookups, so normally a helicopter headset won’t work in an airplane and vice versa. Some headsets come with two sets of cords so you can use the same headset in either type of aircraft. Just be sure you know what you want and what you’re buying!

Sources

There are lot’s of sources for headsets. Here are 2 that I’ve used:

• Sporty’s Pilot Shop
• Marv Golden

Advice

Which is well worth what you’re paying for it!

If you’re a pilot in training you may just want to look around for the cheapest headset you can find. The place you rent from (or your instructor) may have headsets you can use for your first few lessons (for free or for a nominal charge) but there’s nothing like your own headset and knowing who has been slobbering all over the microphone! You can find basic headsets for around $100. I don’t have any recommendations personally.

My first headset was a David Clark. These are fine headsets, last a lifetime, and if they break the word is that David Clark will fix them for free or for a nominal fee. They don’t make the headset I bought anymore, but the equivalent is the David Clark H10-30. If you buy one of these I can’t recommend highly enough getting the cushion top for the headset band and a “wind muff” for the microphone.

When I got my Private Pilot’s license I needed a second headset for my passengers. I bought the cheapest Telex headset I could find (never let it be said I wasted money on other people’s hearing!). Likewise they don’t make that headset anymore. However hear is a very cheap headset available from Amazon.

Active Noise Reduction (ANR)

Oh boy! If you’ve been flying for a “normal” headset for a while and don’t plan on spending any money on a new headset, do not, I repeat, DO NOT, take anybody up on their offer to let you try their ANR headset. Once you’ve tried it you can’t go back. That was my mistake.

I bought a set of the Lightspeed 15-XL headsets and I love them. I particularly love the automatic shut-off feature which has saved me a fortune in batteries in the past few months alone. If you can’t promise you’ll turn your headset battery power off after each flight, you want to look for a set with automatic shutoff. I have heard stories that these headsets are prone to break, although I’ve also heard that Lightspeed customer service is very good. I’ve been using mine for the past 3 months and about 40 flight hours in and out of rental planes, no problems so far!

Lot’s of people seem to end up with the 20-XL or the 25-XL, I’m not sure why. You’ll have to figure that out for yourself. It may be because Lightspeed offers refurbished headsets, and so people go there intending to save money and decide to upgrade instead. Anyway, got me.

Finally, if you just have to have the best there is and the price to go with it, Bose are the people to talk to so everybody says. For the price they ought to be! Some people do say these just are the best headsets you can buy, some people say they couldn’t tell the difference. Me, nobody will let me near a $1,000 headset so I can’t help you judge!

Comments or Feedback

Any comments or feedback on this page, please let me know.