The Noise Reduction Provided by Aviation Headsets.

Understanding speech in the presence of noise, plus remembering and acting upon the key information in speech, is critical for safe flight. Aviation headsets are used by crew in the cockpit of general aviation aeroplanes; however, the resultant noise within the headsets could still present a challenge in regard to the recall of key verbal information, especially if the pilot is a non-native English speaker. To assess the noise reduction provided by in-use aviation headsets, the performance of three headsets, two with the active noise cancellation feature, has been investigated. As expected, the active noise cancellation feature was shown to be effective at the low frequencies. For comparison the performance of three headphones (two with active noise control feature), which are widely promoted for use by aircraft passengers, were also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]