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The ProFlight headset incorporates three acoustic pro les: Low, Med, High. Each are tuned to a particular combination of frequency attenuations or cancelling.
no matter how comfortable a full-cup headset is, when you wear sunglasses or prescription eyeglasses, you will eventually feel the pressure of the earpieces on your temples. I frequent- ly remove my sunglasses during my flight to communicate with my pas- sengers or simply for comfort during long flights. To be able to comfortably wear sunglasses with a headset is a big plus for me.
This is possible because the ProFli- ght incorporates a unique set of side pads connected to the headband that sit about one-half inch above the ear, allowing for easy removal or place- ment of eyewear. Neither the side pads nor headband touches most glasses and eliminates pressure points that can be caused by over ear headsets. I’ve also found that when faced with turbu- lence, the side pads aide in keeping the headset in place while the headband’s lower profile reduces contact with the cockpit ceiling. An important feature for taller pilots.
In-Flight Performance
Since procuring my demo set, I’ve tried the ProFlight on several flights including my return trip to California in a Citation CJ3 from AirVenture. I generally fly and instruct while wear- ing my Bose A20 or David Clark Pro X and was impressed with how easy the ProFlight was quick to adjust. I found that it fit me better if I moved the headband slightly forward on my head when wearing a baseball cap. I rotated the ear pads into their horizon- tal position and placed them slightly above my ears.
The earbuds with the molded sili- cone wings fit securely in my ear. A nice trick for fitting them in: slightly rotate the buds when placing them in the and ensure that the cords are in the 2 o’clock position. As you adjust, you may inadvertently place them in the tap to talk mode, however I quickly learned to avoid that action. When not in use or storing the headset, the side pads have a handy clip to hold the ear bud cord in position to avoid catching and or damaging the cord.
Overall, the ANR performance in- flight is amazing. I have tested it in
Bose incorporated instant ANR reduction by way of double tapping either ear piece.
over-ear headsets, ANR. I’ve owned or tested almost all makes of Bose, Lightspeed, David Clark and others. My over-the-head headsets perform great, even for my longer 10 to 13 hour f light days. However, Bose’s promise of a lightweight ear bud solution with high quality ANR for turbine aircraft still caught my interest.
During my initial demo at AirVen- ture, Clay Pipkin, acoustic engineer at Bose, set me up with the headset and walked me through all its features while simulating cockpit noise condi- tions. As we quietly talked amidst the roar of a turbine engine simulation, I was quickly impressed with its light- weight, comfortable fit. I’ve found that
28 • TWIN & TURBINE
September 2018