If you fly the CRJ, or any jet for that matter, and you are looking for a new headset, consider the Sennheiser HMEC-25-KA ANR Headset.

No doubt that the deep technical specifications are important but for me the technical specs go way over my head but the quality, comfort, and price of this headset puts it way above the rest.

Now there are a lot of different types of aviation headsets by Sennheiser.

I’ll tell you right now, the Sennheiser HMEC-25-KA ANR Headset is the one that I own and the one I think you would be most happy with.

For the MOST part, they are essentially the same:

• light weight (7 oz. or 170 g)
• extremely comfortable
• outstanding Noise Reduction Rating (NRR)
• compact
• adjustable headset
• adjustable microphone

The differences are either the NoiseGard™ power supply for the headset or the microphone/headset connectors.

So let’s get started.

The Microphone

The –CA series use one cable, the XLR-5, connector for both microphone and headset, whereas the –KA series uses two connectors (normal configuration for most jets), one for the microphone and one for the headset.

Both the –CA and –KA microphones get their power by using either 24V DC or the 12-35 V DC from the airplane internal power supply and provide crystal clear communications.

The Headsets

The –CA and –KA both use a power pack that require 2 x AA batteries to power the noise canceling feature of the headsets BUT it is not required if you don’t want to use it.

In order to use the NoiseGard™ on the –CA and –KA versions you have to turn on the battery pack, which has a two-color LED (Power On (Green)/Low Battery (Yellow) indicator); however I very rarely use it in the CRJ200, CRJ700, and CRJ900. The quality is so good, that even without the NoiseGard™ on, the interference is substantially reduced and the headset provides extremely clear communications.

Often, I find that when I get in the CRJ, I have to turn down the intercom volume from the previous captain because their headset didn’t filter out the ambient noise. There are times though when I do turn the NoiseGard™ on because either the airplane ambient noise requires it or there is too much static over the airwaves or I am going into a terminal area where I don’t want to miss a single communication.

By turning NoiseGard™ on, the clarity of radio communications improves 10-fold.

Fun Facts of Know-and-Tell

Did you know that when people use headphones, they tend to choose a higher volume than they would with loudspeakers. As we all know, listening with high volume levels for a longer time can lead to permanent hearing damage. As pilots, permanent hearing damage could seriously reduce the number of years you could fly. Because the NoiseGard™ circuitry reduces the ambient noise, the headphones can be set at a correspondingly lower level leading to more comfortable hearing conditions and thus protect your hearing.

How does the NoiseGard system work?

The headphone is a Sennheiser NoiseGard™ system. It is a dynamic headphone system which, in addition to reproducing the original audio signal, electronically cancels the low frequencies of ambient noises. This active noise compensation operates on the principle that sound and ”anti-sound“ (in phase opposition) cancel each other out. Like matter and anti-matter. The NoiseGard™ compensation circuitry in the headphone requires an extra power supply, hence the battery compartment has been integrated into the headset cable (see illustration on the right), but like I said above I hardly every use.

Clearly intelligible communication is ensured, and the pilot no longer has to turn the volume up to overcome ambient noise.

Conclusion

The Sennheiser HMEC-25-KA ANR Headset is a great headset! The Sennheiser HMEC-25-KAS is the stereo version. It is more expensive and all you get is the ability to control the volume on the headset which no one ever uses, so why pay for it? All the other headsets in Sennheiser series are a bit too expensive for me or don’t have the proper configuration for the CRJ200.

The Sennheiser HMEC-25-KA is light weight, affordable, and extremely comfortable. I’ve had mine for over five years and have never had a problem with it and it fits easily into my flight bag as well. This headset absolutely pays for itself over time.

Who is this headset NOT right for? Well if you fly piston airplanes there headset is not for you. If you are new to flying this headset is probably not for you either. I recommend going with a less expensive headset for now.

So if you want to pick up either a new Sennheiser HMEC-25 headset or a refurbished Sennheiser HMEC-25-KA ANR Headset, just click on the links and you’ll be taken directly to MyPilotStore.com where you will get the best deal possible on this headset.

To Your Flying Success (and hearing comfort)…

Jeffrey

P.S. Here are two related posts you may be interested in:

• My Aviation Headset Review of The Two Best Headsets Available
• Tips on Buying Pilot Supplies for New Pilots

The Source Selector Panel is located on about the middle of the center pedestal. It is one of the more confusing panels because of how it works and when you use it. One way to use it is to think of it as your (Single) Source Selector. In the event that your attitude/heading, air data, EICAS or display control panel fails, you can use an alternate source for the disabled system.

There are four different switches:

• ATT HDG Switch
• AIR DATA Switch
• DSPL CONT Switch
• EICAS Switch

Each switch, except the EICAS Switch, has three positions: 1, NORM, and 2. The EICAS Switch also has three positions but they are labeled: ED1, NORM, and ED2.

 

Obviously NORM is the normal position of the switches, but what happens when you move the switch from NORM to 1 (ED1) or NORM to 2 (ED2)?

 

We will talk about each one in turn.

 

ATT HDG Switch

 

When NORM is selected, the pilot and copilot electronic flight displays receive data from their individual attitude heading references systems.

 

When ‘1’ is selected, the pilot and copilot electronic flight displays receive data from AHRS 1 only. An amber source message is displayed on the PFD and/or MFD.

 

When ‘2’ is selected, the pilot and copilot electronic flight displays receive data from AHRS2 only. An amber source message is displayed on the PFD and/or MFD.

 

AIR DATA Switch

 

When NORM is selected, the pilot and copilot electronic flight displays receive data from their individual air data computers (ADCs).

 

When ‘1’ is selected, the pilot and copilot electronic flight displays receive data from ADC 1 only. An amber ADC1 message is displayed on both PFDs.

 

When ‘2’ is selected, the pilot and copilot electronic flight displays receive data from ADC2 only. An amber ADC2 message is displayed on both PFDs.

 

DSPL CONT Switch

 

When NORM is selected, the pilot and copilot Display Control Panels (DCPs) control their respective electronic flight displays.

 

When ‘1’ is selected, the pilot DCP controls the pilot and copilot electronic flight displays. An amber source message is displayed on both PFDs and MFDs.

 

When ‘2’ is selected, the copilot DCP controls the pilot and copilot electronic flight displays. An amber source message is displayed on both PFDs and MFDs.

 

EICAS Switch

 

If either EICAS display fails, the operative ED can be used to present all EICAS information. This is accomplished by using the three-position EICAS selector knob on the source selection panel. The EICAS switch positions are designated ED1, NORM, and ED2.

 

If ED1 fails, moving the EICAS selector knob to the ED2 switch position  will allow all EICAS pages to be accessed through the reactivated EICAS Control Panel (ECP); however, only one page can be viewed at a time.

 

If ED2 is inoperative, selecting the knob to ED1 allows all EICAS information to be viewed on ED1.

 

If the only operative ED is displaying a status, synoptic, or menu page and the Data Concentrator Unit (DCU) generates a warning message, the ED automatically reverts back to the primary page and all aural alerts associated with the warning message sound.

 

Data Concentrator Unit (DCU) – processes the information that is presented on the EICAS display (ED1 and ED2).

 

Here is a brief synopsis of the Source Selector Panel: 

 

· “(Single) Source Select”

· ALWAYS SELECTS OPERABLE SOURCE on this panel

· Selecting ED1/2 on SSP “UNLOCKS” remaining screen so you can use ECP to select different synoptic pages

· PRI page is “PROTECTED” when on either ED1 or 2 with SSP NORM

· PRI page will be “UNPROTECTED” when select ED1/2 on SSP

· If ED2 fails:

 

1. Select ED1 (You can now scroll through synoptic pages on ED1)

2. If on other than PRI page and WARNING occurs, will revert automatically to PRI page

3. If on other than PRI page and CAUTION occurs, will NOT revert to PRI page, but will still get single chime and MASTER CAUTION

 

· If lose both ED1 and ED2 with 1 MFD set to EICAS – PRI page NOT protected

· If lose both ED1 and ED2 with 2 MFD’s set to EICAS – PRI page reverts to PIC side and it is protected

 

I have never had any displays fail, so the chances that this will happen to you is very slim but now you have the tools to get the information you need if a display does fail. As always, refer to your QRH for specific actions to take if it does occur.

 

Till next time…

 

Jeffrey

 

Recommended: Turbojet Systems Made Easy DVD – If you’re preparing for airline interviewing and testing and haven’t flown “heavy iron” lately, you really need this course!

 

Jeffrey is a captain at a regional airline and flies the CRJ200, CRJ700, and the CRJ900. He has over 4000 hrs of flying experience in many different airplanes and is a Gold Seal flight instructor to his credit. He has recently written “The CRJ200 Quicknote Study Guide” that simplifies the systems of the CRJ200 into a easy-to-understand, downloadable eBook. Click here to get your copy today!

I had a captain once that couldn’t stay in his seat. If the fueler was over-fueling the airplane, HE would jump out of his seat and go talk to the fueler. If the load sheet was wrong, HE would jump out of his seat and talk to the ramper. If there was an “issue” in the back, BOING, out of the seat he went to save the day. I called him the “Jack Rabbit Captain” because he just couldn’t sit in his seat and I saw a problem with this. You see, to me, a captain should delegate and monitor. A captain has responsibilities and a lot to do.

As a leader and pilot-in-command (PIC) he has a lot to think about and jumping around micromanaging everyone is counterproductive. Here is a list of a few things I think a captain should be thinking about:

• Delegate tasks and receive acknowledgements. Treat your charges with respect though and don’t be condescending.
• Establish priorities. Take your time, think about what has to be done, and then work each task of in a logical order.
• Slow down and recognize task overload. If things start getting out of control put on the brakes and slow it down.
• Eliminate distractions. Sterile cockpit usually will take care of this one but we all know how difficult it is to remain completely task oriented during sterile cockpit but just remember, there is a time for everything, so throttle back on the conversation during really busy times.
• Encourage feedback. This is one of the easiest things to do because all you have to say is, “What do you think about…?” Of course, you can change the words but I think you get the gist of it. It has the added benefit of making your crew feel like a team member.
• Synergy is the operative word. Everyone working together can get more done than just working solo.

I’ve seen captains that alienate their crews and as a result loss control of their crews. Don’t let that happen. A trip goes better when the captain leads and treats everyone fairly. Be personable but don’t let personal issues get in the way. Keep it professional and remember it’s a job with a lot of responsibility.

Get the job done!

Till next time…

Jeffrey

P.S. I’d like to recommend The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for your library. If you are serious about becoming a better captain, read this book!

Normally it’s cool to be the trendsetter and not the trend follower, but the next time you are walking around the airport, take a look at what the crews have on top of their rollerbags and I bet you will see the eBags Crew Cooler.

It is the most stylish, durable, roomy cooler out there.

If you are one to pack your food, and believe me, with airport food prices and hotel food prices (even with a discount) as high as gas prices, you probably should be packing your own food. This is the cooler to get.

It is big enough to hold about three, maybe four, days of well packed food. If you use an ice pack, the insulation will help keep your food cold. It is nice enough looking that your chief pilot or chief flight attendant isn’t going to raise an eyebrow when you pull in to the crew room. In other words, you will remain professional looking. It has a well place shoulder strap and several useful pockets for miscellaneous items. It also has a strap on the back that fits over your rollerbag tow bar for easy transportability.

I’ve tried several cooler bags and this is the ONLY one worth the investment. It will stand up to the rigors of “living the dream” as a airline crew member.

Till next time…

Jeffrey

P.S. A TIP: Use zip-lock bags to hold ice. A variety of sizes will help to keep the ice where you want it, prevent the melt-off from soaking into food containers and from leaking to the outside of the bag while you are on the go, and are easy to refill from the airplane galley, hotel, or office.

Being an airline pilot is demanding. You keep odd hours, there are long days, extreme conditions, and practically a different hotel every night. It’s important to eat as well as you can, stay hydrated, exercise, and most importantly to sleep well.

There are several things you can do to ensure that you get a good nights rest in a hotel room:

1. Try to keep the noise level down. Difficult sometimes I know, that is why I always carry some earplugs with me. They should be soft so as to not distract you because they are uncomfortable. Mine always fall out sometime during the night but that’s OK. Getting to sleep is the difficult part most the time. Mine don’t block out all the noise but if filter’s it enough so that I can go to sleep.

2. Use “white noise.” The air conditioner is a good source of “white noise” most the time. There have been occasions that the air conditioning is too loud, in which case I immediately get another room. Your rest is too important to suffer through a noisy air conditioner.

If the air conditioner continually turns off and on, and quite noisily at that, you might want to consider setting it to the “fan” setting so that it never turns off. Part of the problem with this is that you aren’t always getting that “conditioned” air and that can make you uncomfortable.

3. Get your room DARK. Most hotels have very heavy curtains that block out a lot of light. The bigger and heavier, the better. I carry some clips with me to secure the curtains if I need to.

I was in a hotel the other night, and the light from underneath the door was so bright I had to put a towel down. It worked. My room was now very dark.

4. Keep your room ventilated. Not only does the air conditioner provide “white noise” it also helps keep the room ventilated and the air fresh. I prefer rooms where I can set the temperature using a digital thermostat. Somewhere between 68° F to 72° F is ideal for sleeping.

5. Don’t drink caffeinated drinks, alcohol, or exercise to close to bedtime.

6. Try to get seven to eight hours sleep. As a pilot I spend the night in many different time zones, but I always discipline myself to go to bed early enough to get the right amount of sleep. To do this I recommend a little stretching or yoga, meditation, and a good travel alarm clock. The stretching and yoga relaxes you and the alarm clock provides subconscious security that you will wake up on time. Recently I picked up the Seiko Global Atomic Travel Alarm Clock. It’s slim and inexpensive but has everything I want in a clock, especially temperature display.

Anyway, those are a few thoughts about sleeping that I use that I thought might be helpful.

Till next time…

Jeffrey

P.S. To get some more ideas on how to sleep better, visit HELPGUIDE.org.