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Based near Portland, Oregon, Lightspeed Aviation is a company deeply rooted in the aviation industry. They are well known for providing great pilot headsets at a good value, backed by a friendly support team. The premium Zulu 3 and budget-friendly Sierra have become top choices for pilots of all ratings.
You might ask yourself, “Besides $200, what’s the difference between the two?”
At the top end of the market, three headsets dominate: the Bose A20, the David Clark ONE-X, and the Lightspeed Zulu 3. All three are great ANR headsets that will serve any pilot well for many years, but there are important differences. Here’s a look at each one, with comments from our team of pilots and from our customers.
When going through the plethora of data available about aviation headsets, you will inevitably come across the abbreviation TSO. This stands for Technical Standard Order and it is the FAA’s way of saying an item is approved for use on an airplane. Why does that matter? We'll explain.
The famous green domes of David Clark headsets have been around longer than most of us have been flying, with a legendary reputation for durability. A little known fact is that David Clark started in aerospace by making high altitude spacesuits for the military. Communication became part of the suits, so speakers and microphones were developed. David Clark made their first pilot headset in 1975 and quickly became a mainstay in cockpits around the world.
Many pilots chase the latest technology, from active noise reduction to Bluetooth audio. But while these headsets are impressive, there is another option: in-the-ear. Is this type of headset right for you?
Posted in Headsets
A good headset is essential for safe and comfortable flying, but too often pilots are faced with a tough choice: pay over $1000 for a great headset, or buy a cheap one that is uncomfortable and lacking important features. Faro has solved this problem with their Stealth 2 Headsets. These sleek and stylish headsets have the high-end features you want, like Bluetooth input and active noise reduction, but at a price you can afford. Here's a video review.
Posted in Headsets
Shopping for a headset? The team of pilots at Sporty's have assembled this Headset Buyer's Guide to help you make the right choice. It's packed with charts that allow you to compare headsets side-by-side, plus information about active noise reduction (ANR), in-the-ear headsets, and real world pilot reports on popular headset models.
Posted in Headsets
A good aviation headset is an essential part of any pilot’s flight bag. While the most advanced models can cost over $1,000 they also do an incredible job of protecting your hearing and enhancing the clarity of airborne communications. With proper care, headsets can also last for 10+ years, so it’s a smart investment.
Choosing your first aviation headset is a tough decision. Do you choose ANR or passive? Bluetooth or not? In this detailed video, JC Mayerle and Doug Ranly from Sporty’s explain what to look for, then they take four popular models flying to compare them in the cockpit of a Cessna 172. Which one will come out on top?
Posted in Headsets
Performance + Durability = Game Changer
We first arrived in the Iraqi desert early in 2004. The invasion dubbed “shock and awe” happened in 2003, so our battalion was part of the rebuilding phase. This was well before all the fancy armored vehicles appeared in theater. The “armor” on our trucks and humvees consisted of sheet metal we cut via torch and welded together. This armor “worked” for bullets, but not so much for IEDs. We would later learn the hard way that the IEDs were a much larger threat.