When
selecting a headset, you will see some that are labeled
for fixed wing, panel power, helicopters, military or a
variety of airline applications. This guide will help
you choose the right
aviation headset for your current
application. And, if you change aircraft in the future
(i.e. switch from an airplane to a helicopter),
the headset adapters section below will allow you to protect
your original headset investment. While browsing
MyPilotStore, look for the icons below to help select
the correct
pilot headset. If you're ever in doubt, just give us
a call toll-free at 877-314-7575 - we're more than happy
to go over the various options with you.
Dual Male Plugs -
Fixed Wing
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For most of the fixed wing
(airplane) crowd, you'll be best served with the
standard dual male plugs. These are known as the PJ-055
(.25 inch / 6.35mm) and PJ-068 (.206 inch / 5.25mm) plugs.
The PJ-055 provides audio to the ear cups and
the PJ-068 is for your microphone. These plugs will work in almost all civilian
and commercial airplanes, even when other options might
work as well. If you're in doubt, these are generally a
safe bet. The PJ-055 is also known as the M642/4-1
and the PJ-068 is also known as the M642/5-1.
Aviation Headsets - Fixed Wing |
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Single Male Plug -
Helicopter
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If you fly helicopters
you'll most likely be looking for a headset with a
single plug. It's slightly shorter and fatter than
either of the fixed wing plugs. This single plug
(7.1 mm / 0.281 inch diameter) provides both microphone and audio to the ear cups. It's
generally known as a U-174/U plug or the U-93A/U
plug (Nexus TP120).
Aviation Headsets - Helicopter |
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Panel Powered / Redel /
LEMO Connector Plug
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If you own an aircraft, or you fly
something like a Cirrus or a newer Beechcraft, you might find a
6-pin circular type jack in your panel.
This panel power plug is called a LEMO or Redel
connector and is also referred to as a "Bose
Style connector". This will allow you to
plug any Redel equipped
ANR (Active
Noise Reduction) headset directly into the panel. This
single 6-pin jack will provide audio, microphone, as well as power for the ANR
in the headset so you can skip the batteries. If you own an aircraft
that isn't setup with a panel powered option, you can purchase the
panel power headset install kit and have
your avionics shop install the jack in about an
hour of shop time.
Aviation Headsets -
Active Noise Reduction |
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Airline / Corporate
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Most airline and corporate pilots
will still use the standard dual male plugs shown
above.
If you are flying an
Airbus or select ATR aircraft you might find a single
5
pin XLR connector. This XLR connector provides power,
microphone and audio to a 5-pin XLR equipped headset.
We have a variety of
Airbus Headsets.
You might find yourself flying aircraft that
can supply
power through the microphone tip in which case you could
use either a standard dual plug headset or something like
the Sennheiser
HMEC-26-KP or the
Telex Airman 850 to
eliminate the battery requirements. Because the options
for Airline and Corporate pilots can get a little more
involved, we recommend that you call us at 480-556-0500
for additional questions.
Aviation Headsets -
Airline / Corporate |
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Military
Most military
aircraft - both fixed wing and helicopter - use a single
plug called a U-93A plug which is the same size found in a civilian helicopter
(U-174/U). Military headsets
are generally low impedance instead of high impedance
found in civilian aircraft. In other words, just because
the plugs look the same does not mean you should
not expect a civilian helicopter headset to work in a
military aircraft - or vice versa. The most
popular military headset is the
David Clark H10-76 which often finds its' way into
the civilian world (you'll need our
H10-76 to civilian aircraft conversion kit).
Browse our selection of
Military Aviation Headsets.
Aviation Headset Adapters
So what happens when
you switch to a different aircraft or you pick up a
used headset only to discover
that it won't work in your aircraft? Don't worry! Most
of the time we can convert almost any headset to work in
whatever you are flying.
Cables
No matter what type of headset you
get, the cable from the plug(s) to the headset will be
fairly similar. Almost all airplane headsets have a
straight cord that is generally about five (5) feet
long.
Headset Extensions are available too. Many of the
helicopter headsets will have a coiled cord, but some
have a straight cord. It's a matter of preference.
Choosing an Aviation Headset
We carry a wide variety of
Aviation
Headsets from
Bose,
David Clark
Headsets,
LightSPEED Headsets,
FlightCom
Headsets,
Sennheiser Aviation Headsets,
AvComm /
Ruigged Air,
Sigtronics,
Telex, and
SoftComm.
If you ever need assistance or helping deciding,
please call us for advice (877-314-7575). You
might also find our
Pilot Headset Finder to be helpful as well as
our
Aviation Headset Comparison Tool.
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