Noise level on planes

Author Message   Nick Fuhs Member Username: Nickfuhs Post Number: 15 Registered: 07-2007 Posted From: 72.94.235.208 Posted on Wednesday, June 02, 2010 - 12:57 am:    As a C5 Navigator, I always wore ear plugs and my headset when working at my station in flight and at least ear plugs when sitting in the relief crew area up front. The Pax deck in the back of the C5 is much nosier than the flight deck. Can't imagine that the C17 is any quieter   Carole G Advanced Member Username: Greengal Post Number: 204 Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 68.205.151.181 Posted on Tuesday, June 01, 2010 - 08:40 pm:    Roger. I agree with you about young children using ear protection. It is important even though it is annoying to keep putting the plugs back in their ears. Plugs are available for children and they fit their ear canals much better than the generic plugs they give you on the planes.   Roger T. Evans Intermediate Member Username: Rogerev Post Number: 60 Registered: 04-2005 Posted From: 112.205.165.106 Posted on Tuesday, June 01, 2010 - 04:49 pm:    C-17s are cargo planes, they are designed to carry cargoes. Ask for those little foam ear plugs that they usually hands out before the flight. Ask for 3 pairs; one for you and 2 for the 1-yr. old. (Just in case 1 is misplaced.) Religiously monitors the ear plug,make sure it's in place. This 1-yr. old is just starting life. There's a lot of learning to do most of it by hearing, you don't want to take a chance.   Leanne Besachio Junior Member Username: Lbesachio Post Number: 6 Registered: 02-2010 Posted From: 173.73.52.67 Posted on Tuesday, June 01, 2010 - 04:01 pm:    I recently flew on a C5 and C17 with my 3 kids ages 7, 5, & 2. None of them kept earplugs in and I rarely used mine because I wanted to be able to hear my kids. It did not cause any ear pain, just annoying. Long term exposure would definitely be a problem. I did see a family with a 1 year old that used the ear muff style ear protection that you use when you go shooting. She kept it on fine. My kids use that kind at the air shows with no problem.   Nell B. Ero New member Username: Erouscg Post Number: 5 Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 152.121.18.98 Posted on Thursday, May 27, 2010 - 01:37 pm:    I posted about Mack's kid size silicone ear plugs...used them successfully last year on a C-5 cross country for three kids, ages 7, 4, and 1. Very soft & easy to use; I found mine at Target. Hope this helps!   Bob-Cat 6 Intermediate Member Username: Blueball Post Number: 101 Registered: 01-2007 Posted From: 71.225.13.43 Posted on Friday, May 21, 2010 - 01:52 pm:    The following information/quotes come from the FAQ section of www.dangerousdecibels.org. An audiologist can give you more information. "No matter what the sound source is, if that sound is 85dB or more, there are limits to how long a person (any person) can safely listen to it." (85dB is about the level of a lawn mower). "We all start losing hair cells from the time we are born. They tend to die from the high frequency end first. This progresses very slowly throughout our lives and becomes noticeable in our late 50's and early 60's in most people. One thing that seems to speed up that process is exposure to loud noise. Loud bursts of noise (like a dragster blasting off from the starting line) or prolonged noise (like working in a moderately noisy factory for years) can have the exact same effect. There is no evidence that a child will be more or less vulnerable to noise exposure than an adult. The fact is that BOTH are going to get damage from loud sounds. The only thing is that a toddler has more to lose because they are so much earlier on in the natural process of losing hair cells. I'd recommend that you get a pair of ear muffs for yourself and for the child. Toddler's heads are almost adult size by the time they are a year old, so most ear muffs will work fine...This will reduce the total cumulative noise exposure and protect those thousands of little hair cells."   Cherry C. Senior Member Username: Cherry Post Number: 6372 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 71.163.18.160 Posted on Friday, May 21, 2010 - 11:29 am:    Sometime in the past few years a board member found a source selling ear protection for babies and children, bought the product(s) and successfully used same on a trip. Perhaps a current member who saved that information could find and post it again? There also have been people who adapted things like headbands, "issue" foam earplugs they cut down, and more, to try protecting children's young ears -- maybe they will weigh in as well?   Carole G Advanced Member Username: Greengal Post Number: 153 Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 68.205.151.181 Posted on Friday, May 21, 2010 - 11:14 am:    I would consult your physician regarding your 1yr olds ears. Babies ears are much more sensitive that adult ears. If you decide to fly with your baby, I would obtain baby ear plugs before you leave home. Children like to do what they see others do. Put your ear plugs in and show your baby that you are doing it too.   John David Brooks Senior Member Username: Johnb6597 Post Number: 414 Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 121.55.235.75 Posted on Friday, May 21, 2010 - 07:14 am:    I am not an ENT specialist or audiologist; nonetheless, I don't think the noise levels in a C-17, regardless of flight duration, pose any serious risk for long-term or permanent hearing loss. If you worked in that environment on a constant basis I'd be more concerned, but a trip or two a year? I don't believe there's any harm. If you're concerned, put some plugs in her ears for as long as she'll tolerate them and as often as you can tolerate the constant effort to keep them there. Nothing beats free airfare.   Eric Thomas New member Username: Azcats Post Number: 2 Registered: 05-2010 Posted From: 199.67.7.151 Posted on Friday, May 21, 2010 - 06:27 am:    Thanks, Carole. In your opinion, is the C-17 noise just annoying, or would it pose some potential hearing issues for a 1-year old? I will also call the terminal and ask about this. Thank you.   Carole G Advanced Member Username: Greengal Post Number: 152 Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 68.205.151.181 Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 11:54 pm:    The C-40 would be like a normal 737 aircraft the airlines fly. I haven't been on one without airline seats so I assume they all have the airline seats. The C-17 is a normal cargo plane and it is cold and noisy.   Eric Thomas New member Username: Azcats Post Number: 1 Registered: 05-2010 Posted From: 199.67.7.151 Posted on Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 11:43 pm:    I'm at Yokota and am signed up for Hawaii. The flights going in that direction seem to be on C-17's, and the one I've seen recently for the return flight was a C-40. How is the noise level on those planes? I last flew Space-A in 1995 and don't recall the aircraft, but I remember it being loud. The reason I'm asking is we have a 1-year old and I don't think she'll keep ear plugs in. Thanks in advance for the info.