FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-05/12

Title and Subtitle: A Comparison of Baseline Hearing Thresholds Between Pilots and Non-Pilots and the Effects of Engine Noise

Report Date: June 2005

Authors: Beringer DB, Harris HC Jr

Abstract: Observations in simulator studies suggested that the older segments of the general aviation pilot population were having difficulty hearing specific auditory warnings in the cockpit. These observations, in combination with data from Tobias (1968a; 1968b; 1972), prompted a reexamination of the hearing capabilities of pilots and non-pilots. In Phase 1, threshold data were collected for 150 non-pilots and 150 pilots using stratified age sampling. The usual higher-frequency decrements attributable to aging and general environmental exposure were found in both samples.

Significant differences were found between the non-pilot and pilot samples, with greater threshold shifts between 2 and 6 kHz in evidence among the pilots. In Phase 2, participants� thresholds were measured during both a quiet condition and during exposure to simulated aircraft engine noise. Results of both phases are discussed in terms of implications for the design of auditory warnings for general aviation aircraft.

Key Words: Hearing Thresholds, Hearing Loss, Aircraft Noise Exposure, Auditory Warnings

No. of Pages: 13