Doug Ranly

Buying an aviation headset is a surprisingly personal decision. There is no "right answer" for every pilot—it depends on the type of flying you do, what airplane you fly most often and your personal preferences. Here are a few things to consider as you compare models.

Panel-powered headsets (often called LEMO plug headsets, after the connector used) are a great way to enjoy active noise reduction but without having to worry about batteries—just plug into the panel and go flying. But what if you want to use the headsets outside of a LEMO environment? If you're flying in a plane that doesn't have a LEMO plug, you will need an adapter that could not only go from LEMO to PJ plugs, but also provide power for your ANR. Here's how it works.

One of the many features normally found on premium aviation headsets is Bluetooth, a wireless technology that allows two devices to communicate with each other. This is great for listening to music or making a phone call on the ground, but it can also be used to get audio alerts from your favorite electronic flight bag app. Here's how it works.

Garmin is well known in the fitness world for creating high end smartwatches for tracking all of your activities: biking, hiking, swimming, running, gym workouts, and more. And of course our favorite activity, flying, can be tracked too, using their line of D2 smartwatches. I've spent the last two weeks testing the latest model, the D2 Mach 1 Pro, and it can do it all.

Lightspeed Aviation is known for thinking outside the box when it comes to headset innovation, and their latest product continues that tradition. The new Delta Zulu headset incorporates their best ANR technology ever, but this platform can do more than traditional aviation headsets. Everything from the ANR box to the integrated CO detector has been reengineered for maximum efficiency in the cockpit. As always, Sporty’s team of expert pilots took the new Delta Zulu for a bunch of test flights. Here's what we found.

The FAA spells out when oxygen is required in FAR Part 91.211. It's important to review this rule and understand the law, but many pilots need oxygen below the altitudes specified there—especially at night. Do you or your passengers always arrive tired or with a headache? It’s probably because of mild hypoxia. Spending a few hours at 10,000 feet is often enough to cause significant discomfort. 

Aviation headsets can be a sizable investment for pilots. Plopping down over a thousand dollars for something that will protect your hearing is a common practice for modern pilots (and a smart choice). After spending that hard-earned money on a headset, what can we do to make sure we get the most life out of our investment? Here are four things you can do to maximize the performance of your Bose, Lightspeed, or David Clark.

Sporty’s Pilot Shop is proud to offer high-quality gear from ASA. Aviation Supplies and Academics (ASA) manufactures plotters, E6Bs, logbooks, kneeboards, and is a leading publisher of aviation books. With such a vast product range, there is sure to be a gift for the aviator on your list. Here are the top 5 ASA gifts for pilots. 

Aviators find themselves using oxygen as they explore higher altitudes in non-pressurized cockpits. This brings up an important question: what are the differences between the different grades of oxygen? Fortunately, it’s not that complicated. There are three main types of oxygen.