Soxfan From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 854 posts, RR: 0 Posted (4 years 4 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 5005 times:
Have there been any studies conducted looking at whether flight attendants experience hearing loss later in their careers and/or their lives as a result of constant exposure to airplane noise? Does the type of airplane (i.e. jet vs. prop or regional plane versus mainline/widebody) make a _significant_ difference? If not, it would be an interesting study to conduct, and I wonder if any current or former flight attendants can attest personally. Thanks for your thoughts!
Soxfan
Pilot: "Request push, which way should we face?" JFK Ground: "You better face the front, sir, or you'll scare the pax!"
GSPSPOT From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 2749 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (4 years 4 months 3 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 4462 times:
I'm afraid I don't quite get this subject. No, a/c cabins inflight aren't the most quiet places in the world, but I've never found them to be uncomfortably noisy (except on small turboprops).
FlyASAGuy2005 From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 6520 posts, RR: 11 Reply 2, posted (4 years 4 months 3 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 4449 times:
What about us rampers! LOL.
I didn't get a chance to work around mainline too much but the times I had to run backs from C/D to A/B/E (Hartsfield) it didn't seem nearly as over at the Delta gates than by our gates. I especially hated working around the ERJs. Their APUs seemed to SCREAM.
CAM2:"Lightning coming out of that one." CAM1: "What?"
JAFA From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 782 posts, RR: 4 Reply 3, posted (4 years 4 months 3 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 4388 times:
I think we FA's (like everyone else) suffer more hearing loss from Ipods, and night clubs than airplanes. Apart from the back of the DC9 or other MD's most aircraft are about as noisy as driving at 70 mph with the windows up.
PGNCS From United States of America, joined Apr 2007, 2516 posts, RR: 45 Reply 4, posted (4 years 4 months 3 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 4372 times:
Quoting GSPSPOT (Reply 7): I'm afraid I don't quite get this subject. No, a/c cabins inflight aren't the most quiet places in the world, but I've never found them to be uncomfortably noisy (except on small turboprops).
But you don't spend hours of every working day in that environment; it can range from serene to exceptionally harsh.
Certainly my experience working with pilots has led me to the totally unscientific opinion that ambient noise can lead to hearing degradation. That was especially true among guys who flew the 727 for years and years when gas was cheap (and the plane was flown fast: speed=noise). I could frequently tell what a guy's background was after a couple of legs with a new Captain. If they came up on the 727 and 737, which do have cockpits sufficiently noisy to be well studied, they were frequently hard of hearing (that often being a euphemism for deaf as a post), while the guys who came up on the MD-80 and L-1011 were normally fine. Obviously this is entirely subjective, but I definitely believe there exists a cause and effect relationship between working in aircraft (at least some aircraft) and hearing loss. I always wear earplugs in Boeing aircraft (especially the 727 and 737), but normally don't in the MD, Airbus, and L-1011.
DfwRevolution From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (4 years 4 months 3 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 4364 times:
Quoting PGNCS (Reply 10): If they came up on the 727 and 737, which do have cockpits sufficiently noisy to be well studied, they were frequently hard of hearing (that often being a euphemism for deaf as a post), while the guys who came up on the MD-80 and L-1011 were normally fine.
EWRCabincrew From United States of America, joined May 2006, 5522 posts, RR: 57 Reply 6, posted (4 years 4 months 3 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 4350 times:
Quoting FA" class=quote target=_blank>JAFA (Reply 9): I think we FA's (like everyone else) suffer more hearing loss from Ipods, and night clubs than airplanes. Apart from the back of the DC9 or other MD's most aircraft are about as noisy as driving at 70 mph with the windows up.
Exactly. I flew the DC9s, 727s and MD80s (and sat in the back, to boot). Also flying for 22+ years. Just had my hearing tested and suffer no hearing loss at all.
HAWK21M From India, joined Jan 2001, 31201 posts, RR: 58 Reply 7, posted (4 years 4 months 3 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 4283 times:
Not sure about FA & Flying crew.But def Mx personnell have to use ear defenders/ear plugs that are mandatory & long time exposure or short time loud sounds can be damaging.
In mx there is a chart plotting the noise levels to exposure time permitted without ear protection.
regds
MEL
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 854 posts, 
From India, joined Jan 2001, 31201 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
