Though many people wear hearing aids, there is a common misconception that they cannot fly if they do. This is not the case. If you wear hearing aids, you can become a pilot as long as you are able to pass the FAA hearing test while wearing them. The same applies to cochlear implants.
In some cases, pilots may only use their hearing aids while on the ground, depending on how well their hearing aids function with headsets and airplane equipment.
The Pure Tone Audiometric Test
If you fail the conversational voice test, the Medical Examiner will administer the pure tone audiometric test. You will not be allowed to wear your hearing aids for this test.
A pure tone audiometric test is a hearing test using an audiometer that sends sounds into your ear and vibrations through your bone. It measures the frequencies at which you are able to hear more than half of the sounds. The pure tone audiometric test is able to detect defects in the following:
- Air conduction (conductive hearing loss)
- Bone conduction (sensorineural hearing loss)
Here are the minimum acceptable thresholds for the pure tone audiometric test:
| Frequency (Hz) | 500 Hz | 1000 Hz | 2000 Hz | 3000 Hz |
| Better Ear (Db) | 35 | 30 | 30 | 40 |
| Poorer Ear (Db) | 35 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
You can pass either the Conversational Voice or Pure Tone Audiometric test, and you can take either one first if you wish.
What If You Don’t Pass Any of the FAA Hearing Tests?
If you don’t pass any of the FAA hearing tests, you may still be eligible for a Statement of Demonstrated Ability (SODA).
3 Reasons You Should NOT Become A Pilot!
FAQ
Can you be a hard of hearing pilot?
Can you listen to pilot communication?
How good does your hearing have to be to be a pilot?
Are you allowed to talk to a pilot?
Can a pilot use a hearing aid while flying?
If they take a hearing test with a hearing aid in place, the medical certificate usually will bear the restriction “Must use hearing amplification.” This means the pilot/controller has the option of using a hearing aid while flying or controlling, using a headset, using an earpiece or an overhead speaker system.
Do pilots have hearing loss?
Statistics are hard to come by since many pilots may, understandably, try to downplay or deny their hearing loss. But on average, 13% of the U.S. population has some kind of permanent hearing impairment. Given the exposure to loud noises by many pilots, the percentage of those in aviation with hearing loss may be even higher.
Can a pilot hear a voice if he can’t pass a medical exam?
FAA standards require a pilot to be able to hear the spoken voice at a distance of six feet with his or her back turned to the examiner during the medical exam. Those who can’t pass that test may take a pure tone audiometric test . Wearing headphones, they signal if and when they hear sounds transmitted at various frequencies and audio levels.
Do pilots have to wear hearing aids if they are deaf?
Pilots with significant hearing loss must wear hearing aids and pass one of three tests to ensure they can detect environmental sounds and communicate by radio, while pilots with profound deafness may be restricted to airspace where radio communication is not required.