An essential part of a pilot’s job is that work doesn’t keep your day on any kind of even rhythm: working hours, cities, countries, and conditions can be almost anything. So it demands flexibility from the person doing it, but when it comes to gear, you have to be uncompromising. Everything you pack in your bag can matter a lot, both in the bigger picture and in unexpected situations.
I’m a turboprop captain, basically a flap-taxi driver, and at best I fly ten flights in a couple of days. But the rest-time regulations are strict. To make sure I get proper rest whenever possible, one of the most important bits of gear I carry with me is a good pair of civilian headphones, which I need on repositioning flights when I’m sitting in the aircraft as a passenger, in hotels during work trips, and at home when I’m resting off duty.
I found Valco’s headphones online and ordered them just for fun to test them out. And then it turned out they were actually really good. Worth mentioning that I’m no headphone nerd, so I’m happy to leave analyzing the sound quality to the experts.
What I’ve personally found about Valco’s cans is that they’re light, the noise cancelling and Bluetooth work well, and to my surprise they’re also excellent for phone calls. On top of that, the battery seems to last just fine even with lots of different kinds of use over the course of a day. For these reasons, I warmly recommend these headphones to anyone who needs good headphones, both for work and for free time.
- Ville V. - airline captain
