I have been a pilot for years and new to fatherhood. I haven’t flown much since my daughter has been born due in part to a new found respect for mortality. I’m interested in the Cirrus because of traveling with my family and having the CAPS system.
Here are my questions: At what age do you feel it is safe to take children flying? My main concern is the noise and causing hearing damage. What precautions do you take? Is there a good children’s headset?
Thanks in advance for your response.
In reply to:
I have been a pilot for years and new to fatherhood. I haven’t flown much since my daughter has been born due in part to a new found respect for mortality. I’m interested in the Cirrus because of traveling with my family and having the CAPS system.
Here are my questions: At what age do you feel it is safe to take children flying? My main concern is the noise and causing hearing damage. What precautions do you take? Is there a good children’s headset?
Thanks in advance for your response.
Edward,
First, a big caveat – I’m not a doctor. Second, congratulations on your new paternal status.
I flew with both my children starting from when they were about two years old - of course, this is not something I would have attempted without my wife on board; I need to devote my whole attention to flying, and so she was (for me) a “required crewmember”. My kids shunned the headset at that age, so I let them fly without it. Now, with insights gained from reading what others have written on the Members Discussion forum, I think that I was probably foolish to do that, but lucky, because they seem to have come through it OK. On the other hand, I did very few flights when they were little.
Unabashed Plug:
I’d recommend joining COPA and searching the Members Discussion forum - lots has been said on this over the last few years. You’ll also learn a TON about the Cirrus and find that there is great wisdom, humor and comaraderie among the participants on the forum., and be able to avail yourself of the many significant benefits that COPA offers not just to Cirrus pilots, but to all its members.
In reply to:
I have been a pilot for years and new to fatherhood. I haven’t flown much since my daughter has been born due in part to a new found respect for mortality. I’m interested in the Cirrus because of traveling with my family and having the CAPS system.
Here are my questions: At what age do you feel it is safe to take children flying? My main concern is the noise and causing hearing damage. What precautions do you take? Is there a good children’s headset?
Thanks in advance for your response.
I just did a flight from Oxnard, Ca to Sacramento, Ca. and back this weekened to attend a wedding. The flight was 2:30 min LOP in a Cirrus. I brought my 4 month old boy with me. I bought a pair of ear plugs for him and stuck it in his ears. Then, I put a BOSE headset on him and turned the vol to its lowest setting. I found out that my boy didnt want total silence so we removed the ear plugs so he can hear us talk thru his headset. He was fine till the last 20 min when i guess his head started to hurt from the headset. (he’s in his car seat) Also, very IMPORTANT, u need to make very shallow descents. I goofed and did some 500ft to 700 ft min descents and my baby cried coz his ears were hurting. Moreover, if u intend to fly during summer, u need some kind of cooling device, such as a fan. Some kids like mine hates heat. SAC OAT was 100F today
Hope that helps,
PS, my wife would never allow ur boy to fly in non-parachute GA plane.
In reply to:
I have been a pilot for years and new to fatherhood. I haven’t flown much since my daughter has been born due in part to a new found respect for mortality. I’m interested in the Cirrus because of traveling with my family and having the CAPS system.
Here are my questions: At what age do you feel it is safe to take children flying? My main concern is the noise and causing hearing damage. What precautions do you take? Is there a good children’s headset?
Thanks in advance for your response.
I’m not a medical doctor. We took our kids up when they were a few weeks old. We tried to put the light weight Bose headsets on them, but they often would tear them off. They are 4 and 2 now and their hearing seems to be perfect. However, the SR22 is pretty loud and it does give me some concern when they don’t wear their headsets. OTOH, many many people, including young children, have flown in planes as loud as the '22 for the last 100 years. I’ve never heard of hearing damage from flying except from pilots of super loud WWII warbirds.
I was concerned about their necks in turbulence, so didn’t want to use anything but the feather weight Bose (QC) headsets when they were infants.
By two years, they will usually wear headsets w/o complaint. We now have the Bose X for both kids.
My wife gets nervous if their O2 sat drops below 90, which means that we are limited to about 10,000’. Most kids don’t like wearing masks.
If you can arrange it, get a pressurized twin. They are a lot quieter and you can fly high w/o the O2 problems.
Just took our 6 week old on his first flight! With our 2.5 year old. We are in Hawaii so we fly with life preservers on them. The 2 year old thinks he is an astronaut. WE bought this silly puddy ear plug to keep in the 6 week old ears. Considering it was 90 degrees on the ramp, I kept the door open until takeoff , however they did get a little red in the cheeks so we plan to fly earlier in the day and come back in the evenings. AS for climb/descent when they are asleep it is no problem. The body automatically adjusts.
In reply to:
…new found respect for mortality. I’m interested in the Cirrus because of traveling with my family and having the CAPS system.
Here are my questions: At what age do you feel it is safe to take children flying? My main concern is the noise and causing hearing damage…
I agree with Mike…there is alot of info in the member’s section about this topic, down to fine details of headset selection. I wrote a post regarding training my 22 month old son to actually WEAR headsets, which was an initial challenge. You don’t mention your daughter’s age, but mine is now eight and my son is now 2. I WOULD ONLY fly them in a Cirrus because of the CAPS, especially now that I have had an interesting experience a week ago or so that is thoroughly discussed inside…
Hope you join and here’s a
pic of my son at 5500’ above central California…
As a physician specializing in ears,nose and throat I am delighted to see the concern for your kids hearing. I concur with the recommendations listed and I urge that they be used. The sound level in a general aviation aircraft can be injurious to hearing and there is great variation in sensitivity to it, so always use ear protection.
No one has expressed concern for the need for proper restraints for the kids. A minor quick stop for you could make a child a missile. Some suggestions: weight over 50 lbs. use normal aircraft seat restraints with a firm booster cushion to sit on. 25 t0 50 lbs. a good quality car seat using the aircraft restraints fitted properly. The shoulder harness may not be provided for in the car seat so you may need to improvise their use. Under 25 lbs. the child should wear a harness of the type used to have a child on a leash in a department store, etc. The harness will usually be too large but it may be sized by sewing the webbing. This may be used in a car bed by cutting slits in it to pass restraint straps through to the aircraft seat restraint straps. A small baby needs to have pillows to support the head.
I have used all of these, but except for bumpy air, never needed to really test them.
I’m a doctor, but not in the ear business.
And this is my eldest
At he is 4 now, the portable DVD player is great on the backpassengers audio input, so he can listen to it, and my voice, if I dont ‘crew’ or ‘pilot’ isolate him on the Garmin 340 audio panel. So the Cirrus is also a great plane when your daughter grows up…
And yes, shallow climbs, turns and decents, If they start to cry, stay on the same altitude (blocked sinus).
In reply to:
Just took our 6 week old on his first flight! With our 2.5 year old.
Great pictures!!! I love it!!
In reply to:
Just took our 6 week old on his first flight! With our 2.5 year old. We are in Hawaii so we fly with life preservers on them. The 2 year old thinks he is an astronaut. WE bought this silly puddy ear plug to keep in the 6 week old ears. Considering it was 90 degrees on the ramp, I kept the door open until takeoff , however they did get a little red in the cheeks so we plan to fly earlier in the day and come back in the evenings. AS for climb/descent when they are asleep it is no problem. The body automatically adjusts.
Question … we need to fly our 4 month old (out of the path of hurricane Frances). When you say silly puddy ear plugs, do you mean silly puddy, or is there some product you use? Please advise!
Richard,
When Zach was 4 months old (he is now 14 months old) we did this:
Take one of the yellow ear plugs that most FBOs sell in the little blue packs and cut it in half so it will fit in the baby’s ear snug. Then take two baby wash rags dry and fold them each twice and place one over each ear. Hold the whole process in place with a small headband.
You can also buy one of the baby size swimmers headbands that use velcro to attach so you can adjust them. I think Walgreens carries them.
Zach has been flying with us since he was 9 weeks old and does great. We do feed him when climbing and decents (no greater than 400 fpm) We also fly below 10,000 feet.
Stay safe
Mason
It is the ear plugs you buy for swimming, you can get it at Wal Mart I believe. It comes with a velccro headbank so they dont fall out.
Great post
I would also suggest using one of the best items I have purchased for Zach, my 14 month old.
It is called a Sit-n-Stroll. A combo car seat, plane seat and stroller. It weights 13 lbs which is 1/3 of the weight of a normal stroller. It is FAA and DMV approved for up to 40 lbs of child. Rear face for under 20 lbs or more, turn it around face forward when you must as the child gets larger.
Mason
For legal as well as safety reasons, check that the car seat is approved for aircraft use. Most are. I believe the regulations require small children to be in a car seat.
