GA Question: Listening to Music during flight

[ViperPilot]

Hello! I don't know if anyone has brought this up before, but I'll take a stab at it.
Do GA pilots listen to music in the cockpit during flight? I figure that, with the workload a pilot deals with in general, listening to music while in flight would be a distraction. But, I really don't know. What are your thoughts?

Thanks!

Alan

[C]

Hello! I don't know if anyone has brought this up before, but I'll take a stab at it.
Do GA pilots listen to music in the cockpit during flight? I figure that, with the workload a pilot deals with in general, listening to music while in flight would be a distraction. But, I really don't know. What are your thoughts?

Thanks!

Alan

I'm sure there are some that do. Whether I would be deemed prudent, or good airmanship is another matter.

[DaveSims]

Hello! I don't know if anyone has brought this up before, but I'll take a stab at it.
Do GA pilots listen to music in the cockpit during flight? I figure that, with the workload a pilot deals with in general, listening to music while in flight would be a distraction. But, I really don't know. What are your thoughts?

Thanks!

Alan

I'm sure there are some that do. Whether I would be deemed prudent, or good airmanship is another matter.

[ViperPilot]

Hello!

Thanks for the replies so far; it's just something that I wondered about... I was thinking that it would be nice during a x- country flight.

Alan

[C]

Hello! I don't know if anyone has brought this up before, but I'll take a stab at it.
Do GA pilots listen to music in the cockpit during flight? I figure that, with the workload a pilot deals with in general, listening to music while in flight would be a distraction. But, I really don't know. What are your thoughts?

Thanks!

Alan

I'm sure there are some that do. Whether I would be deemed prudent, or good airmanship is another matter.

[specter177]

Yea, I can plug my MP3 player into my headset, and it will interrupt if anyone talks.

[SeanTK]

As the others have said, there are plenty of headset or in-panel options to allow a CD or MP3 player to be played when there is no radio traffic.

I would never use a music system during IFR flight, and would only be willing to try a system once it was demonstrated to me that it is reliable, and then I would probably only use it on short VFR tours when I take friends up. 

[DaveSims]

[quote]As the others have said, there are plenty of headset or in-panel options to allow a CD or MP3 player to be played when there is no radio traffic.

I would never use a music system during IFR flight, and would only be willing to try a system once it was demonstrated to me that it is reliable, and then I would probably only use it on short VFR tours when I take friends up.

[Brett_Henderson]

I'd be leary of not hearing a subtle message from the engine.

I'd advise a PIC to not preoccupy any of his sensory input, nor add a distraction to the cockpit.

[DaveSims]

I'd be leary of not hearing a subtle message from the engine.

I'd advise a PIC to not preoccupy any of his sensory input, nor add a distraction to the cockpit.

IMHO, it isn't much different than using a noise-cancelling headset.  Unless you have the music turned WAY up, you can still hear most of the engine noise. 

[Brett_Henderson]

We're granted a great deal of leeway, as pilots. Gotta decide for ourselves what we should, and should not do.

That's just my opinion/advice. 

[The Ruptured Duck]

The only time I've listened to music in flight was when me and my primary flight instructor took a Sunday morning local leisure flight.  It was long after I had my ticket and he was in town  with some time off from the airline he now flies for.  We listened to Stevie Ray Vaughn and it was a stunning day for flying.  Other than that I never really thought to listen to music while flying.

We have to remember that our attention is like a flashlight that illuminates only so much at a time.  In order to listen to music, we must pay attention if even for a brief second.

[BSW727]

I've never listened to music while flying either R-W or in the sim. Too many things going on most of the time and when not, I'd rather listen to the radio chatter.

[Brett_Henderson]

I thnk the question should be:

Would you want pilot of the airplane on which you're a passenger, to be fiddling with, and listening to his iPod ?


(I wouldn't)

[beaky]

I've only experienced this once- in a Champ that actually had an XM radio receiver patched into the intercom. The PIC didn't monkey with it much at all- just turned it on and quickly adjusted the volume before we got going.
I didn't think I would enjoy it (always thought I was a purist about airplane noises), but I did.