The influence of the noise environment on crew communications

The noise environment and how it affects crew communications in helicopters is considered. The signal to noise (S/N) ratio at the microphone and the effect of the attenuation provided by the helmet is discussed. This shows that the most important aspect is the S/N ratio at the microphone, particularly when helmets with improved attenuation characteristics are considered. Evidence is presented which shows that in high noise environments, the system S/N ratio is well below that required and hence there is an urgent need to reduce the cabin noise levels and improve the microphone rejection properties. Emphasis is placed on environmental/acoustic considerations.