Kathy Hirtz, an M.D., turned aerobatic pilot, has chosen Clarity
Aloft's Aviation Headset to enhnace her safety and comfort.
Dr. Hirtz selected Aloft Technologies for sponsorship after
experiencing the hearing protection and lightweight design of the
Clarity Aloft headset at an air show in Puyallup, Washington.
Dr. Hirtz began her flying career as an aerobatic pilot in 2001
at the age of 48. She is the owner of Wing Over Aerobatics, LLC, in
Eugene, Oregon, which offers aerobatic flights to students and the
general public. Her primary plane is a Pitts S-2B and in it she
performs maneuvers in which she can endure six positive G forces to
negative three G forces. As a physician specializing in Sports
Medicine, she felt it was important to reduce the weight on her
head during gyroscopic maneuvers to prevent neck strain. She also
wanted to ensure that she had the best hearing protection and noise
reduction available against the high-noise environment of her Pitts
Special.
The patented foam eartips of the Clarity Aloft headset gave her
the noise reduction she was looking for. "The noise reduction works
very well. The engine noise is reduced but the sound quality is not
changed like my ANR set," she reported, adding, "What I hear now
sounds like a running engine not just noise."
Kathy found other benefits to the headset in flight, saying, "I
am able to move my head freely and look in any direction which I do
constantly. Not once did it ever feel like it was moving, let alone
coming off my head like the other headsets routinely do. I feel
like I don't have a headset on at all; it is a very free
feeling."
President of Aloft Technologies, Bill Waterman, said, "We are
happy to sponsor Kathy Hirtz in her endeavors as a premier
aerobatic pilot. Kathy knows how complex maneuvers in flight need
the highest technological improvements available today."
Kathy Hirtz can be seen performing in the Clarity Aloft headset
in her Pitts S-2B at the Northwest EAA fly-in in Arlington,
Washington, July 6 through July 10, and at other air shows in the
Northwest this year. Representatives of Aloft Technologies will
also be at the Northwest EAA fly-in in Arlington to demonstrate the
headset.
Offered for the first time at EAA AirVenture, 2004 at Oshkosh,
the Clarity Aloft headset has performed beyond the expectations of
aviation enthusiasts, and is considered the next generation of
headset design. The Clarity Aloft headset is available in the U.S.
and through international distributors in France, Germany, and the
U.K.