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.

FMI: www.clarityaloft.com