One of the hazards of being a pilot is the potential for hearing loss. This goes back to the early days of aviation—Amelia Earhart is said to have commented on a temporary loss of hearing as a result of long flights behind a loud radial engine. Prolonged exposure to noise and vibration will take its toll.
These days, most pilots are savvy enough to wear some sort of hearing protection every time they fly, whether it be earplugs when they are in an open cockpit biplane that lacks an electrical system, or noise-canceling mega-buck headsets in a jet.
