Interview with J.K. Switzer Lt. Colonel, USAF (ret)

Topic: Flying Jets, Hearing and Hearing Loss

Part One (recorded July 2004)

Beck: Hi JK. It's an honor to meet with you. First, I want to thank you for your service to our country. Would you please tell me a little biographical information before we discuss your hearing and hearing aids?

Switzer: Sure. I was born in Baton Rouge, and I am the only son of an only son. I studied civil engineering at LSU and I accidentally joined the Air Force.

Beck: That's pretty unusual!

Switzer: Well, yes. I went into the ROTC building to see my dad's name on the wall, as he was commissioned in 1941, and the Air Force ROTC recruiter got me. If the Army recruiter had come out of his office first, I would've joined the Army, but the USAF got me. I was originally signed up to be a civil engineer in the USAF, but after a couple of weeks in the program I realized they were letting college graduates like me fly jets...and that sounded much more fun and interesting, so I switched and became a T-38 instructor-pilot at Williams Air Force Base just outside of Phoenix.

Beck: I'm a little familiar with that plane...it's a very fast, training jet isn't it?

Switzer: Right. It's a supersonic trainer that we use to train aviators before they go out and fly fighters.

Beck: What did you fly after the T-38?

Switzer: I went to Langley and flew F-15s for a few years, and then I applied for, and was selected to join the Thunderbird Team.

Beck: And that's a two year commitment?

Switzer: Usually it is two years, but I was there 3 years and 8 months. I was very fortunate. I got to fly as the advance pilot and the narrator. I flew at the head of the team everywhere we went and I flew the number 8 airplane (the two-seater) and I also flew the news personalities and the celebrities around. After flying as the advance pilot for two years, I flew the number 5 aircraft as the lead solo for one year. It was an amazing experience and I'm grateful for the opportunity.

Beck: What a wonderful experience. And the Thunderbirds fly which aircraft?

Switzer: Those are F-16s.

Beck: How many hours of jet-piloting did you have?

Switzer: 4,200 hours of military flight.

Beck: That's a lot of hours in the sky, and a lot of noise exposure too!

Switzer: Yes, it's quite a bit.

Beck: Did you wear hearing protection?

Switzer: On occasion we did. It depended on the aircraft and the mission. Sometimes in the old T-37s we doubled-up on hearing protection meaning we wore the foam ear plugs and the headsets together.

In the T-38s, we always wore hearing protection on the ground, but we didn't have to double-up, sometimes we just used the little yellow ear plugs. In the air, we usually had sufficient noise attenuation from the flight helmets, so we didn't require additional noise protection. Nonetheless over time, I couldn't fly with hearing protection or I wouldn't hear anything! So after 20 years of flying, my high pitched hearing had deteriorated and I needed some help. The hearing loss was really a problem. I had all sorts of problems in crowded rooms, restaurants, while watching TV...there were lots of situation where the hearing loss really made it difficult for me.

Beck: That's pretty common from the amount of noise exposure you had. Typically noise exposure causes hearing loss in the 4000 Hz area, but it can certainly occur above or below that. Have you worn hearing aids before?

Switzer: Yes I did. A friend of mine mentioned Bill Austin and Starkey, and Mr. Austin called and said he'd like to fit me, so here I am.

Part Two (recorded September 2004)

Beck: Good Morning Sir. It's been a few months since we recorded the notes above, and I'd like to find out how you've been doing with the new hearing aids?

Switzer: The new hearing instruments are absolutely incredible. They have made an amazing difference.

Beck: I believe you are wearing the tiniest hearing aids...the completely-in-the-canals (CICs)?

Switzer: That's right. These are the 100 percent digital CICs.

Beck: What are the most significant differences between your previous hearing aids, and the ones you're wearing now?

Switzer: The new hearing aids have three modes. I use them for one-on-one normal conversations in program one. Then, when I'm in noise, I switch to program two...and it's a substantial relief! Most of the background noise slips away and I can attend to the person speaking in a cocktail party or a restaurant. It really is much better. The other thing is that when I wear the news ones, and I do wear them pretty much all day long, if someone drops a spoon in the sink, or there's a sudden noise, I don't jump out of my skin...these really handle the sounds of everyday life much better, and they are amazingly comfortable.

Beck: You mean "comfortable" with regard to the physical fit or the sound quality?

Switzer: The sound is amazing, but I meant with regard to the physical fit. I put them in my ears in the morning, and then a little while later I forget that I'm wearing them.

Beck: Thanks so much for your time and your thoughts on your Starkey digital CICs.

Switzer: You're welcome Dr. Beck. I am very satisfied with these hearing instruments, and I am pleased to be able to share my observations with your audience.

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