Airplane cockpits are loud — especially piston-powered ones. A good headset is a must.
Just before EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025, Lightspeed Aviation introduced its Zulu 4.
The Zulu 4 is an Active Noise Reduction (ANR) headset packed with new and improved features, such as:
- Dual Bluetooth: Connect two devices at the same time
- FrameFit ear seals: More room for hats, glasses, or oxygen cannulas without that tight clamp feeling
- AINR: AI cuts up to 90% of mic background noise during Bluetooth calls
- Lightspeed Aviation App: Record, play back, and archive cockpit communications
- Auto Shutoff: Powers down automatically when not in use
In the real world
To test the Zulu 4, my wife and I took a late afternoon flight in my friend’s Piper J-3 Cub. If ever there was a good aircraft to test a headset in, it is a J-3.
It’s not the loudest airplane, but between the engine, prop, exhaust, and air leaks around the doors and windows, there’s plenty of noise.
I don’t usually wear a hat when flying, but I did on this flight. The FrameFit delivered. I felt no need to readjust the headset after an hour of flying. The slight taper at the top of the ear seal made a noticeable difference for me.
My wife and I had no problem communicating in the noisy environment. Simple as that.
The battery-powered intercom in the Cub sits right behind the left shoulder in the back seat. And since the PIC sits in the back seat, the longer upper cable didn’t matter on this flight, but having that extra length adds to the flexibility of the headset, no doubt.
When I heard the boom mic was 10% longer, I thought, “What’s the big deal?”
Turns out, it is — at least for the size and shape of my head. It allows for the mic to be centered in front of my mouth. No more talking out of the side of my mouth.
I didn’t test the AINR feature. I failed to understand (before the flight) this feature only applied to phone calls. Lightspeed’s original announcement says AINR “cuts up to 90% of background noise from outgoing transmissions sent via Bluetooth.” I completely missed the “sent via Bluetooth” part.
But if you need to call your spouse to let them know you will be arriving late (most likely) or early (yeah, right) or to call an FBO or mechanic or whoever, reducing the background noise, even a little, will be helpful.
If you are in the market for a new headset, Lightspeed’s Zulu 4 should be on your short list of headsets to explore and hopefully test.
At $1,099, the Zulu 4 comes in Dual GA, Heli, and LEMO 6-pin panel plug versions.
For more information: LightspeedAviation.com
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