I take my aids out on planes and use headphones to watch downloaded Netflix stuff with captions on.
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The combination of several factors.
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My Oticon streaming app is set up on my phone, not my iPad, because of issues with Bluetooth ācompetingā on my iPhone and iPad.
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To preserve rechargeable battery life
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I like portable, folding headphones that I can pack in my backpack for travel. Iāve had trouble finding good, folding wired headphones. Most in the in-the-ear, iPod styles fall out of my ears. When my last folding over the ear set stopped working (after ~20 years) I found a pair designed to go in the ear, but with a silicon loop that goes over the ear for stability. It came with a small case that I put my aids in when Iām using earphones.
Iām assuming you do that solely to eliminate the noise, but the consequences of course eliminate your ability to hear conversation or even emergency alerts from the crew. If you fly a LOT, Iād suggest obtaining a set of high quality over-the-ear cupped noise-canceling headphones. Those will ALMOST eliminate the droning white noise of the engines and wind, but permit you to hear cabin conversations. I canāt comment on feedback between the headphones and hearing aids. One issue Iāve not seen discussed adequately is just HOW beneficial truly high-fidelity headphones can be to the severely hearing-impaired individual, but I know in my case even well regarded ear buds such as Appleās AirPods Pros DONāT come close to the noise cancelation capabilities of over-the-ear headphones such as the Bose QC models, AND the Bose headphones produce a much superior sonic experience for bluetooth streamed music than do ANY earbuds Iāve tried. The single negative comment Iād make about the over-the-ear units Iād make is that theyāre bulky. And, Iāll admit that the quality of streamed music that comes via the AirPods Pro is superior to that which I can stream into my ears via my (Phonak-manufactured) Costco KS-10s.
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I switch my Widex hearing aids to the transport mode and turn them all the way down. I can still hear a little but am not annoyed by the plane noise.
@SpudGunner Hi Jim FYI most airlines/aviation agencies have a safety mandate that directs airlines to provide an aisle seat for deaf or hearing impaired passengers. This is to allow the crew to ensure your attention has been gained and they can communicate instructions more easily by being right next to you (especially in an emergency) Its always a good idea to let the crew know (plus you can bag an aisle seat every time :).
@BrBarry ref feedback I have bose 35 noise cancelling over ear and still get a bit of feedback, I find if I turn the volume on HA (Jabra Enhance Pro) down low it fixes it (most of the time) or take them out and the Bose do a good job of playing the movies back or I blue tooth them to my phone for music.
hope that helps
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When flying I access the transport program on my HA and turn it all the was down but still on to help with the noise and allow me a little sleep during the flight.
Very interesting insights here! I wonder ā¦ is sign language universal? Like is someone from India, China, South America or wherever, able to read the same signs as someone in UK, Canada, USA, etc.,?
Sure would give a GREAT incentive for global communication if folks could learn ONE universal sign language and communicate.
Iām probably dreaming here. I use Google Translate almost DAILY with an entirely Hispanic crew of guys at my place. The so-called ātranslationsā typically have us doubled over laughing at their ABSURDITY! For instance, today I had Google-translated a phrase about getting āsealantā at Home Depot for the patio, and it came back as āCesar lintā for some reason, which completely threw the crew for a LOOP!
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Hi @1Bluejay, unfortunately no, there are massive variations in sign language, the world over, there is no universal sign language, but many signs are iconicā¦ā¦ So, here in the UK, with our BSL, and I am almost certain elsewhere in the world, we have regional variations, itās a bit like an accent, they use different signs, for the same thingā¦. For instance, 2 signers meet for the first time in the street, in Inverness, one is from Aberdeen, the other is from Glasgow, they will both know where each signer is from, without really asking, because signers from these areas, predominantly use certain signs in those areas, that are not used elsewhere, they can tell immediately where theyāre from, they will have met signers from those areas before, and they will know what the signs meanā¦. A wee story here, of one of my experienceās of meeting a Portuguese lady whom was a signer, whilst on holiday in the Algarve with my wife, and kids, we were in a seafood restaurant on the beach, and I noticed this lady going from table to table, selling cigarette lighterās, eventually she reached our table, and she showed me her card, an Official Portuguese Government I.D. which was in English, it had her photograph, name, Government stamp, it basically said, because this lady was profoundly deaf, with no oral language, she was licensed to sell goods in the street/cafesā¦ā¦ So, I started to sign, immediately pointing to my aids, and she smiled, shook her head, basically mimed she didnāt understand my sign language, her signs were different, so I stopped signing, and mimed, she showed me some of her signs, the basic ones, and I showed her some of my BSL, suffice to say, within about 20 minutes, I had the basicās, and between iconic signs, miming & rudimentary sign, we could easily converse, and started up a conversation, this was approximately 17 years ago, she told me they got no money or benefits from the government, absolutely zero, they only help they got, was a license to sell goods to the tourists, they were left to fend for themselves, either sink or swim, in the holiday season thatās fine, but you might starve in the off season? I learned a lot from that brief conversation, how sign language teaches you to think on the fly, how quickly you adapt to a foreign signer, because it is so visualā¦. I felt fortunate to live in the UK, and also learned how difficult it is for some deaf, to eek out a living, in this hearing worldā¦ā¦ If I recall correctly, I think I bought about 6 lighters? Cheers Kev.
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Havenāt flown in a long time and never gave much thought to my hearing aids. I do recall that everytime I got in the plane asking myself, who the hells driving this thing
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Youāve helped me a lot!
DaveL
Toronto
Well, that is a very thoughtful and insightful reply here! Very interesting how there are enough common signs for folks from different countries to get the basics, BUT at the same time, there are these locational nuances to signs! WOW, never thought about that!
Are those lighters still lighting the path for you? Just a wonderful story of persistence, challenge, communication and endurance.
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Thank you for the kind words @1Bluejayā¦ā¦ Much appreciated 
No lighters anymore, I stopped smoking about 9 years ago, and took up vaping, tbvh, I had no intention of actually stopping, I guess, I came to the overall conclusion, I had no chance of stopping cigarettes, I could never seem to kick the habit, I stopped on so many occasions, but I could never get past that initial 6 months period, so I now vapeā¦ I think it is slightly safer than tobacco, maybe marginally so? I make my own vape juice, so I know whatās exactly in itā¦ā¦ Cheers Kev 
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There is medication you can now take prior and during the stopping of smoking that all but eliminates the physical cravings that occur when you stop smoking. I couldnāt believe how much it removed that need to have a cigarette. Your gp can prescribe it for you. Vaping is definitely not the way to go
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