i work at the airport, out on the taxiways with the planes
we always wear earplugs or headsets.
once i didn't have my headset in, and i couldn't get my earplugs in in time, and i had to marshal in a plane without ear protection
it was just a very small twin prop plane, it had turbines so it made a lot of noise, but it wasn't a full blown jet engine, and it was LOUD!
when it was at its closest to me, before it shut its engines down, my ears slowly started ringing until it was a high pitched screach and it hurt a lot.
but then again i was putting the chalks in, and about 10 feet from the damn engine.
ha, never done that again