David Clark
David Clark Company, located in Worcester, Massachusetts, US, has been working with both international and domestic airlines, as well as third-party ground support providers, to improve crew communication in the airside environment for over 40 years. The company was among the first to provide headset systems for improved communication on the ramp, including pushback, de-icing, aircraft towing and maintenance, and other operations where communication and safety are critical.
David Clark customers include many of the top 10 carriers in the world, as well as numerous regional airlines and ground service providers such as Menzies Aviation, Swissport and Viggo. Despite the obvious downturn in the airline industry caused by the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, David Clark remains optimistic in its outlook for the industry in 2023 and beyond, primarily due to the critical safety, and ramp performance/efficiency benefits that its headset systems afford to ground support crews.
Bob Daigle, Systems Manager, David Clark Company, has over 20 years of experience working with airlines to improve ramp communications.
He said: “As airlines have continued to dig out of the pandemic era, we’re finding that many carriers are placing an even greater emphasis on ramp safety and efficiency, which our headset systems directly address,” says Daigle.
Industry statistics would seem to support this assertion. Based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as reported by the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) website.
“The foundation estimates that 27,000 ramp accidents and incidents – one per 1,000 departures – occur worldwide every year. About 243,000 people are injured each year in these accidents and incidents; the injury rate is nine per 1,000 departures. Ramp accidents cost major airlines worldwide at least $10 billion a year. These accidents affect airport operations, result in personnel injuries and damage aircraft, facilities, and ground support equipment.”
Communication key for safety
The aviation website “Skybrary” (as well as numerous FAA studies related to the causes of airside accidents) cites that lack of clarity in communications has been identified either as a leading cause, or the leading cause, of airside accidents and incidents.
The introduction of wireless headset systems in 2010, including the Series 9900 Wireless system from David Clark Company, have dramatically improved ground operations, enabling effective communication between the person in charge of the flight deck and the marshalling agent or person in charge of the ground crew, as well as between ground crew members. Because David Clark wireless systems have a range of over 300 feet (approx. 100 metres), wing-walkers can verbally communicate directions and warnings to the driver in real time, effectively transforming them into “wing-talkers”, no longer having to rely exclusively on hand signals and visual cues to communicate with the tug driver. This is particularly important for any pushback requiring multiple turns and pushing in a tight area, close to airport buildings, GSE and other aircraft.
“At David Clark Company, we will continue to provide easy-to-use headset communication systems, built to withstand the rigors of the ramp environment, promote ramp safety, help avoid costly airside incidents, and ultimately improve airline performance – because keeping planes in the air starts with better communication on the ground,” said Daigle.
Keeping planes in the air starts with better communication on the ground - Bob Daigle, Systems Manager, David Clark Company
GLOBALSYS
In 2022, GLOBALSYS celebrated its 25th anniversary with the transmission to a new management led by CEO Rémi Doutriaux, who acquired the company from its founder Dominique Retali.
As Doutriaux tells GHI: “This transition is not a revolution but an evolution, as the new management team is building on the company’s DNA that was started by our founder since the beginning. GLOBALSYS is leveraging on its well-known drive for innovation, as well as strong customer focus and responsiveness to provide the best fit for purpose for our customers in civil transport and other market segments. It makes GLOBALSYS extremely agile… and it seems our customers like it, considering our many recent successes both in the airlines and helicopters markets.”
Combining the best wide-band audio technologies including full-duplex communication and audio-conferencing with powerful noise attenuation, its design team has built a highly efficient plug & play wireless intercom.
GLOBALSYS targets its wireless voice communication solutions at customers who want not just audio clarity and noise reduction but mobility as well.
Thanks to its range of up to 300 metres (line of sight) and highly reliable connection, the AIRLINK 2085 system is enabling flawless communications ideally suited to many ground handling operations such as aircraft pushback, de-icing or parking.
With thousands of units installed worldwide and often operating under tough conditions (rain, extreme temperatures, rough user handling), AIRLINK 2085 has proven its reliability. Although customers sometimes prefer to renew their fleet with brand new equipment, GLOBALSYS also offers long-term support and services enabling to upgrade or refurbish the installed base.
The result is so convincing that we earnt several selections by prestigious and demanding airlines worldwide, including American Airlines, ANA, Cathay Pacific or British Airways among others.
AIRLINK 2085 product family includes a wireless headset unit as well as a mobile unit which connects to any headset. The mobile unit is easy to carry, as it can be clamped to a belt or a sleeve, and configured for any mission through a user-friendly USB interface connected to a laptop. Recently, GLOBALSYS further enhanced AIRLINK 2085 with two important features. “We have implemented an audio recording capacity (20 hours, or 50 pushbacks), which is very helpful in case of an incident, allowing to replay and analyze an event, or for training purpose. An audio digital file is uploaded from the unit through a USB interface and played back on a PC or laptop at convenience...This feature is already successfully used by several operators in Asia,” explained Doutriaux.
Another innovation from GLOBALSYS is the addition of a cell phone connection, opening an audio link with a remote party (like engineering, operation control room, etc...). The external link is implemented in such a way that it creates a three-party conference between ground personnel, the pilots in cockpit and this ”remote” party. This is very useful tool to facilitate last-minute coordination, quick response in case of a specific context etc. This problem solving feature has been implemented in particular by ANA in Japan, and can be activated at any moment in any of the 40 airports where this airline operates.
Success stories
Ranked as world top airline in terms of fleet size, American Airlines operates close to 900 aircrafts. To enhance its ground crew efficiency and safety, American Airlines needs a very robust and highly reliable wireless solution to improve communications between ground crews and cockpit. Thanks to GLOBALSYS AIRLINK 2085, operators are able to work hand-free around the aircraft while reducing tripping or electrocution risks.
Like many airlines operating globally, American Airlines has adopted GLOBALSYS AIRLINK 2085 wireless intercom, which is recognized by pilots and ground crews for its outstanding audio quality and hearing protection. With its integration directly into the headset, the wireless function is also widely appraised for its ease of use and light weight.
dBD Communications
Basildon-based company, dBD Communications, is a relatively new player in the ramp communications market. However, its duplex headset systems have already made their name in the UK rail market, now commanding 80% market share.
It was in 2014 that dBD Communications turned its attention to air and saw a niche in the market with its cost-effective products that have been gratefully received ever since.
Customers range from major ground handlers across the world to airlines such as easyJet and GSE suppliers such as Vestergaard.
“dBD Communications is still a small family business which prides ourselves in our flexibility and innovation to create a solution that meets the customers’ needs rather than producing another headset in the hope it will meet the requirements,” said David O’Connell, Owner of dBD Communications.
“We are in a unique position as we manufacture our products, so we have control and complete end-to-end over it and that systems integration knowledge helps us understand the problems that clients present to us.”
Its systems are widely used in Asia, Thailand, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. “We have products in the Middle East as well and in Europe and UK,” he continued, with massive potential opening up in the US.
“GHI Americas earlier this year was extremely beneficial for us. It opened up new opportunities with huge potential that we are promulgating in a timely fashion. We always knew the American market was quite strong in respect to air activity. What we didn’t appreciate was the extra potential that was lying behind it, with the possibility to create new products and mitigate some of their safety risks at the same time.”
Within two weeks of attending GHI Americas in Miami, dBD Communications had a contract to supply a five-user solution that included the cockpit to a ground handler at JFK Airport.
“It was highlighted to us that you cannot have a wing walker that communicates directly to the cockpit or be overheard by the cockpit as it would create confusion for the operation. So we had to segregate that communication and also ensure communications were being met to the person to who was controlling the overall operation.”
O’Connell said there are numerous occurrences not only in the United States but around the world where aircraft are having accidents while manoeurving during the pushback operation or towing.
“The fact that you can increase your awareness through the use of voice has got to mitigate against that collision risk. It costs millions to repair things. Anything to increase that non-event or the ability to reduce that event has got to be worthwhile both financially and for your own peace of mind about the safety of your workers.”
With dBD Communications’ standard system the pushback headset is able to work up to 150 metres away from the aircraft, which means staff can do a full movement around the aircraft and continue communication with the cockpit at the same time.
Its most recent solution is the ‘Bug’, which helps to incorporate the ability to communication to two sets of people at the same time. It can be used in a number of different means. “If you take the pushback operation, one side of the Bug can get a communication path to the cockpit and the second half can be connected to the wing walker. But they can’t cross interfere with one another. The Bug has also been proposed for de-icing solutions where you need to speak to both de-icing teams those on the elevated platform as well having a link to the vehicle drivers. So the Bug is not just used for pushback but can be used in de-icing as well.”
In 2023, if O’Connell sees the demand continuing at the rapid rate as it is now, the long term plan would be to open up an office in America to support the Americas activity. “It’s growing quite fast but we must also focus our attention on the Middle East and Asia, as it is clearly emerging again. We are going to be at GHI Asia and GHI Americas next year promoting our products. We appear to have the right product at the right time.”
