Features

Ramp communications: Improving safety with wireless headsets

How wireless systems improve overall safety and situational awareness for ramp operators.

Picture credit: David Clark Company

As passenger traffic levels soar above pre-Covid levels it’s been another busy year for manufacturers of wireless communication ramp headsets.

The David Clark Company Series 9900 Wireless Headset Communication System is being used by ground crew personnel in hundreds of airports for leading carriers in the USA, Europe and Asia. The system is ideal for pushback operations, aircraft towing, maintenance and deicing/antiicing operations.

The Series 9900 system enhances the safety and situational awareness of ground personnel to protect against potential injury, incidents, and costly aircraft damage.

The company has over 40 years of experience providing ramp communication headset system solutions to the airline industry — from the introduction of its first wired systems for pushback and deicing operations to the introduction of the Series 9900 Wireless System in 2011.

“In 2024, we have seen a definite pickup in business activity for our Series 9900 Wireless Headset System, both domestic and international, as airline activity now begins to approach pre-pandemic levels. Unfortunately, the increased activity also means an increased potential for airside incidents, which can be extremely costly to airlines,” said Bob Daigle, Systems Manager for David Clark Company.

According to the FAA, in the 12 months ending May 31 of this year, the total number of runway incursions/airside incidents reached 1,115 cases. 

They ranged from serious close calls to “Category D” incidents, in which a person or vehicle is present on a surface designated for an aircraft but posed no significant safety risk. 

Given that several studies cite poor ground crew communication as one of the leading causes of ramp incidents, more and more airlines are beginning to look at ways of improving ramp communications beyond traditional hand signals and two-way radios.

“Now, with the additional benefits of the wireless system, there is a general consensus among airlines that clear voice communication is a welcome enhancement to traditional safety protocols,” said Daigle.

Wireless system components
Series 9900 Wireless System components include lightweight, comfortable noise attenuating headsets in a variety of styles, along with wireless gateways and belt stations. All components are purpose-built to meet the requirements of the rugged ramp environment, with marine-grade, water-tight enclosures and components.

System wireless benefits
David Clark wireless systems provide clear communications for a variety of ground communication applications including pushback, deicing/anti-icing, towing and maintenance and general airside operations.

To work safely and efficiently in such a challenging, high-noise environment, ground support crews need wireless headset systems that offer a unique combination of verbal communication, freedom of movement and hearing protection.

A variety of applications
Pushback tractor drivers and wing walkers can communicate in real-time while drivers are also in communication with the flight deck. During deicing, drivers in the apparatus can communicate clearly with the sprayer in the bucket, helping to save time and valuable deicing fluids, while helping to ensure the safety of personnel and preventing damage to the aircraft.

Many airlines have found that wireless systems are also useful in the pre-flight loading of aircraft. There may be a widebody with the crew chief on the ground and a clerk on the high loader. Crew chiefs can communicate loading instructions to streamlining and safeguarding the loading process.

“At David Clark, we understand that keeping planes in the air requires better communication on the ground. We will continue to provide easy-to-use headset communication systems to promote ramp safety, avoid costly airside incidents and ultimately improve airline performance,” said Daigle.


Picture credit: dBD Communications

dBD Communications
dBD Communications, a major player in duplex communications for the rail and construction sectors, is still establishing itself in the ground handling industry, however, it has enjoyed steady growth throughout 2024 largely driven by relationships with companies such as Vestergaard Company and Polar Aircraft Deicer.

“Vestergaard is a strong account for us. By default, their deicing trucks come with one of our headsets as standard and we’re pleased to have orders well into 2025,” said David O’Connell, Managing Director of dBD Communications.

“Polar Aircraft Deicer is a new client for us and is steadily incorporating our equipment into its deicing systems as part of its ongoing build program. We also continue to work with our valued clients, Prime Flight Services and IDS.”

Traditionally, deicing machines were purchased with wired or corded headsets, but now the migration to a wireless system brings many advantages for the customer, he explains.

“It gives you the versatility to use it in different ways, from a dismounted point of view, and also in other applications,” said O’Connell. “For an assembler or a manufacturer, a wireless system removes the intricacies of routing cables, managing looms and ensures a reliable system integration.”

He says that greater complexity arises in operations in the snowiest areas like Scandinavia and parts of North America where PAD deicing systems are set up for multiple aircraft to be deiced at the same time.

“We’ve already developed and sold systems into PAD deicing solutions where you can have a single unit truck that’s communicating to another three people at the same time in a simultaneous operation,” he said.

All dBD Communications wireless headsets are CE and FCC certified, featuring the latest Bluetooth technology. Additionally, they can integrate with Press-to-Talk over Cellular (POC) for customers who require this advanced capability.

“We chose Bluetooth as our medium because it’s probably the most robust waveform,” he said.

The USA and the Far East remain dBD Communications’ primary markets, but O’Connell added: “We’ve seen significant growth in the USA recently, largely due to being in the right place at the right time, with the right price. Just a couple of weeks ago, we received an order for six systems destined for America. The order was placed on a Friday, and we successfully delivered by the following Monday.”

The USA is showing most growth due to volume of need caused by more wing walker usage and also the density of traffic at US airports.

“With the increased risk of collisions, one of the key solutions is to integrate all systems with effective communication,” stressing that: “I don’t think wireless is a financial advantage, it’s a safety advantage,” he said.

How dBD Communications wireless solutions help to reduce ramp incidents

i) Greater situational awareness
Increased verbal communication enhances awareness of the ramp environment. With wireless headsets you can wander around the aircraft, carry out all pre-flight checks, evaluate FOD, the aircraft and watch refuelling from a safe distance.

ii) Removing people from dangerous areas
Traditionally, with a wired system, a person had to walk alongside the aircraft with a 12m cable, putting them at risk from moving equipment like tow trucks, engine noise and exhaust, or hazards around the aircraft such as the wing or tail sections. With dBD Communications’ wireless systems, ramp workers can operate safely up to 150m away from the central unit.

iii) Monitoring the team
It enables you to monitor the fatigue of team members who have been working long shifts and ensures workers are on task.

Market feedback
The growing demand for customisable systems is being driven by feedback from deicing teams, who require adaptable solutions like combining radio and duplex systems to enable two-way communication.

“All wireless systems that are used on the ramp are duplex, which means you can talk and listen at the same time, so you can combine a radio circuit with a duplex circuit to get an overarching capability,” explained O’Connell.

He explains how their system integrates radio communication into headsets to improve coordination during deicing operations. For instance, when two deicing trucks are servicing an aircraft, a de-icing controller — potentially miles away — can be seamlessly connected to the communication system. This set-up enables all four participants (the two truck drivers and the two operators) to communicate with one another.

In-house repairs
O’Connell discusses his strategy for improving client relationships and reducing costs by offering support for in-house repairs. For clients purchasing large fleets, the company provides free training courses on how to repair their equipment, which helps avoid the need for sending faulty equipment back for repairs.

“It’s more efficient for us to minimise the back-and-forth of equipment if we can enable clients to repair their own systems,” he said.

Additionally, for some clients, the company offers virtual workshops via Teams, where they help troubleshoot and repair broken equipment remotely.

“It reduces the amount of equipment being returned and helps lower shipping costs,” he added

GLOBALSYS
Airlink 2085, GLOBALSYS best-selling wireless communication system, is highly successful with many of the world major airlines (American Airlines, Southwest, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas…), ground handlers (Swissport, AviaPartner, WFS) and aircraft manufacturers (Airbus, Dassault).

Among the most appreciated 2085 Airlink features, include:

• Full duplex communication for up to four ground crew in conference with flight deck.

• High audio quality thanks to 50-7kHz audio bandwidth.

• Range up to 300m.

• No latency and interference with other ground crew groups. Early 2024, GLOBALSYS launched additional benefits required by the market that include:

• Adjustable voice activated microphone.

• Digital noise reduction, cancel noise of engines caught by the ground crew microphone for clear communication with flight deck.

• Bluetooth enabling communication with mobile phones or radio.

• Removable battery pack with built USB-C charger.

To ease training and incident management, the Airlink aircraft base station which enables communication with the flight deck has been upgraded to benefit from a new voice recording function, allowing to record cockpit and ground crew communication for up to 60 hours. Its Airlink 2085 headset is appreciated first and foremost for its intuitive and friendly Airlink 2085 user interface and comfort level.

This article was published in the December 2024 issue of Ground Handling International, click here to read the digital edition and click here to subscribe.


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