What is PTT in aviation?
PTT in aviation is commonly known as push to talk (PTT) switch. You press the button and hold it down to transmit voice message. It instantly connects to radio, audio panel, intercoms, or headsets on aircraft. As a hands-free communication method, push to talk switch helps pilots to keep the focus on flying.
As a tech ladder in aviation, push to talk switch is an upgraded communication in comparison to traditional radio. PTT switch is frequently installed on the yoke of aircraft within the reach of pilot index finger. You have to press to transmit the voice message from your side. When receiving the message, there is no need for the push button action.
Aircraft uses push to talk switch widely nowadays. However, ptt aviation is not only about ptt switch in flying. The development of push to talk technology delivers more opportunities.
It is effective to use ptt in other activities of airline operation especially groundworks. It has been a popular topic in the industry how the advantage of walkie talkie is no longer relevant.
PTT in aviation: Japan Airlines equip their aircraft maintenance team with the AINA PTT Voice Responder.
Challenges with Traditional Communication
The Aircraft Maintenance Team at Japan Airlines needs to communicate across the team at all times. Either during aircraft maintenance times or during the time between arrival and departure of the aircraft. It’s critical that the team can exchange information constantly; even among the loud aircraft engines. The complication is that the team has to inform each other of the most current status to react quickly to any circumstances.
Before implementing a new Push-to-Talk solution, the team used walkie talkies. They were big, heavy, and troublesome to carry around while on the job. Also, the battery life was so poor that recharging of the devices had to be orchestrated between worker shifts. This results in the situation when some workers do not have a device at all times.
The disconnection happened frequently while seamless communication matters the most to the aircraft team. The team struggled to stay in connection with each other to carry on their tasks. The outcome is a significant decrease in the productivity of the aircraft maintenance team.
These old walkie talkies also had wired accessories. The limited space of aircraft is not ideal for wired accessories. They were not conducive to work well in and around the aircraft as they often got tangled.
The innovation of push to talk as a solution
The Aircraft Maintenance Team at Japan Airlines replaced their cumbersome walkie talkies, and wired accessories with AINA PTT solution. AINA PTT solution is a new adaptable, lighter Push to Talk solution using Bluetooth Remote Speaker Microphones.
AINA PTT solution is able to offer instant and consistent connection at all times for the team. Making use of the stable mobile network, there is hardly any disconnected during the transmission.
Moreover, customers do not need to invest in extensive training for the new PTT solution. The use of push to talk is intuitive: push a button and talk. The team can leave it alone the rest of the time.
The message comes through to the push to talk device with a clear sound. AINA PTT solution is a handheld device that allows the team to work on their tasks when listening to the information. As a result, the overall communication costs decreased when the productiveness grows.
Watch the video to hear more. The success of Japan Airlines with AINA PTT Solution for the airline and aviation industry.
Benefits of a Push-to-Talk over LTE (PTT) Solution
AINA PTT Voice Responder provide a Bluetooth Remote Speaker Microphone that eliminates the risk of tangled wires. Also, it has excellent noise cancellation, volume output and clear audio functionality which makes communication easy, even in noisy environments. The communication obstacle like being surrounded by loud aircraft engines was wiped out.
The integration of additional functionality between phone and accessory makes the solution highly adaptable to different situations. Use cases and the equipment weight that every worker was required to carry was reduced by about 500g (1lbs). Best of all, compared to the old walkie talkies, Japan Airlines was able to impact their bottom line. The costs per worker drop by a few thousand yen, just by switching over to AINA’s PTT Voice Responders.
Evolving Communication Strategies
Prior to implementing AINA’s PTT solution, some field workers worried that the communication quality would suffer. Japan Airlines did extensive field testing with their maintenance workers to instill trust and confidence in AINA’s solution before rollout.
After using the solution for a while, there was a question on how communication should be further improved. Both the workers and management brought the question forward. Japan Airline talked about development support from AINA and their PTT application partner Aldio. They disclosed that they “really liked the cooperation with our partners and how they reacted quickly to our suggestions and wishes.”