OK , bluetooth headsets , are fine , but when you have to equip 45+ tuggies expensive ,as to one man pushes , using the convential headset , what do you do when theres thunder and lightning over your airfield ????, as for the 747 FD crew and binoculars , they need Bino's they shouldn't be flying ........
.IDIOT !!!!!!, Eeeeiiiggghhh !!!!!!!
One man Operations are stopped when Lightning and/or thunder is within 8km (Earshot) of the airfield. We resort to 2 man operations using Handsignals...
As fro Bluetooth we have Peltor Bluetooth Sets which although are by far the most modern and stylish of all communication options, they simply dont work...
Using them from inside the Pushback Vehicle we lose the signal, outside the distortion is very bad and sound quality terrible. FD crews complain every time we use them....
Oh and as for the B747 crew comment i was actually talking about the Headset/Handsignals operative....
British Grenadier = BA Pushback Crew member by any chance, if so it answers a lot of questions.....
we have looked into all the options open to us and we (as a company) do not want to go down the 2 man operation route (financially and practically). The only alternative to the options we have looked at is using Ground-Air Radio.
Other Options:
2 man op = After buying numerous TBL tractors for 1 man operations do not want to even look at this option...
Std Headset & Cable = Vehicles cannot reverse away far enough from the Aircraft to be in view of the FD for Bypass Pin removal etc (if we use extensions to the cables they get caught up on the vehcile wheels and/or working parts).
Bluetooth = Sound quality not good enough
Ground/Air = Expensive to set up (base radios already in tractors for towing purposes), and have to get all Airlines to agree to use it. Once set up and working the best sound quality, and no environmental issues eg lightning....
So going back to my original q. Does anyone know of Airports using this technology for pushback purposes....