Interphone Overkill by Phil Rowe Communications between the various crewmembers aboard military airplanes is typically accomplished by means of interconnected electronic devices. The interphone system is a vital part of the equipment required for efficient and coordinated flight crew operations. Pilots communicate with navigators frequently to assure mutual understanding of headings to fly, time to go and estimates to targets or destinations. Pilots and co-pilots communicate over the interphone on matters related to control and flight procedures, coordinating accomplishment of checklists, switch settings and the like.
Interphones are absolutely essential.
Disciplined and professional inter-communications procedures and techniques are also essential. So it was not surprising that flight crews in the Strategic Air Command were evaluated on check flights to be sure they followed prescribed interphone procedures. It just wouldn't do for confusion to occur because of improper interphone communications practices. Well, there are formal interphone procedures and then there are those that work. These may not be the same, as was clearly demonstrated on my B-52 aircrew some years back.