Air Traffic Control Headsets
What an air traffic control headset has to plug into
An air traffic control headset is two purchases, and the second one decides whether the first works. The headset top ends in a quick-disconnect plug. A controller position ends in a dual-prong PJ-7 jack. Between them sits a push-to-talk adapter, and it has to match the position rather than the headset.
Get the interface right and the rest of the choice comes down to microphone type and shift length.
Plantronics EncorePro HW520 Binaural Noise-Canceling QD Headset
Plantronics EncorePro HW510 Mono Noise-Canceling QD Headset
Plantronics EncorePro HW540 Convertible 3-in-1 Noise-Canceling QD Headset
SHG S 620 NC PL Triple XL Ear Cushion Headset with Passive Noise Canceling Mic
JPL Scout 3100 DECT Push-to-Talk PTT Wireless Amplifier
SHG S 131-PL In-Ear Headset with Non-Noise Canceling Mic
SHG S D200 DECT Cordless PTT (Push-To-Talk) Headset Adapter
SHG S D145-PTT/AMP Push-to-Talk Amplifier
Plantronics EncorePro HW720 Premium Binaural Noise-Canceling QD Headset
SHG S 500-PL Headset with Passive Noise Canceling Mic
JPL BL-22+P Dual-Prong PJ-7 to QD Headset Adapter
SHG S 520 NC PL Triple XL Ear Cushion Headset with Passive Noise Canceling Mic
JPL Scout 300 Push-to-Talk PTT Amplifier
SHG S D144-Amp Cable
No products match “” in Air Traffic Control Headsets.
PJ-7, 6-wire and TA6ML: matching the adapter to the position
The adapter matches the console, not the headset. A tower position normally terminates in a dual-prong PJ-7 jack, the aviation standard, which is not the 6-wire or TA6ML wiring used on a police or fire dispatch console. Every option below takes the same quick-disconnect headset top, so the headset moves between positions and the adapter does not.
| Position interface | Adapter or amplifier | Wired or wireless | Headset end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dual-prong PJ-7 | JPL BL-22+P | Wired | Quick disconnect |
| 6-wire console | Plantronics SHS1890-10 | Wired | Quick disconnect |
| USB or TA6MLX | Plantronics SHS 2371-11 | Wired | Quick disconnect |
| PJ-7, cordless | Poly CA22CD-SC or SHG S D200 | DECT wireless | Quick disconnect |
Check the jack before ordering. Several of the air traffic control headset accessories here ship as non-returnable special orders, including the Poly CA22CD-SC and the Plantronics SHS 2371-11.
Wired or DECT wireless air traffic control headsets
Wireless earns its price when the controller leaves the position, and not otherwise. A wired amplifier has no battery to manage. A DECT adapter buys movement at the cost of a charging routine, which is why the CA22CD-SC ships with a second battery for positions running around the clock.
What an ATC headset is not
Controller headsets and cockpit headsets are different equipment, and the search terms run together. An air traffic controller headset is a console product: quick-disconnect top, PTT adapter, no aviation power plug. People also search air traffic control headphones for the same thing, though anything used on a live position needs a microphone, so an air traffic headset is the accurate term.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Most air traffic control positions terminate in a dual-prong PJ-7 jack, the aviation standard. An air traffic control headset does not plug into that jack directly. It connects through a PJ-7 adapter such as the JPL BL-22+P, or through a cordless PTT adapter like the Poly CA22CD-SC or SHG S D200, both of which carry a PJ-7 connector.
ATC headsets and ATC headphones are the same product described two ways, and the headset name is the accurate one. Air traffic controller headphones with no microphone cannot transmit, so anything used on a live position is a headset with a noise-canceling boom microphone and a quick-disconnect cable.
Any Plantronics ATC headset with a quick-disconnect cable works with a PJ-7 position, because the PJ-7 connection is made by the adapter rather than the headset. The EncorePro HW520 and HW720 are the binaural options on this page. Pair either with the JPL BL-22+P for a wired position, and note that a Plantronics air traffic control headset with a fixed aviation plug is a cockpit product, not a controller one.