Definition
An internal communication system on an aircraft that allows crew members and ground personnel to talk to one another through wired headsets and microphones at designated stations. It is separate from the radios used to communicate outside the aircraft.
Plain English
A wired talk system inside the aircraft that lets the crew speak to each other privately, without going out over the radio.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft systems discussions, cockpit audio panels, cabin communication systems, and maintenance procedures.
Derivation
From 'inter' (Latin, meaning 'between') and 'phone' (Greek 'phone', meaning 'voice' or 'sound'). So literally a 'between-voices' system — voices passing between people inside the same aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
Enables immediate, secure communication among crew members critical for flight safety and coordination.
Intuition Check
An interphone system is not the same as the aircraft radio. The radio talks to people outside the aircraft over the air; the interphone lets people connected to the aircraft talk to each other internally.
Example Sentence 1
Before pushback, the captain spoke to the ground crew over the interphone system to confirm the chocks were clear.
Example Sentence 2
During the emergency, the flight attendant contacted the cockpit via the interphone system.