If you suspect there is some lag when you push the button, or if you suspect that you start speaking before the button is fully depressed, it is not uncommon to start with some unnecessary sylable just to make sure that the necessary information does not get cut off. "And" works as well as anything else.
Where exactly are you "suspecting" lag from? Did you pick the airplane to fly that has the special slow electrons today?
There are three possible sources of lead-in clipping in AM aircraft radios...
- Slow software-based PTT circuit that's been "de-bounced" in software. If its causing more than about 150mS of clipping, it's broken or mis-adjusted, fix it. Usually only happens in certain radios that start with a manufacturer name beginning in G.
- Audio panel adding unnecessary delay between keying the button and the audio panel keying the radio. Fix it.
- Slow old power amplifier not coming up to full operating RF output after being keyed. It's broken, fix it. In close to the ATC receive antennae and facility, won't matter anyway, exciter power is enough RF to open their squelch at close range.
- Slow squelch circuit on ATC receive. Shouldn't take more than 300 mS max. If it is, it's broken, they should fix it. 300 mS is too long anyway.
Try it.
"Test gear":
Grab a handheld. Make sure "battery saver" feature isn't turned on in the handheld if so equipped (cycles the receiver on and off to save battery power, usually on an adjustable 200mS cycle)... Set squelch to noise threshold properly.
(Since most people don't have a Communications Service Monitor, the above will work out fine.)
Put airplane headset on one ear. Key aircraft radio on the ground on an unused frequency key and talk. Listen on handheld. You an even record it on a recorder if you don't trust your ears. Or use an earplug on the handheld in your other ear.
You'll see there's no need for "aaaaaaand" at all. It's an OWT left over from old radios long gone.
Keying delay noticeable by humans on simpex AM, died with the tube radio era.
Key, then talk, then release. Just the mental process of being conscious of NOT saying "annnnnd" will be plenty to cover the worst case scenario where all of the above are in play, while you're breaking the habit and reversing the desire to do it.
Every time I've been asked to check a radio with this complaint, the delay has been between the user's thumb and the mash-to-mumble button. You canmash the PTT and say any word starting with a consonant, and hear it on the resulting receiver's recording or in your ear.
On FM non-simplex 2-way there are some additional delays that beat AM aircraft simplex by a couple of orders of magnitude and people can be trained to push/pause/speak without saying anything or making monkey noises.
Don't teach this OWT.
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