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Cell phone Use on Airplanes |
Harleydog
Joined: Nov 06, 2001
Posts: 417
PM |
Does anyone beleive that the use of cell phones can disrupt the instrument panel. If so? what do you make of the recent grant by the Federal Aviation Association to permit users on airplanes to access the internet, email and other services via satellite, for a fee of course. It appears the Boeing has been granted the right to install internet service platforms on its planes that will permit these types of serives. Another scam by the airline industry or true technology?
What do you all think about this? |
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xenious
Joined: Dec 05, 2001
Posts: 140
From: USA
PM |
And do they actually work at 30,000 feet? |
jonbob
Joined: Jan 07, 2002
Posts: 1
From: England
PM |
A more cynical view would be that they want you to pay the ludicrous prices for their phones. Unless I'm very much mistaken the Regulations state the phone cannot cause any interference that might affect other electronic equipment: and that other electronic equipment must not be affected by any interference present. Besides the frequencies used are very different. |
sindu
Joined: Jan 04, 2002
Posts: 37
From: Singapore
PM |
The one use by the airline is quiet diff. from mobile phone. Aircraft has long been using satellite for communication and they have isolate the frequency so as not to disrupt the on board electronic device. Hence the internet connection via satellite comm. make sense. However, if everyone in the plane uses the mobile phone, it will seriously disrupt the electronic devises. |
Lisa
Joined: Jan 08, 2002
Posts: 2
PM |
A cell phone does not work more than some 100 m above ground. If you try to make a call in the air you will disturb the connection for a lot of users on the ground too. I do not think interference with aircraft navigation is a problem, but you can never be sure. And why make a lot of investigation to find it out when the phone does not work in air after all? |
jhb
Joined: Dec 04, 2001
Posts: 173
From: Sweden
PM |
Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) were about to remove the restriction with mobile phones when in the air a couple of years ago, but changed their minds...
...rumour is that the reasons were:
- There are some old planes at some operators that might be disturbed
- They don't work in the air anyway (as Lisa said), I'm however a little puzzled about this...
...it might be the network that get confused since the phone has very good coverage in many cells at the same time...
...it might also be that the antennas at the base stations are "intelligent" and only sends data in the mobiled direction, which can't be more than 100m above ground  ...
...but the phone should work just fine, it has no clue about air and ground... |
Harleydog
Joined: Nov 06, 2001
Posts: 417
PM |
If you all recall on September 11, many passengers used their phones to call loved ones. I don't think the fact they do not work is an issue at all.
I think that they want to be able to charge people to use their phones, surcharge that is |
Lisa
Joined: Jan 08, 2002
Posts: 2
PM |
You are right jhb. The problem is that the mobile "sees" a lot of antennas at the same time. The network is designed to be used on the ground. In some cases it will be possible to make calls, but it is very seldom. I know a guy that tried to make a lot of calls during a flight bouth in the cocpit and in the cabin and he was only able to make calls just after take off and before landing. |
Fingers
Joined: Jan 29, 2002
Posts: 468
From: New Zealand
PM |
Hey guys, well yes you're all right, it does disrupt the navigation and communication equipment in the aircraft, but it is also a case of distance from the cell and the fact that you're moving far too fast for each cell to really know what's going on. I've been working on aircraft for about 12 years now, and when ever the power is on the aircraft during a check we're not allowed to have cell phones switched on, and more importantly when the fuel tanks are open they're not allowed within three metres. I've worked for 5 differnet airlines and all their policies are the same. Boeing and all the aviation authorities also have a lot of regulations about it. Hope this answers a few questions. |
Nimitzer
Joined: Jan 24, 2002
Posts: 79
From: Brussels & Paris
PM, WWW
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I don't agree, remmember the september 11th, the last plane which crashed in the forest.
A man could call to his wife using his phone.
And I think he was higher than 100m.
Another example, in Paris on the Eiffel Tower which is 300M height I could use my phone with full network. |
Fingers
Joined: Jan 29, 2002
Posts: 468
From: New Zealand
PM |
It's not so much the distance above the ground it's the speed you're travelling at in the aircraft. I belive the cell transmitters are transmitting more or less parallel with the earth's surface, they have no need to transmit straight up, and remember your pilot even says we'll be flying today at a height of 30 000 ft, about 11kms, pretty high. |
herboan
Joined: Dec 19, 2001
Posts: 117
From: Belgium
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In so far as the use of phones in airplanes is concerned one remark:
Apart from the fact that it is not allowed it is not possible because:
The antennas for the GSM Network are directional antennas which radiate and recieve in a circle around them but not directed towards the sky.
Reception on high buildings is possible because of the antennasplaced on the buildings/towers.
So in reality 100 m above the cantenna is the maximum you can have as reception. |
Emperor666
Joined: Nov 13, 2001
Posts: 84
From: Oslo, Norway
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Cell phones DO work in 30.000 feet, but the signals are not good! U get signals form different transmitors and the phone would avt weird, but it works. It has been tested by an operator in Norway |
arroyootje
Joined: Feb 01, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: UK-Belgium-Azerbaijan
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Fingers--> one little question out of interest: if I leave my phone on in a plane, do the pilots and cabincrew KNOW that it's me? Can they trace it somehow? Cos I was in a plane and they came up to me and said it once. Is that a coincidence or can they actually tell?????
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decoy7
Joined: Feb 06, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: NW London
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a mobile won't work more than 100m above ground?
have you never been in a tall building? |
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Posted: 2002-01-04 18:59
