Airline Passenger Cell Phone Use

Hey, folks......we've all been hearing that airlines are going to start allowing cell phone use during flights. For several decades, all use of passenger-owned electronic devices capable of transmitting has been prohibited on the basis of potential interference to navigation equipment. I'm wondering -- has all interference potential been resolved or are we about to see a lot of commercial aircraft flying into the ground without help from foreign terrorists?

 

I think the planes should just trail a long wire and use regular phones.

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

 

at 0.3 watts is about over 1/4 of a watt well lotta money invested in some cell repeater, word has it to communicate to a Bird overhead.

Probably the Airlines may charge extra for this service.

Choice of buying a ticket Cell Phone or No Cell Phone, or just jack the $ price of the ticket anyway.

 

Isnt't it bad enough to have to listen to people on cell phones in restaurants, elevators, grocery stores etc? But to have to sit next to someone telling their life history on a airplane seat would be reason for mutiny. People with cell phone are the most discourteous people there are. As you can tell I don't own one.
Curt

 

"People with cell phone are the most discourteous people there are."

Very broad statement but I understand what Curt means. I don't agree but do understand.

Two folks sitting right in front or behind having a face to face discussion of their "gall bladder surgery" or "who is doing who" in the family, is equally discourteous to all within hearing range.

In my opinion the cell phone can put half the conversation out of my ear shot and cuts the noise in half. So they can be thought of as a good thing in some circumstances.

Discourteous conversation has existed as long as we humans have had mouths.

 

Cell phones would be a huge menace to navigation when passengers rioted and beat the obnoxious users with their own phones.

 

I always was under the impression that the use of a cell phone in an aircraft at altitude was not a navigational instrument problem but, a problem of being in the range of too many cell sites.  OR  Maybe the arilines just wanted you to use those flight-phones in the back of the seats?

Dennis

 

Cell phones would be an annoyance for passengers sitting near the cell phone users. It's bad enough when you're sitting in a public place and people have to display their ego by loudly conducting "important business" with them to the chagrin of those around them.
I'm a cell phone user, but I don't like to think of riding for hours next to someone who uses it constantly.

Howard :rock:

 

Look, that cell phones can cause intererence to navigation systems is malarkey. Airplanes are loaded with electronic equipment and have to be adequately shielded to prevent the systems from interfering with one another. Its all very well tested before a plane is certified.

The truth of the matter is that the airlines want you to pay to use their phones. I'm not looking forward to seeing people use cell phones on airplanes. I don't think it's going to work well, it will be annoying as in a restaurant, and I sort of enjoy the time away from it. But don't tell us it's because of safety. That's BS. And it was because of them that we found out what really happened on Sept. 11th. Nuff said, let's roll....KR

 

Hi (high) flyers,

How many cell towers would this light up? It's a well known fact that VHF/UHF rigs at altitude can't be used on repeaters so this idea is as rediculous as they come. The in flight phones are there for a reason, the system is coordinated as it is in ground transportation. Does Amtrak still have on board phones? The frequencies are listed but I'm out of range and unused frequencis abound.

LOL de Warren KB2VXA

 

It's not their conversation that would bother me but the morons who turn their volume all the way up and have downloaded some cheezy pop song as their ring tone. Then they let it ring for a while so everyone can visually acknowledge that they are receiving an incoming call. Although I suppose the same can be said for nextel bleebleblops echoing throughout the plane, supermarket or whereever. I guess the good news is that crying babies won't be quite as annoying anymore.

 

They've had that since the beginning of time.
I remember I used to try to use a sony walkman, long, long, long before sept 11, and they would say not to use it.

 

I agree with Curt!
It's not necessary and I don't want any stray RF floating around inside an airplane that would act like a wave guide holding in the RF, while my ass is in the seat at 30,000 Feet!   It's not necesasary, besides they already have phones on planes if you need them!
73s
Carol Maher W4CLM


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Isnt't it bad enough to have to listen to people on cell phones in restaurants, elevators, grocery stores etc? But to have to sit next to someone telling their life history on a airplane seat would be reason for mutiny. People with cell phone are the most discourteous people there are. As you can tell I don't own one. Curt

 

I always understood the main reason for not allowing cell phones in aircraft, after the interference question, was the ability of the phone to access dozens of cells at the same time (30k feet is great antenna height).

Dennis

 

It would seem to me that just as we use repeaters here on the ground to extend our range using UHF, the reverse would be true if we were at high altitude.... Wouldn't the cell phone be in direct line of sight so to speak with to many cell towers???   Boy... could you see the roaming charges on that   It is an interesting question!!!

Don