Cell Phone's (in flight)

gevo

gevo

New Member
At the risk of more of you laughing at what may seem like an 'obvious' question to you...

I have been wondering, what is the real reason we are not allowed to use cell phones on the flights...? Is it for security reasons or something? Or does the cell phone frequency actually interfere with the aircrafts instruments?
 
Re: Cell Phone

For me? FAA says no phones on IFR flights.

I've had them cause slight problems over the intercom when someone leaves one on, and I've heard it makes the cell phone towers go bonkers (or it at least used to).
 
Re: Cell Phone

gevo said:
At the risk of more of you laughing at what may seem like an 'obvious' question to you...

I have been wondering, what is the real reason we are not allowed to use cell phones on the flights...? Is it for security reasons or something? Or does the cell phone frequency actually interfere with the aircrafts instruments?
Click to expand...

turn on your telephone in cruise flight on an airliner and see how well it works.

(It doesn't! :))
 
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I have heard that you can't use cell phones because the FCC doesn't know how to charge people for using their cell phone when they are outside their calling plan area. I can't think of a good way to explain it but it comes down to the FCC and the cell phone companies charging for the extended range capability of your cell phone:confused: That's all I got. Who wants a plane full of people yelling on their phones anyways, right?
 
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Blue Side Up said:
I have heard that you can't use cell phones because the FCC doesn't know how to charge people for using their cell phone when they are outside their calling plan area. I can't think of a good way to explain it but it comes down to the FCC and the cell phone companies charging for the extended range capability of your cell phone:confused: That's all I got. Who wants a plane full of people yelling on their phones anyways, right?
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lol.. yeah, who would use the planes' phones then huh?
 
Re: Cell Phone

Blue Side Up said:
I have heard that you can't use cell phones because the FCC doesn't know how to charge people for using their cell phone when they are outside their calling plan area. I can't think of a good way to explain it but it comes down to the FCC and the cell phone companies charging for the extended range capability of your cell phone:confused: That's all I got. Who wants a plane full of people yelling on their phones anyways, right?
Click to expand...

Cell phones don't work at 31,000 feet. Period. No scandal!

Personally, if they did, it would be an enormous pain in the ass because then you'll have 200 people trying to talk over one another about frosted flakes or coco puffs.

If they ever got the system working, I can't imagine the fun we're going to have in store during weather problems:

"tell the pilots that I just called my secretary and downtown Buckhead is clear, what's the REAL reason that we're holding? I have a meeting!"

Joy.
 
Re: Cell Phone

gevo said:
So.. just having the cell phones on creates a problem?
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WHen I leave my cell phone on and somebody calles me I hear a buzzing noise on the radio. Put your cell phone next to any speaker or television screen and have somebody call it. There is definately an interference, though maybe not to a point that will disable your nav/comm radios, but I dont want to find out.
 
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If my phone's on near the COMM panel and I get a text message on the ground, it's about ten seconds of interference. "Bupp BA Bupp... Bupp BA Bupp... Bupp BA Bupp..."
 
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Sexy never left. I've been here the whole time. :)

There was a F/O a.net that said he couldn't get autopilot working because of people using cell phones in the back (shortly after take-off)



EDIT: Wasn't there a study done by the FAA? I remember watching it on the discovery/history channel and they said cell phones did not interfere with the aircrafts navigation/radios.
 
Re: Cell Phone

Blue Side Up said:
I have heard that you can't use cell phones because the FCC doesn't know how to charge people for using their cell phone when they are outside their calling plan area. I can't think of a good way to explain it but it comes down to the FCC and the cell phone companies charging for the extended range capability of your cell phone:confused: That's all I got. Who wants a plane full of people yelling on their phones anyways, right?
Click to expand...

Sounds great, but not even remotely close to the truth. The FCC regulates the frequency band and generally makes itself a pain in the arse - but they have nothing to do with charging people. Believe me, the billing systems at cell carriers are some of the most complex and advanced systems you've ever seen. I have some firsthand experience with just how far they're willing to go to make sure those systems are operational.

You will get RF interference between ANY electronic device and a speaker or even a television if the magnetic fields meet certain strength - this is basic physics at work. Someone with way more knowledge than me explained that interference can happen with the more sensitive avionics due to all the copper wiring in the plane acting as an antenna for signals, if I recall the last time this came up.

EDIT: Also - on further reflection I believe the majority of interference problems were caused with CELLULAR (analog stuff in the 49Mhz range) technology rather than the digital PCS/spread spectrum stuff that most of use are using now. Again, though, this pushes the limits of what I know about it.
 
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PGT said:
Sexy never left. I've been here the whole time. :)

There was a F/O a.net that said he couldn't get autopilot working because of people using cell phones in the back (shortly after take-off)
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I could only read the first couple threads of that. I don't normally read the forums over there, but that one just caught my attention. Good stuff.
 
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My phone (most Cingular) will cause a TV/speaker/Audio Panel on the plane to go crazy (Bzzzz ba bup...ba bup....bzzzzzz). I think it should be on our before start/pushback checklist, I'm notorious for leaving it in my blazer pocket only to have the buzzing start right as we climb out and leave service.

But in short...yes, at least my phone causes interference with the radio.
 
Re: Cell Phone

Well, everyone use their laptops nowadays on the flights, and unless you disable the wireless card manually it is always searching. So, this is a regular WIFI (822MgHz I think) radio frequency... this would cause more interference than 10 cellphones (simply because the 9-13V 50 watt battery in a laptop has much more transmitting power than a cell phone transmitting at 0.6 to 2 watts of signal strength).. how come noone ever complains?
 
Re: Cell Phone

gevo said:
Well, everyone use their laptops nowadays on the flights, and unless you disable the wireless card manually it is always searching. So, this is a regular WIFI (822MgHz I think) radio frequency... this would cause more interference than 10 cellphones (simply because the 9-13V 50 watt battery in a laptop has much more transmitting power than a cell phone transmitting at 0.6 to 2 watts of signal strength).. how come noone ever complains?
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Transmitting power in this case has nothing to do with battery power. 802.11 wireless cards are limited to 1 watt by the FCC, and most transmit at much lower levels, around .2 watts. GSM phones (such as Cingular) transmit at up to 2 watts, and they will increase the power output as they lose the signal (when an airplane starts climbing.
 
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yes.. I couldnt find the power usage for the wireless transmitter, so i just mentioned the battery power... how about the bluetooth transmitters..?

I just checked, the cell phone transmitting power usage depends on the available service.. no wonder my phone dies faster at my house than work...
 
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Bluetooth has what, a 10M useable range? Probably not much of a threat as it's fairly low power... An amplitude modulated, I think. Perhaps I'm wrong.
 
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1st generation motorolla bluetooth headsets with the first generation bluetoot verizon phones had a range of 35 ft... thats not so insignificant.. Plus, a wireless card has a 100 ft range.. even at its lower power as Ralgha stated...

It seems that the cell phone usage restriction is a 'pre-caution'.. one of those 'it could possibly....' and not a real threat..? Its just, one frequency no matter how close to another, still is diffierent and very specific so that 102.7 kiss FM and 102.5 country music don't mix at all...
When some of you said the vibrating cell phones cause static in the radio, thats more probably because of the proximity and magnetic fields than radio waves intertangling... So.. it seems like (if/wherever there is service) using the cell phone is not gonna endager the aircrafts well being (unless an electrical engineer around here knows something more to it)... but its a huge deal when your flying... boo.
 
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