cell phones on planes

[Kanaric]

Other than annoying others why are cells banned on planes? At cruising speed and altitudes can you even make a call?

I understand thinngs like picocells are on planes now to allow connection but im talking about flights without that.

[xcorps]

Because it makes life a lot easier on the airlines, the crews, and the public in general. The "might cause interference" line is so easily tested and remedied it's silly. but the FAA won't do it because the airlines don't want to have to deal with cellphones.

[♔Goodguy1066♔]

Other than annoying others why are cells banned on planes? At cruising speed and altitudes can you even make a call?

I understand thinngs like picocells are on planes now to allow connection but im talking about flights without that.

Maybe people are just tired of these mothering cell phones on these mothering planes!

But seriously, as far as I know most private jets have mobile phone connections and some of the more expensive airlines have them too. I believe they're banned on passenger planes because it's bad enough when you have a bawling baby next to you, you don't want it's parent to be on the phone all day especially if he's American!

At cruising speed and altitudes can you even make a call?

I think it depends whether the plane has mobile connection or not. If you can do it on private jets why not on on normal planes?

[Phier]

I can tell when my cellphone is about to ring because any speakers near it start to fuzz out with the same pattern. While the odds of interference being dangerous to the plane is rather remote, its a good excuse and why putz around with it?

[Tacitursa]

I see the whole interuption thing on mythbusters and they pretty much installed a telecommunications tower inside an aeroplanes cockpit and nothing budged, plane was working fine with no interuptions of any kind.

And dont planes use pretty much the same technology anyway, How do they keep in contact with air controll etc, If cellphones were to cause problems surely the comms they use would cause the same problems if not more

[Manoflooks]

I'm more curious as to why planes don't let you use your laptop or iphone or whatever as the non-calling functions. There is a reason these things have airplane modes, yet every plane I go on says its irrelevant and makes us turn it off.

[Phier]

I'm more curious as to why planes don't let you use your laptop or iphone or whatever as the non-calling functions. There is a reason these things have airplane modes, yet every plane I go on says its irrelevant and makes us turn it off.

Do you trust everyone on the plane to do what they are suppose to do?

[xcorps]

Because it supports the reasons behind the No Cell Phone reasoning. It's easier for the airlines to ban it than deal with it. How much are most people going to "really" complain if they think that using personal electronics might end them up scattered across two counties? Especially on domestic flights where they don't have access for a couple of hours.

[Elfdude]

Actually Boeing did extensive testing and could find no trace of any anomalies produced by the equipment. They even purchased equipment which reputedly did have effects and were still unable to find any trace. I've never turned off my cellular device and texting on airplanes is common for me. *shrug* oops. Apparently studies have concluded that at any given time multiple cell phones are still on or in use on the flights regardless of the ban.

[Phier]

Actually Boeing did extensive testing and could find no trace of any anomalies produced by the equipment. They even purchased equipment which reputedly did have effects and were still unable to find any trace. I've never turned off my cellular device and texting on airplanes is common for me. *shrug* oops. Apparently studies have concluded that at any given time multiple cell phones are still on or in use on the flights regardless of the ban.

Perhaps you should have kept reading the wiki.

[Elfdude]

Eh, the wiki presents all of the information regardless of it's validity. The conflicting information doesn't really conflict. Still, as far as anecdotes go I've never turned off my electronics or cellular devices and I usually text throughout the entire flight. One thing I have noticed is that in first class you'll rarely if ever get any flack from the attendants but in coach/business you will. Duno if the airline is just being dicks to people to try and get them to use the insanely expensive in flight phones.

[Tiberius Tosi]

You usually can't get good reception above 10,000 feet. I left my phone on on accident one time and I got a call and she said that it first started to say that it was unavailable and then cut mid sentence and starting ringing, I guess because we were descending to land pretty rapidly (it was during a storm so they did the whole thing where they find a gap in the clouds and shoot down through it lol). So besides phones not really working all that great it would just be annoying to other people. Some people don't even like it when people hold a steady conversation on a plane because they like to sleep, imagine having to put up with those idiots who think they have to scream at their phone for the person on the other end of the line to hear you lol, would be pretty annoying.

Manoflooks- What country do you live in? I'm in the States and I use my ipod and laptop all the time and it is permitted, they just don't let you use them during take-off and landing for "emergency exit purposes" (AKA if you drop it and break it because the plane isn't flat they don't want to have to deal with your complaining lol).

[Kanaric]

Maybe people are just tired of these mothering cell phones on these mothering planes!

If they just allowed texting i'm sure people would be fine with it.

[Clibby]

An airline stewardess recently told me that they don't allow it because older cell phone models were shown to cause interference with certain radio frequencies used my airlines. Today they pose no threat, but continue the practice out of fear. I have no evidence to back up her story, but it sounds accurate to me.

[Tiwaz]

An airline stewardess recently told me that they don't allow it because older cell phone models were shown to cause interference with certain radio frequencies used my airlines. Today they pose no threat, but continue the practice out of fear. I have no evidence to back up her story, but it sounds accurate to me.

That should not be possible unless either people giving out frequencies were total tools or people making phones were incompetent and made them use more than their permitted frequency.

[Clibby]

The CAA in London is quoted as saying the following:

interference levels produced by a portable telephone, used near the flight deck or avionics equipment bay, will exceed demonstrated susceptibility levels for equipment qualified to standards published prior to July 1984. Since equipment qualified to these standards are installed in older aircraft, and can be installed (and is known to be installed) in newly built aircraft, current policy for restricting the use of portable telephones on all aircraft will need to remain in force.. …For safety reasons, the Regulatory Authorities should continue to prohibit the use of portable telephones by passengers on aircraft whilst the engines are running.

However, there are no real life reports that this interference aversely affects aviation equipment. All evidence to the contrary is anecdotal with one exception. GSM phones can cause interference with communications from air-to-ground if used near the transmitting equipment (planes have approximately 15 different radio transmitters). The interference is more like a buzzing and won't eliminate communication. It should also not be a factor with effective shielding. http://www.eetimes.com/design/microw...-mobile-phones

Also the FCC 47 C.F.R. § 22.925 states that communications at the 800 MHz is restricted to ground communications which would be a problem for airborne flight. I'm sure this could be changed if the FAA could prove it to be safe.

[Viking Prince]

I doubt there is a security reason for the ban today (though there may be some scenarios of low probability). It is most likely a combination of:

• nobody wants to be the one to lift the ban if something does go wrong and
• desire of the airlines to have an orderly passenger cabin.

[Misery]

I doubt there is a security reason for the ban today (though there may be some scenarios of low probability). It is most likely a combination of:

• nobody wants to be the one to lift the ban if something does go wrong and
• desire of the airlines to have an orderly passenger cabin.

Agree, if it was that easy to take down plane with the phone they would take them off from you on way in and would not leave it to Joe Bloke to remember to turn it off.

[Jaketh]

i would use mine anyway, just put it on airplane mode