Are GPS systems allowed on in carryons?

[DenverDude2002]

Hey everyone,
Its been a while since I was on here. Anyways, I'm flying from Denver-Corpus Christi TX via DFW on American Airlines/American Eagle in 3 weeks and my gf is new down there (we actualy met online a long time ago and I'm going to see her for the first time) and doesnt know her way around, so I am going to take my Magellan Meridian handheld GPS system with me for us to use while I'm there. Its a small cell phone sized gps used for mostly hiking but also has maps on it. Is this going to be a problem if I carry it with me as a carryon? I dont trust it in checked baggage. I dont plan on using it until I get to texas. Also can anyone recommend any places in Dallas Ft Worth that I could get food in a 50 min connection?

Thanks,

-Andy

 

[350DRIVER]

You will not have a problem at all with taking the GPS. I would not be concerned about it.

The food court at DFW is decent, a few hotels at the airport that have rather good food so take your pick.


Au revoir,

3 5 0

 

[DenverDude2002]

Thanks for the advice 350. As for going out to a hotel, wont have time. I'll be connecting from an MD80 to an ERJ, and if i remember correctly, it takes about 25-35 mins to get to those gates on B. At least i got 14A on that ERJ-145 to relax and eat

 

[350DRIVER]

You are welcome, yeah you will enjoy a nice scenic walk through the terminal. The food court there really is not all that bad so you should be fine. I may be going through there for new years connecting.


Have a good trip,

3 5 0

 

[Sphincter Boy]

I've actually had a passenger come up and ask at the gate if it was ok if he used his handheld in the back to track our flight. I was cool with it, he was a fellow G/A pilot and produced the credentials to prove it. Gave him all the waypoints and he thanked us after the flight for doing so. It thought it was pretty cool, but I did not think you could pick up adaquate signals from that little window.

 

[DenverDude2002]

Ya, the new GPS systems are pretty amazing. I dont know much about Garmins, but the Magellan series has a dang good antenna. when I drive I leave it in my cupholder, and even in mountain canyons, never loose any signal.

 

[EagleRJ]

Ya, the new GPS systems are pretty amazing. I dont know much about Garmins, but the Magellan series has a dang good antenna. when I drive I leave it in my cupholder, and even in mountain canyons, never loose any signal.

There's no problem bringing the GPS with you in carry on luggage, but you won't be allowed to use it in flight. That's the rule on all aircraft, since it might interfere with the aircraft's GPS.

Try the BBQ joint that's around A18 at DFW. Good stuff. It's near the TrAAin station that will take you to the Eagle RJ gates in B Terminal.

 

[DitchDriver]

Southwest allows them in cruise:

www.southwest.com/travel_center/electronics.html


American prohibits them outright (scroll down):

www.americanairlines.com/content/customerService/baggage/carryOnAllowance.jhtml

 

[DenverDude2002]

Hey thanks for all the advice guys. Eagle RJ, you know whos going to be flying flight 3627 on 1/15/04? If you do tell them the person in 14A is a real fan and would like to say hi to them after the flight.

 

[avbug]

GPS in carion? Better flight tracking for vultures through improved technology.

It's hard on the beak.

 

[DenverDude2002]

Well, I need it with me since she doesnt know where the hotel is and since at dia they still hand snoop through everyones bags, I dont trust them to not take it. It cost me over 350 bucks, and I'd feel safer with it on me.

 

[avbug]

Or is that carrion? Good vultures are hard to find.

 

[horsefeather]

question:
I know a few people who use a handheld GPS in addition to their panel-mounts, neither interferring with the other. I'm curious, how could a hand-held GPS interfere with an airliner's GPS?

 

[avbug]

Personal Electronic devices, including cell phones, GPS units, CD players, and a variety of other devices, have been responsible for interference hundreds of times. This interference has ranged from communication to control interference, to nav signal interference.

Most folks who have never experienced it dismiss the idea. Those who have, don't.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

my gf is new down there (we actualy met online a long time ago and I'm going to see her for the first time)

She's your girlfriend and you haven't even met her yet?

Add 30 lbs to the photo.

Good luck.

 

[starchkr]

Cell phones and GPS do nothing as far as interference. They should be allowed on all flights. I always leave mine on in flight...all 4000 hrs or so...and have yet to see anything happen.


Phones were banned after phone companies could not bill people when making calls from above the surface... in short the phones picked up more than one antena at once which meant they could not tell where the phone was making the call from. Thence they didn't know whether to charge local charges, long distance charges or even roaming charges. So the phone ban was put in place after much force by the phone companies, it had nothng to do with the airlines and interference.


GPS, well there is no logical reason for banning that one. If it is going to interfere with any systems, it would not only be caused by secondary receivers in the rear, but also by the main receiver atop the a/c.


To answer your question, yes you may carry it in your carry on luggage. I always carry my electronics suite with me because i do not want those "security" people touching my stuff.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Cell phones and GPS do nothing as far as interference. They should be allowed on all flights.

You are mistaken.

I can't vouch for GPS, but cell phones can and will interfere with navigation equipment. As AVBUG says, when you see it, you will be a believer. I hope for the sake of your passengers, you don't learn the truth the hard way.

I'm not sure who's nuttier, the dude who's "girlfriend" he's never met, or the "captain" who makes up his own rules.

 

[DitchDriver]

Cell phones and GPS do nothing as far as interference. They should be allowed on all flights. I always leave mine on in flight...all 4000 hrs or so...and have yet to see anything happen.

I agree with you on typical GPS receiver not being a problem. However, read this about cellphones:

asrs.arc.nasa.gov/report_sets/ped.pdf

(if nothing else, there are some good stories on tossing moronic PAX off flights)

 

[DenverDude2002]

Hugh, I dont see how having a girl friend online is "nutty". I've known her a long time and if she wasnt in texas we would have met a long time ago. Thanks to the internet, webcams, and phones, we've developed a serious relationship. It happens all the time, so I fail to see the humor or nutiness in it.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

we've developed a serious relationship. It happens all the time, so I fail to see the humor or nutiness in it.

Initial contact happens via the internet all the time. It's a little unusual to cultivate that into a "serious" relationship without actually meeting in person, though. All too often, these sort of meetings have a way of disappointing. Unfortunately, people are sometimes quite deceptive when they have the protection of not being there in person. I hope this doesn't happen to you and that your "girlfriend" turns out to be in person, what you imagine her to be based on the information she has supplied you thus far. I see no humor in this situation either, just as I see no humor in making up one's own rules regarding flying passengers around. Dicey propositions, both of them. I'm sorry for the digression here, your question was about the GPS and I didn't really help answer that. Hope it works out for you.

 

[Loafman]

Cell phones and GPS do nothing as far as interference. They should be allowed on all flights. I always leave mine on in flight...all 4000 hrs or so...and have yet to see anything happen.


Phones were banned after phone companies could not bill people when making calls from above the surface... in short the phones picked up more than one antena at once which meant they could not tell where the phone was making the call from. Thence they didn't know whether to charge local charges, long distance charges or even roaming charges. So the phone ban was put in place after much force by the phone companies, it had nothng to do with the airlines and interference.


GPS, well there is no logical reason for banning that one. If it is going to interfere with any systems, it would not only be caused by secondary receivers in the rear, but also by the main receiver atop the a/c.


To answer your question, yes you may carry it in your carry on luggage. I always carry my electronics suite with me because i do not want those "security" people touching my stuff.

Every AT&T cellphone I've ever been around has interfered with every intercom / comm radio I've been using at the time. Made no difference what type comm system, but the common thread was whatever technology AT&T used. (TDMA?) Most CDMA phones simply don't work over about 1500' AGL. Their towers propagate the signal in a horizontal plane so that no energy is wasted sending signals off into space.

As for GPS interference, some handheld devices are not sheilded very well and the oscillators operate on a harmonic of VHF DME frequencies. I've seen this only a few times in my old Twin Commander with Collins microline equipment. I used to use my Garmin 295 in the ATR cockpit with the antenna in the unheated side window. In the CRJ 700, it's completely useless because it can't acquire a signal through the heated windows.

 

[HerrJeremy]

Hugh, I dont see how having a girl friend online is "nutty". I've known her a long time and if she wasnt in texas we would have met a long time ago. Thanks to the internet, webcams, and phones, we've developed a serious relationship. It happens all the time, so I fail to see the humor or nutiness in it.

Good luck, man.
Met my woman the same way, and have been married for four years. Wish I was a pilot back then though....drove 4 days from SEA to ROA many, many times...

As for the GPS, I wanted to use it once on an American flight, but the FA said nothing that pulls an outside signal is allowed; although the Captain did tell me the flight plan.
I didnt know that was just AA, or I would have tried on Delta recently...

 

[DenverDude2002]

Thanks for the encouragement HerrJeremy. We both realize this is a rare and special thing thats happened between us, so hopefully it all goes well . So far it has.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Do let us know how it works out.

 

[logolight]

Captains and FO's like myself always forget to turn off our cell phones before take off and never once has it interfered with NAV/COMMS.
The reason for prohibiting cell phones and GPS devices on the gound is because it creates a distraction during the critical phases of flight and also creates extra flying debris if an incident occurs. In flight, cell phones are usually worthless because they don't recieve signals at altitude. As for GPS, it's probably for security reasons.

 

[English]

My cellphone receives signals in flight. I've received text messages up to 31,000 feet before, after having discovered I accidently left the thing on after takeoff. So, cell phones are not worthless in flight.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Captains and FO's like myself always forget to turn off our cell phones before take off and never once has it interfered with NAV/COMMS.

There's some solid reasoning! "It's never happened to me, therefore it never will."

The reason for prohibiting cell phones and GPS devices on the gound is because it creates a distraction during the critical phases of flight and also creates extra flying debris if an incident occurs. [/B]

your source?

 

[ShawnC]

The reason for prohibiting cell phones and GPS devices on the gound is because it creates a distraction during the critical phases of flight and also creates extra flying debris if an incident occurs. In flight, cell phones are usually worthless because they don't recieve signals at altitude. As for GPS, it's probably for security reasons.

Actually I believe the FCC, not the FAA bans the use of cell phones for none IFR aircraft. And the FCC's reasoning is because of the older phones will tower hop causing the transmission to be received by more towers than it was meant to causing interference (similar thing supposedly happens to VOR's at the upper altitudes).

 

[VettePilot]

Initial contact happens via the internet all the time. It's a little unusual to cultivate that into a "serious" relationship without actually meeting in person, though. All too often, these sort of meetings have a way of disappointing. Unfortunately, people are sometimes quite deceptive when they have the protection of not being there in person. I hope this doesn't happen to you and that your "girlfriend" turns out to be in person, what you imagine her to be based on the information she has supplied you thus far.

Sorry to digress here too, but I met my future wife on an aviation board (not this one, but she posts here). Our first meeting was wonderful beyond my wildest expectations, as has been each meeting since. I'll be leaving SC at the end of this week to be with her full time. A wonderful, beautiful woman, and a superb pilot too!
Good luck,
Mark

 

[DenverDude2002]

Trip was GREAT

Hey everyone,
Figured I would post a post trip report. I got back yesterday at noon from metting my now official GF in Corpus Christi Texas:

First of all a huge thanks to all you guys at American Airlines. I was able to see 3 cockpits and sit in 2. The pilots we're so cool, my thanks to all you guys for allowing student pilots like me to still imagine and refire us up for future flying!

The trip was great, it was my best vacation ever. I met Kimmy, the girl I had met for the first time online. She was great. I spent all but 15 minutes with her from thurs-monday. We had a deeper connection than either of us imagined. I've never felt so bad getting on a plane. It was the worst emotional pain I've ever felt. I miss her a lot. It wont be forever though, and we have a very good future outlook together . Thanks to all the support and encouragement from this board. The photo in my avatar is of us right before I went through security at KCRP heading home.



Sidenotes:


Security was nice for once, actualy felt like pre 9/11 for a change. First time I didnt set of the d**m metal detector since 3/01

I hate the TrAAin. could be be any crappier?

Our ERJ was 2200lbs overweight leaving dfw so they kicked 11 people off. Isnt this unusual for an ERJ-145LR?

The CRJ-700 seems pretty nice.

DFW sucked as always.