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Can we talk about cellphones in the air?

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abev107

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2002
Posts
58
There was one time I was getting wacky behavior on my CRT display, so the F/A made an announcement to please make sure all electronic devices, including cellphones, were turned off. She said several folks reached, and the problem then went away, but I have no idea what might have caused it.

There have also been numerous times when...uh...friends of mine...have left my...er...their cells on in the cockpit without any interference, besides receiving a call on short final...so they said.
 
There have also been numerous times when...uh...friends of mine...have left my...er...their cells on in the cockpit without any interference, besides receiving a call on short final...so they said.
Click to expand...
uhhh, yeah, I have some of those friends too...They said they've never had a problem other than some clicking noises in their headset.
 
Every cell phone I've owned (sprint, AT&T, Verizon and now TMobile) have all gone "no-service" above about 5000'.

AirCel, a "cell" phone designed for aircraft, work above 3000'. Personally, I don't want to be sitting next to some yapper on a cell phone for three hours. I used to think the walkie-talkie type phones would be great to have until some putz at an FBO carried on for an hour on one, with the annoying chirp between every transmission. Especially when the signal is weak and this yutz is screaming into the phone while several pilot's are trying to catch a snooze in the pilot lounge. :(

BTW, want to know his wifes name, what he had for dinner the night before, his schedule for the next three days, the girl he met at the bar last night, that annoying itch he's trying to get rid of..... I prefer not knowing anyone elses business, especially that of strangers!

2000Flyer
 
I dont know about the no service above 5000' I have personally placed a call to my asswering maching at 16000'. I think its more like the phone becoming smarter and figure out that they are see to many cell towers at once and then shut off service. I think the interference comes mainly from the older analog or AMPS phone system which requires a more power to propigate the necessary signal for the 800 MHz band. These older phones are kinda like AM compared to FM and the signal tends woble and in conjuction with the higher peneration of objects with the 800 Mhz as compared to the new 1800 & 1900 Mhz GSM system.
Personally I have never encountered the problems that crew have complained about but then again I still fly an ancient airplane
 
I, um, heard from someone that they were getting service at FL230 over PA when they forgot to turn off their Sprint phone.
 
FlyChicaga said:
I, um, heard from someone that they were getting service at FL230 over PA when they forgot to turn off their Sprint phone.
Click to expand...

Probably won't make calls though. Cell phone towers are aimed slightly down, so what you are seeing in the air is a weak side lobe. Digital phones don't transmit with as much power as an analog phone, so at four miles it is doubtful that the tower will acutually be able to recieve your phone's signal.
 
Fcc

My understanding is the FCC is the driving force behind not using cells in the air. As "Dude" says I have been told they pick up too many towers and actually lock up multiple towers for one call. Flying G/A I have actually had reception and made calls at about 8K trying to coordinate follow-on activities enroute.
 
As I understand it, the FCC agreement will entail installing equipment in the aircraft that will process cell signals and relay them from an exterior antenna to the ground. I don't know how long that will take to implement, if airlines will pay for it, or if it will eliminate R/F interference.

FL000 said:
There have also been numerous times when...uh...friends of mine...have left my...er...their cells on in the cockpit without any interference, besides receiving a call on short final...so they said.
Click to expand...
Several months back, an AA First Officer's phone rang while the MD-80 was on the takeoff roll, and he answered it! He told the caller that he was busy and would call them back. The Captain didn't care, but the FAA Inspector on the jumpseat didn't think it was too cool. :eek:

We now get to check the power status of our cellphones on the Before Start checklist!
 
I say if someone thinks they are so important that they can't get off the phone for the time they are in an airliner they can pey 3+ dollars a minute on the "airphone". What on earth did we do 10 years ago before there were cellphones and laptops?
 
I heard a story that someone was able to place a call while flying over Chicago at FL350, but that someone said it was in roam mode.
 
i called my roomate today to tell him that i was on the VOR A to 1g3, and i was directly over our house...that was kind of cool...i've taken calls while flying, women i'll ignore, but i arranged a job interview over the phone while doing steep turns last year...i don't think it's such a bad idea in the sense of technology and the ability to achieve instantanious communication everywhere, but like you all stated the person next to you describing their genital rash could piss me off...just a bit *sarcasm*...

the only two times i turn my phone off is when i'm fishing or playing the piano...i hate nothing more than to be in the middle of Minuete and Trio and have the ringer kick on...or chance droppin it in water while fishing so i just turn it off and leave it in the car...

i also couldn't imagine sitting next to someone with an anoying ass ringer for a long flight...i have a few but i don't think they are anoying...but someone else might and you owe them the courtesy of peace of mind...
 
mechanics reported that ringing cell phones have set of the smoke detectors in the cargo bay.
 
I had a crew tell me the other day they had an incident on landing (autopilot engaged, Loc and G/S captured) nose pitched up 22 degrees at about 2000 agl. They did a go around and had the FA's make a PA about all electronical (FA words. IDUNNO) and some guy said he was making a call. The wires in the aircraft are not shielded from outside interference because when they designed most of these birds’ cell phones were in their infancy, if at all. If you owned a car from 50's- 70's those ignition systems were not shielded either and when you put that high tech 8 track player in you also had to install a noise suppressor because the whining noise with the motor running was horrible. That is what the interference would do to that machine. Who knows what it will do to our machines. I don't who is pushing the idea but I would imagine that the cell phone companies would love to see more minutes used.

Wiggums- nice orange belly money maker.
 
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Don't like hearing all the details of someone's personal or business life? Here's what I do (when I'm not traveling in uniform). Carry a small pad of paper and pen with you on the plane. When the person next to you makes the call and starts in with all the details you don't want to hear, just look very interested and begin taking notes. I promise you that once they notice you paying attention and writing down everything that's being said, they'll stop talking long enough to ask what you're doing. You then explain that since that person feels the need to discuss his marriage/business/personal itch problem in a public place like a plane, that you feel it's your duty to not miss anything and that's why all the note-taking.

I give you my personal guarantee that the offending cell phone user will end the call VERY quickly after that! You'll get a few dirty looks, but the flight will be a lot quieter after that.

I've used this technique a few times during taxi to the gate when some chucklehead couldn't wait for 5 more minutes to begin his/her big, important business conference call.
 
I have used my cell in the air and it works great. Even above 5000'. The only reason I have stuck with ATT for this long. It is using that TDMA network. MY fo has tmobile and it hardly ever works in the air.

It is very usful if I need to call disbatch and ask them some question about where is good to go for cheap gas if we arent gonna make it. Or, tell them we are diverting...just to give them more led time to call the customer.

I have those lightspeed headsets with the cell phone interface. When I use that interface disbatch is like....are you on the ground already? They can't tell I am flying...it is that good:)

Wankel
 

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