Cellphone In Flight Question

[desert pilot]

SCENARIO-LOST COM OUTSIDE CLASS D,ASK SOMEONE TO RELAY TO THE TOWER THAT I M COMING TO LAND(DONT HAVE THE TOWER#AND CANT LOOK FOR IT IN FLIGHT)IS THERE A VIOLATION USING THE CELLPHONE, AND SAME SCENARIO CLASS B?

 

[ShawnC]

First stop yelling and no there will be no violation that I know of. The restriction about cell phones is imposed by the FCC no the FAA.

 

[stingray]

Back when i was doing traffic watch flying in a 150 thats right a stinking 150, I lost the radio's on downwind, I picked up my cell phone and called the tower. I still have certain phone numbers of local towers programed
Carry an AC-U-KWIK it has the phone numbers you would need.
you can always squak lost com in that case, as we all know.

 

[Flic1]

Yeah, I had a student that lost communications while he was soloing a few years ago and he used his cellphone to call down to the FBO where I was. I then called the tower and let them know what was happening. The tower gave me the clearance to forward to him. He was also flashing the light gun at him and he landed without any problems. Wasn't a particularly busy airport so nothing ever came of it.

 

[CL60]

We asked a cell phone rep. give our flight department a presentation on their services, products, and also inadvertent useage, (pax), in the air. Here's what he said:

"Big cell phone service providers get pretty upset when you make a call from the air and the call is directed through more than one cell antennae. Causes big problems with their systems."

He mentioned a huge $$ penalty too. Can't remember the exact amount is but $10,000 dollars imposed by the FCC from what I recall.

I'd check into it before giving up on the signal lights. Lost comm procedures were produced and implemented to preclude the need for tower communications anyway and the tower personnel are well trained for this eventuality.

Cell phones are definitely another asset for us to use, but I would only consider it in an emergency situation.

 

[AOPAPILOT]

It is not so much that it screws up the cell phone system, it is the difficulty the phone company has and what to charge you for the call when it is being relayed so fast fron cell tower to cell tower.

 

[ShawnC]

And with the modern digital based system (PCS, GSM, etc) there is little or no effect on inflight use, its the old analog based systems that have problems.

 

[ceo_of_the_sofa]

So what' the final say? Yay or Nay? Will the FCC come-a-knockin' on my door for doing this? Or will Verizon's hitmen eliminate me in the middle of the night?

 

[Sonic Cruzer]

Agree with the previous three posters, however I can also add that the $10,000 FCC fine and any charges incurred are waived when the inflight use of the phone is for emergency purposes. I used to fly SAR with USCG Auxiliary and that point specifically was relayed to us by the CG in case we lost com during an inflight emergency.

 

[desert pilot]

cell

FORGOT TO MENTION-LOST ELLECTRIC,NO RADIOS TXP C,INTERCOM, FLAPS ,LITES IN A STINKING 150- CLASS D UNDERLYING B,AND THE TOWER PEOPLE DONT LIKE TO USE THOSE LITES...