Whats bad about Cell Phones

[DCMartin]

In know they have to mess something up and Ive heard a few theories, but I was wondering what actually happens when you leave your cell phone on while in flight? Cause I know there are always a few people who forget to turn them off. I've been guilty of it a few times as well.

 

[skeezer]

but I was wondering what actually happens when you leave your cell phone on while in flight?

If you have a Sprint phone you will drain the living sh*t out of your battery as it constantly searches for a new signal....or so I heard.

Skeezer

 

[sky37d]

Something I actually know something about.

I got a new cell phone, and it was my practice to leave my cell phone on the right front seat, on, when I was flying. No big deal. I had my new cell phone on, and was headed for AZO, in IMC. I could not get the localizer or glidescope to line up. Ended up going around, and said to myself what is different, what is wrong? New cell phone was the answer. I turned it off, and everything lined up.

That is my personal experience, with my AC, and your cell phone and AC may not act the same, but now, I turn it off when I get in the plane.

 

[DenverDude2002]

Never had any issues in the Archer or the Warrior, I leave mine on all the time and dont even turn it off from the wireless internet service (PCS Vision). I heard from a Mesa CRJ pilot that using a phone anywhere in the CR2 sets off the smoke detector sensor in the cargo compartment....

 

[English]

No issues here in Citations, Saab 340 or 737-200. Nokia and Motorola phones, AT&T and Verizon.

 

[Denizen]

Cell Phones

Cell Phones, hmm let's see, they cost money, they demand attention(when they ring), never seem to last...seems like they are just like something else that causes pilot to have heartburn.

 

[NuGuy]

Hi Guys,

I think we've all heard stories about cell phones goofing up the works.

A bud told me that they had some guy in the back web surfing with a wireless notebook card, and it caused both AHRS in the DHC-8 to take a dump. Fortunately it was VFR, and it was a DHC-8 with the SAHRS conventional gyro backup sytem.

They had the FA fish around in the back. Found the guy, who didn't equate surfing wirelessly to a "two way transmitter"...maybe he thought it was just a long string with cans on the end. Anyway, he shuts it off, and the AHRS rights itself.

If I put my Motorola V60 (which is TDMA) next to my computer's speakers or a clock/radio, you get a wierd tone on the speakers before the phone rings.

FAA interference issues notwithstanding, the big driving force with the airbone ban is the FCC. The cell phone system is not designed to work where they can "see" more than a few towers at once. Back in the day of the analog cell phones (AMPS), they put out quite a bit of power, and when airborne, they could see A LOT of towers, and it messed up the cell phone billing and hand-off system something fierce. With the advent of the digital phones (TDMA, CDMA and GSM), the power is less, and most of these times these phones will show "no service" unless they revert to AMPS mode. The internal switching mechanism of the phones can't keep track of all the signals, so they dump out.

In any event, it is NOT a good idea for technical reasons AND it's against the FAA and FCC regs, so 'nuff said.

Using them on the ground is a whole other story.

JMHO,
Nu

 

[JB74]

and most of these times these phones will show "no service"

Yep, I have a Nextel and I get a "no service" signal while airborne.

 

[Vector4fun]

I have a cell phone. Once or twice a day, when I want to call someone, I actually turn it on. Then when I'm done, I turn it off. I have an answering machine/service for when someone wants to call me.

I like cell phones...

 

[dmspilot00]

I heard from a Mesa CRJ pilot that using a phone anywhere in the CR2 sets off the smoke detector sensor in the cargo compartment....

There was a documentary in the Discovery Channel a year or two ago which discussed electromagnetic fields (EMFs) affecting aircraft systems. They said that it had been discovered that cellphones left turned on caused a fire detector to falsley activate, and it happened repeatedly on that particular airplane. I don't remember which airplane they said it was on, but I guess it was the CRJ!

 

[pilotman2105]

Re: Cell Phones

Cell Phones, hmm let's see, they cost money, they demand attention(when they ring), never seem to last...seems like they are just like something else that causes pilot to have heartburn.

Strikingly similar to a woman...

(Please, not too much hate from the ladies on the board. It was too good to pass up)

 

[T-Gates]

Never had any issues in the Archer or the Warrior, I leave mine on all the time and dont even turn it off from the wireless internet service (PCS Vision). I heard from a Mesa CRJ pilot that using a phone anywhere in the CR2 sets off the smoke detector sensor in the cargo compartment....

Done it, never had any smoke detectors go off. Probaly used it dozens of times...mostly on the ground.

 

[Wankel7]

When my cell works in flight it really makes a weird tone in my headsets. I have Lightspeed ANRs. It gets really bad if the phone is working and it is right by the ear cup.

I had a nokia that worked ok in flight. Now I have a Moto V120 and it works somewhat ok in flight.

Wankel

 

[FlyChicaga]

Nope! Never been in the flare and hear the voicemail ding. Nada, never done that. Not in my life.

 

[labbats]

Do you REALLY need to get a phone call all the time? I hate cell phones. Turn the thing off.

 

[Papa3Charlie]

..it is against Navy regs as well.

 

[Jedi_Cheese]

You lose coverage at about 10-15k ft. Your cellphone then goes into search mode and burns through the battery.

Nothing like shooting an ILS down to minimums and your parents don't understand that when you don't awnser, they shouldn't keep calling you and instead leave a message

 

[DJS]

It's actually an FCC law, not FAA

I looked it up once upon a time (might have even posted it somewhere on this board (?)). The law banning cell phones in the air is actually an FCC regulation, mostly due to the fact that older analog cell systems weren't designed to have a phone spanning numerous cells.

Air carriers, of course, have their own rules that need to be followed as well.

 

[Pilot124]

Nope! Never been in the flare and hear the voicemail ding. Nada, never done that. Not in my life.

That has never happened to me in the flare either.. Or on a checkride for that matter. Sprint does drain your battery if you forget to turn it off by roaming but usually at 15k or above. I always try to remember to turn it off. I think I am going to add that to my checklist.

 

[skydiverdriver]

Yes, there is a FCC regulation, but also a FAA one. The problem with cell phones is that they don't have the same tolerances that avionics require. So, you might have two cell phones, identical models, and one might interfere with the aircraft electronics, and the other one won't. And, just because it doesn't do anything in one aircraft, doesn't mean it won't mess up another type. I agree, just turn it off.

 

[DCMartin]

Checklist

I always try to remember to turn it off. I think I am going to add that to my checklist.

By buddy who works for Air Whisky was telling me their Checklist actually includes "Cell Phone - OFF"

 

[Twotter76]

Unfortunately that is true - our before start checklists were amended to add Cell Phones - Off. However after much bitching from the pilot group it was removed in the last revision. Good riddance.

 

[EagleRJ]

AA and Eagle have it on the checklist now.

The story goes, an MD-80 was on the takeoff roll and the FO's phone rang. The Inspector on the jumpseat didn't think it was very cool.

 

[glasspilot]

Something I actually know something about.

I got a new cell phone, and it was my practice to leave my cell phone on the right front seat, on, when I was flying. No big deal. I had my new cell phone on, and was headed for AZO, in IMC. I could not get the localizer or glidescope to line up. Ended up going around, and said to myself what is different, what is wrong? New cell phone was the answer. I turned it off, and everything lined up.

That is my personal experience, with my AC, and your cell phone and AC may not act the same, but now, I turn it off when I get in the plane.

I flew into AZO once too. I was cleared for a Visual Approach to one of the runways in a CRJ. Our company policy is to always back up Visual Approaches with the ILS if one is available. Well, the LOC and GS were not lining up the whole way down. The FO and I kept asking each other if we were going to the right runway. We were. After we landed we asked ATC about that and they said, "we cleared you for a Visual. The ILS is shared between two runways and we left it on the other runway because you were on a Visual approach."

My point is there just may be another reason why the needles wern't lineing up on an ILS in AZO. Fly safe and turn off the phone anyway.