Why cell phone usage on airplanes in flight is restricted?

[LS20]

9/11 airplanes crashed cuz people panicked and started using cell phones in-flight

 

[The Pentium Guy]

Originally posted by: LS20
9/11 airplanes crashed cuz people panicked and started using cell phones in-flight

Not cool man.

 

[Torghn]

Originally posted by: Amused
Last time I flew cross country I left my phone on and regularly checked the signal. I would say it would be very unreliable as the signal meter was all over the place and I rarely had a constant signal for more than a few minutes.

But yeah, the claim that cell phones will make the plane crash is absurd... just as absurd as the idea that modern cell phones can interfere with hospital equipment or make gas pumps explode.

Actually it can interfere with hospital equipment, true the plain and gas pump myths are absurd, but many hospital's use telemetry equipment that over lap with cell phone frequencies. It depends on telemetry equipment used and the carrier of the cell phone, but it can happen, and we are talking life or death here.

 

[d3n]

nm, mugs said it already.

 

[Rock Hydra]

Originally posted by: The Pentium Guy

Originally posted by: LS20
9/11 airplanes crashed cuz people panicked and started using cell phones in-flight

Not cool man.

Agreed. WTF?

 

[flashbacck]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
it's because the towers can't track it properly.

and they tell you that you can't use phones until the cabin door is open again, iirc.

The last several domestic flights I've been on all tell you it's ok during the taxi to the gate.

Anyway, didn't passengers from the Philadelphia 9/11 flight use their cellphones during the hijacking?

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Genx87

The govt and the airlines and boeing have known for a decade cell phones are safe but they dont want to give up that airphone service that generates an estimated 150 million a year in revenues across the airline industry.

well, that and airphone won't cut out on you every minute because you've gone much faster than the system was designed to handle, or left the service area completely

Originally posted by: flashbacck


Anyway, didn't passengers from the Philadelphia 9/11 flight use their cellphones during the hijacking?

yes, and the calls got cut off a lot because of the tower passing problem.

Originally posted by: BillGates
So why aren't personal electronics allowed to be powered on at certain times of the flight?

so that your crap isn't blocking the escape routes if the plane slides off the end of the runway. at all times other than takeoff and final approach you can use the 'approved electronic devices'

 

[SonnyDaze]

Originally posted by: dullard
The other reason: in turbulence or a crash, the cell phone is a good projectile sized just right to do maximum damage.

It was never about interference. Remember pretty much anything the airlines tells you is a lie.

Um, what about the run away drink cart or maybe luggage falling from the overhead compartment? I think those things would be more of a hazard in turbulence or a crash than a cell phone. That's kinda like the tissue box in the back window of the car theory.

 

[DaWhim]

I never believe cell phone interfere with the flight. however, plane is the last place on earth I would like to see cell phone use is allowed.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: Pantoot

Originally posted by: FlashG
More like Billing.

Exactly, and the towers couldn't hand off fast enough to a 500mph phone that had visibility to dozens of towers at the same time.

You would get dropped calls galore. Seriously. You would be tracking the signals way too quickly and no cell searches for signals that frequently. You're going to be jumping tower to tower every few seconds.

 

[jersiq]

Actually it can interfere with hospital equipment, true the plain and gas pump myths are absurd, but many hospital's use telemetry equipment that over lap with cell phone frequencies. It depends on telemetry equipment used and the carrier of the cell phone, but it can happen, and we are talking life or death here.

So why is it that just about every hospital I have gone to while working as a cell technician, has a cell site on the roof?

A site putting out 80 watts, designed to cover a couple of miles would be a little more detrimental than a .08 Watt mobile.

My point is: if you can get a signal, there already is interference on that band.

 

[BillGates]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: BillGates
So why aren't personal electronics allowed to be powered on at certain times of the flight?

so that your crap isn't blocking the escape routes if the plane slides off the end of the runway. at all times other than takeoff and final approach you can use the 'approved electronic devices'

An iPod is going to block the aisle? What about a PDA?

 

[mpitts]

Just to echo the sentiments of others here, I pray that they never allow cell phones to be used on airplanes.

I really don't want to hear 200 people talk on the phone at the same time.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
The last thing I want is 200+ people in a confined space trying to shout over each other ...."ARE YOU THERE?!!?!!?", "CAN YOU HEAR ME!!!!" "ZOMG I GOTS AN STD FROM YOU!!".....

This is why the government doesn't want to tap our phones. They'd have to listen to all this kind of BS.
Or maybe it is.
The people screening the calls go insane from listening to too many people talking about the latest tripe they've seen on MTV, or "Guess where I'm calling from?" or "Tee hee, 'can you hear me now?' god I'm so clever with that joke." The insane screeners turn to terrorist-style plots, and blow up telcom buildings to silence the phones. This then serves to continue to justify the government's continuing war on terror, and a further increase in phone tapping. Cha-ching.
They also buy a lot of stock in the Reynold's company, anticipating a huge increase in the sales of aluminum foil.
Then just to spite everyone, there comes a book, "The Government's official guide to aluminum hat making." Conspiracy theorists won't know what to do. So they too become terrorists.

 

[Mo0o]

if peopel begin yacking on phones whlie i'm on the plane i'm stagging a walk out

 

[Vic]

Airline phones = $$ per minute

Cell phones = cents per minute

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: mugs
Yeah I don't know how true your friend's story is, but I have heard the FCC is considering allowing cell phone use in flight. I've also heard that the network of cellular towers is not designed to handle cell phones moving 500 miles per hour 5 miles directly above the tower. Not sure how true that is either. In any event, allowing cell phone use on airplanes will take us to a new high in rude cell phone use.

Exactly...If I'm sitting next to someone for 8 hours, I don't want them talking about worthlessness for 7 of those...

 

[Shawn]

I always leave my cell phone on when i fly. I just mute the ringer. It usually loses the signal several times throughout the flight though.

 

[novasatori]

I've been told that it is not because it can cause interference, but that every single type of aircraft (737-100/200/300 thru the 900 and all 747100-400, the A319s, 320s, 330s, etc etc etc, a lot of work) have to be certified and tested that there is no interference, and that the airlines will allow cell use on airplanes soon.

cell service is also very bad at 37,000ft.

 

[Rock Hydra]

What is the punishment if you are caught using a cell phone on a flight?

 

[novasatori]

Originally posted by: Rock Hydra
What is the punishment if you are caught using a cell phone on a flight?

you get told to turn it off

 

[novasatori]

Originally posted by: novasatori
I've been told that it is not because it can cause interference, but that every single type of aircraft (737-100/200/300 thru the 900 and all 747100-400, the A319s, 320s, 330s, etc etc etc, a lot of work) have to be certified and tested that there is no interference, and that the airlines will allow cell use on airplanes soon.

cell service is also very bad at 37,000ft.

i also forgot to add, that each cellphone type (sprint evdo, sprint regular, etc) all had to be certified also and with the speed that cellphone tech is progressing its hard to keep up...

anyways this is all what I was told be a UA 767 FO

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: dullard
Remember pretty much anything the airlines tells you is a lie.

YOU MEAN MY PEANUTS WEREN'T SALTED!? Son of a b!tch!

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: rocadelpunk
I Think this was on an episode of myth busters as well

it was, most stuff is shielded on the plane, but it's not worth taking the chance.

 

[akshatp]

Originally posted by: Rock Hydra
What is the punishment if you are caught using a cell phone on a flight?

10 lashings with a bamboo stick IIRC



But seriously, when are more flights going to hook up a service like Conexxion? In flight Internet. I would GLADLY pay $20 on a trans atlantic flight in order to nef on ATOT