Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Airplanes are one of the few places left where one can get some peace and quiet...if you sit in first class especially.
Just image 80 board people talking on their phones in one room. No thanks. Keep cell phones out of the skies.
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.
Yeah, I know that stupid rule in hospitals is bogus....found that out when the wife had our first baby.Originally posted by: Amused
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.
Originally posted by: slsmnaz
So what? I really don't want everyone on the plane talking on their cell phones. Have you ever heard the conversations these idiots have in the middle of public places?
Originally posted by: rhatsaruck
Licensing.
I have a good friend who is a senior pilot for one of the major airlines. He's a USAF Academy graduate and retired military pilot. When I asked him about the restriction against cell phone usage being credited to interference with aircraft flight systems he burst out laughing. He claims no such interference exists and that he's used his cell phone in the cockpit while the plane was in flight.
He claims that every radio transmitter on an aircraft in flight must be licensed by the FCC. Your cell phone lacks a license for use on an airplane in flight. Therefore you can't use it.
Ever wonder why you're supposed to turn off your cell phone before the plane pulls away from the gate but it's OK to turn it on after your aircrafts lands and is taxiing to the gate? It's due to the definition of the term "in flight": an aircraft is considered to be "in flight" from the time it pulls away from the gate until it touches down at its destination. In other words taxiing away from the gate to the runway is considered to be "in flight" activity but taxiing after landing is no longer considered "in flight" activity.
He claims that the FCC is in discussion with the cell phone carriers about licensing the use of cell phones while airplanes are in flight. In addition he says that the FCC will allow cell phone providers to charge cell phone users an extra fee for this privilege. He expects this will start to happen by the end of 2007.
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.