Using cell-phones on flights?

Incidentally, flying recently with easyJet to and from Edinburgh, we’ve been allowed to use our phones as soon as we’re on the ground. But yet, easyJet into Gatwick the phones must stay off until we’re inside the terminal :confused:

Regards

John

I have noticed now with most airlines and PAX.. once you are on the tarmac.. that means phones turn on… (i think PAX think.. im on the ground now so who cares… the fact is that the flight crew are not really bothered as there looking for a quick turn around and have more important roles to carry out..

Also… i once remember that once you are on the ground you are still in “no mans land” until customs. so in thoery, no contact with the outside world should be made?? as there are no public pay phones before customs?

RicKT

Incidentally, flying recently with easyJet to and from Edinburgh, we’ve been allowed to use our phones as soon as we’re on the ground. But yet, easyJet into Gatwick the phones must stay off until we’re inside the terminal :confused:

Regards

John

Yup I can recall flying from Liverpool some years ago on a British Airways ATP and the idiot behind me booking a taxi. When he was obviously asked if he had landed yet, his reply was ‘No, we’re just over the Isle of Man at the moment’ 😮

But seriously, I can recall being on a flyBE flight into BHD whereby the pilot made a stern announcement saying that someone on board was obviously using a mobile phone and could they please turn it off as it was interfering with aircraft systems. A few minutes later and the approach was aborted and the announcement made again before eventually making an uneventful landing.

Regards

John

what is general airline policy these days if I were to use my phone, inflight in this mode ?

Obviously I can only speak for BA but we allow the use of mobile phones in ‘flight mode’ during the cruise provided that it was enabled before engine start up, and not used during take off or landing.

If I see someone using a mobile, or the dreaded Blackberry business-life-support-machine, I just gently check with them that it is in flight mode.

The problem is that many a business man thinks the rules apply to everyone else but not him. I asked one guy recently during the approach, who growled at me that it was, and while I was explaining why I was asking he recieved 2 text messages!

Of course, I’m just jealous that I’m not so important that I must always be contactable. 😉

One other point, of course it doesn’t matter what this report says, until the CAA say it’s acceptable, the use of mobiles won’t be allowed onboard UK registered aircraft.

1L.

My Nokia has a ‘flight mode’ whereby it operates in a non transmittal/receiver mode but allows the use of other features such as gaming and camera modes for example.

I understand what this means in terms of comms interference but what is general airline policy these days if I were to use my phone, inflight in this mode ?

I should add that I meant Nokia phones not in “airplane mode” are more noticeable. Most modern cell phones seem to have an “airplane mode” from what I’ve seen.

It depends on the airline if not crew. I’ve come across some flight attendants who’ll permit it as long as they can visually verify that it’s on “airplane mode” wile others don’t want to even bother and don’t permit any.

Absent mindedly leaving your phone on certain parts of mixing desks isn’t advised either, as I, along with 20,000 other people found out a few years ago…

Paul

I can see their faces Paul ! :rolleyes: 😮

My Nokia has a ‘flight mode’ whereby it operates in a non transmittal/receiver mode but allows the use of other features such as gaming and camera modes for example.

I understand what this means in terms of comms interference but what is general airline policy these days if I were to use my phone, inflight in this mode ?

Nokia phone are the most likely to screw with the radios in my experience. I’ve never noticed navigation problems but that doesn’t mean that it never happened. Plus cell phones don’t work above 10,000 feet, 7-8,000 feet is about their limit and even that is hit or miss.

I don’t know anything about the actual workings of cell phones but it seems to be something with their active seeking that creates the problems vs. other electronic devices. With miles upon miles of wires I don’t think designers can shield it from every possible type of electronic intruder.

Exactly the same thing working in a television studio, when the gallery staff leave their mobiles switched on and sitting on the production desk. We, the camera crew and anyone else wearing headphones get that sound through our lugs.

Absent mindedly leaving your phone on certain parts of mixing desks isn’t advised either, as I, along with 20,000 other people found out a few years ago…

Paul

I have been on a few flights, mostly business city hopping and have heard many text message tones going off in flight… i dont mind flying, however i would perfer to drive, but when you can see the flight stw/crew ignoring the fact and not apporching the indivual that get my back up…. why should Mr Joe Bloggs sat in row 10 think no rules apply to him!!! if he wants to leave his phone on.. get a private jet!!

in regards to Ryan Air.. i was on a flight with Ryan last weekend from Oslo Torp to LPL reading this in their onboard mag… I think its good that airlines over the past 10 years have always said NO to mobiles on flights.. to be honest if i leave my mobile at home when going to work i feel lost without it.. but i can live with it been off for a hour or 2 on a flight… i can not think of anything worse than sat on a flight listening to some one on a mobile sat next to me for a full flight!!!!

HOWEVER…. I think it would be nice to have Wirless internet on planes as standard for my laptop… bit of surffing above the clouds???? im sure that would make the time fly!!

RickT

Could some form of shielding be installed the cockpit bulkhead to prevent this?

You probably don’t want RF shielding on an airliner… ?

Mate, not recommended, the dirty looks and cold shoulders you receive certainly overshadow the view of the 744 and the view of the completely gorgeous looking dispatch officer 😀

at least we got to stand under a 747

mmmmmmm, may have to try that 😀

We were in Sydney a few years ago and were boarding a British Airways 744 service back to London when my wife could not find her mobile phone, then she remembered she was charging it up before we left and remembers putting the charger into the suitcase but not the phone, but this was the only place it could have been, we informed the BA check-in staff who then told the flight dispatcher, she told the captain and he said under no circumstances is this flight departing with that phone in the hold, and as we were one of the first to check in our bags must have been the first on, it seemed like hrs went by when we were asked to go down and identify the bags, at least we got to stand under a 747 😀 but we never found the bags, we departed with the phone in the hold and switched on, suffice to say we made it back in one piece

You know how if you leave your mobile phone near a speaker you will frequently get a signal hunting noise emitting from the speaker…well that comes through our headsets if a mobile phone is in use. I’ve never experienced navigational problems but it’s irritating having the headset noise when you’re trying to decipher Russian (etc) ATC.

Could some form of shielding be installed the cockpit bulkhead to prevent this?

You know how if you leave your mobile phone near a speaker you will frequently get a signal hunting noise emitting from the speaker…well that comes through our headsets if a mobile phone is in use. I’ve never experienced navigational problems but it’s irritating having the headset noise when you’re trying to decipher Russian (etc) ATC.

Exactly the same thing working in a television studio, when the gallery staff leave their mobiles switched on and sitting on the production desk. We, the camera crew and anyone else wearing headphones get that sound through our lugs.

No matter how many times you explain the irritance to them, they still do it.

You know how if you leave your mobile phone near a speaker you will frequently get a signal hunting noise emitting from the speaker…well that comes through our headsets if a mobile phone is in use. I’ve never experienced navigational problems but it’s irritating having the headset noise when you’re trying to decipher Russian (etc) ATC.

There are much stronger emitters out there than cellphones. In fact couple of airlines want to permit it again, they install a pico base station in the aircraft. Main problem with using GSM on a plane is that it tries to access a multitude of base stations at the same time and you move too fast for a reliable cell-to-cell handover, so the call drops. CDMA should change that.