cell phone on the plane

cfleck

cfleck

tired
well, its 6:30 and i'm getting ready to leave for the airport. but now i'm curious. why can't i use my cell phone on the plane? what's the dealio? and why don't cell phone come with an option to turn off "service" so you can use them for their calendaring and other junk (Q*BERT!!!)?

get back to me on this one. i'll be back on the ground soon!
 
Because the cellular signals interfere with the plane's radio transmissions, or so they presume. They can't take the risk of interference, so they make everyone turn off all electronic devices during takeoff and landing. You should be able to use your phone while actually in-flight, but I doubt you can (or should) make a call.

Where are you going, and what for? (Just curious!)
 
The 3650 has a flight mode. You remove the sim card and it disconnects from any cell signals, but you can still use it for game playing or using the PIM features.
You have to explain that it's safe a couple of times to flight attendants, but it's not a bad way to have a conversation opener (if they're cute enough). Really handy.
 
There is anecdotal evidence that cell phones can interfere with avionics. It is also sometimes rumored that the cellular industry is behind it; from thousands of feet up you can lock onto dozens of cell towers at once, making it hard for them to bill the call.

In any case, it's against FAA regs, and if you REALLY give them a hard time about it (not that I'm suggesting that YOU pesonally would) you can actually be arrested when you get off the plane.

Even before 9/11/2001, the inside of a commercial airliner in flight was basically a mini-police-state, and it is even moreso today. Travelers take heed: imagine the flight crew with badges and handcuffs hanging from their belts before you get too agressive with them - they ARE the law.
 
no biggee. i have a t616 from sony ericsson. i wonder if they have some docs about taking out the sim card making it safe for aero-planes....

off to sonyericsson.com!!!
 
Yeah, I wouldn't mess around with "the peace and tranquility" of any airplane environment. If you do, it will be pretty much guarenteed that a couple of heavily armed police/assault squad personnel will happily escort you to a temporary holding cell where you will wait for a connecting flight to Camp X-Ray in Cuba. In addition to being adorned with new jewelry (chains and braclets), you'll be given a new residence and bright attractive clothing, all one color of course.
 
I myself have a Kyocera 7135, which runs Palm OS. I can turn off the "phone" functionality but still use the Palm (and read eBooks, play games, etc.). Alas, it still looks a lot like a phone. I've had to explain it several times.

On the plus side, on at least one occasion I have heard (during the flight-safety lecture before takeoff) heard a flight attendant say "cellular phones must be turned off, and PDA-Cellphones must be in PDA-only mode...."
 
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