[dkingsf]

If there was even a tiny chance that a cell phone could bring down a plane then cell phones wouldn't be allowed on planes.

I agree. You'd have planes full of Muslims calling each other across the aisle! LOL

[dkingsf]

WOW...glad everyone doesn't decide to talk on their cellphone while in flight...think about the annoyance factor:
The girl next to you is talking to her boyfriend and crying loudly because he just dumped her...the guy across the aisle is having an argument with his girlfriend about how she acted at the party last night...the woman in front of you is yelling at the Lands End Clothing order department because her order didn't arrive...whew...just think of the possibilities!

Why should an airline flight be any different than a morning at Starbucks? LOL

[Ganks#CB]

My personal opinion is that if cell phone interference was as important as they made it seem... IE bringing down an entire plan, they would come around and personally confiscate each and every wireless device.

As far as service with the Storm:

I just recently upgraded, and I have better service in places where I didn't have that great of service (or none at all), with my LG Venus.

[beefman]

Near rural mountainous areas this has a better chance of working as some cellsites use isotropic antennas which radiate 360 degrees. In flatter suburban and urban areas it's not going to happen and you'll have no service as sites are 'sectorized' and use directional antennas for more capacity vs. wider coverage area or at least omni-directional to increase flat-land coverage area at the expense of coverage in the vertical plane.

Omni antennas (and even more so 'sector' antennas) focus their radiated energy in a defined pattern and very little signal is directed upwards/received from that direction. It's for this reason that service in tall skyscrapers is spotty to nonexistent without internal enhancement/repeaters. You may be able to 'hear' the site but it can't hear you.

Not sure exactly why but GSM almost never seems to work from the air (yes I've been 'naughty' and tried a few times...). I believe it has more to do with the way GSM works (has to register to the network before 'seeing' the network, timeslot issues moving at that speed, etc).

[Drunken_Monk]

People, they have already tested this on MythBusters. Myth was busted.

[MrWashy]

Just a few thoughts on this lot:

A laptop isn't a cell phone. It may emit radio frequencies but not the level that a phone does. That's why we have "airplane mode".

EMI on a plane is highly unlikely but still a possibility. I'd rather my plane stay in the air than someone make an annoying call or argue with a work buddy about their location.

Cell phones can be, and are, used to detonate ied's.

An outdated rule is still a rule. Don't like it, get it changed.

Failure to comply the any order from any of the flight crew will get you a visit with the police, tsa, fbi, and maybe the salvation army, no matter what the issue is.

[MrWashy]

People, they have already tested this on MythBusters. Myth was busted.

While I love the mythbusters, and the guys certainly do take a lot of measures in their work, it is anecdotal at best and not scientifically rigorous. A couple tests done in highly uncontrolled conditions does lot a myth bust. They'd need reams of data to convince me.

[xsilentxninjax]

The airlines are concerned about people using cell phones as detonators etc. As well as for the slight interference they may cause. One of those better safe than sorry type of things I suppose

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

i'd say that and the fact that it may disturb other people on the plane. i believe that is one of their main concerns after they say you can turn electronics back on.

[DrBaum1]

First off, I'm glad your cell works well. It's the reason I'm on Verizon, 'cause the rest of the carriers' coverage ain't worth doodly in our town.

As for the flight thing, while there may have been a time when there was an interference concern, I think it has as much to do with control and conformity in a crowded, potentially chaotic environment. Think of the whole "seat-back in the upright position" thing. It's not like the seatbacks have ANY bearing on, well, anything frankly (perhaps squeezing past a reclined one might be a little harder in the event of an evacuation). The attendants' job is probably just easier if they can scan rows quickly for uniform conditions. Imagine if the rules were all chucked. People on cells, fussing with laptops, tables down, cruising the aisles, spilling food all over and then something like US Airways flight 1549 happens.

Having said that, I agree that some rules are just silly and annoying, if not outdated and still on the books just because "that's the way we've always done it."

[jeepguy_1980]

Cell phones can be, and are, used to detonate ied's.

But not on airplanes. Getting an IED onto an airliner would be the hard part, not the trigger. You can't exactly just hand them an IED at check-in and board the plane.

It's called Improvised for a reason, a wrist watch could be used too. But they're not going to ban anything and everything that can be used as a trigger. If they did, everyone would probably have to board their flight naked.

After all, this thread is based on someone making a call from an aircraft. That means your IED with a cellphone trigger is going to work on the plane, whether you trigger it from the plane or somewhere on the ground (just make sure it's a Verizon trigger). That is not the reason cell phones are banned on planes.

[handscreate]

I've always gotten stellar reception with VZW. The whole turning off electronic equipment on an airplane thing is bunk. The plane WILL NOT crash because you had your ipod, cd player or cell phone on. They ask you to then them off so you actually pay attention to the pre-flight safety speech/video & so you don't annoy the heck out of everyone on the plane talking on your cell phone at 30,000+ ft. Just try to imagine how loud and obnoxious your flight would be with 200 people talking on their phones for an hour on a plane. Now picture 6, 10, 18hrs of it...and that's why they tell you to turn them off before take off and leave them off till you're at the gate

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jeepguy_1980]

I've always gotten stellar reception with VZW. The whole turning off electronic equipment on an airplane thing is bunk. The plane WILL NOT crash because you had your ipod, cd player or cell phone on. They ask you to then them off so you actually pay attention to the pre-flight safety speech/video & so you don't annoy the heck out of everyone on the plane talking on your cell phone at 30,000+ ft. Just try to imagine how loud and obnoxious your flight would be with 200 people talking on their phones for an hour on a plane. Now picture 6, 10, 18hrs of it...and that's why they tell you to turn them off before take off and leave them off till you're at the gate

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I'm reasonably confident that the 10, and 18 hour flights you speak of would not be non-stop talking. Even with a Verizon phone, you're not likely to get service over the middle of the Atlantic.

[handscreate]

I'm reasonably confident that the 10, and 18 hour flights you speak of would not be non-stop talking. Even with a Verizon phone, you're not likely to get service over the middle of the Atlantic.

Doubt it was Verizon but I did witness a domestic dispute via cell phone somewhere over Europe that took place over a US carriers phone. It went on for about 30 minutes before the flight crew did anything, escalating the whole time. Also a few business calls lasting 1hr + on international flights. The point is while its not going to affect the plane itself, using your cell on a flight affects those sitting around you on the plane

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[TUCRACEMAN]

An hour long conversation on a cell phone in a aircraft? Uhhhh, are you sure the person was not talking to themselves? I've seen it before at Denny's.
~D

[Rider-on-the-storm]

I am absolutely amazed at the number of people that feel rules don't apply to them and that they can do what ever they want. Cell phones are not allowed to be used (Radio on) during a flight because they might interfere with instruments and/or controls of an aircraft not because they will interfere with the instruments and/or controls.

So..did you guys see that mythbusters totally busted that myth.


Also, please do not forget how many cell phone calls were made from aircraft on 9/11...

[zazzified]

So..did you guys see that mythbusters totally busted that myth.


Also, please do not forget how many cell phone calls were made from aircraft on 9/11...

I don't mean to be rude or morbid but those planes weren't exactly landed safely despite cell phone interference... the point is that they don't interfere, yes, but 9/11 is a terrible example here because even if they did interfere it would have been a nonissue.

Unless you just mean that they were all able to use their phones like the OP noted, in which case disregard everything I just said.

[bb_xip]

So the whole using your cell phone or anything that has a signal doesn't ruin the planes signals?

one or two phones wont really do much to an airplane.... but if you get 80 - 120 people talking or texting on their phone, they can probably mess with some equipment, mostly 'cause of interference or static energy.....

[Tandesrn9]

If cellphones could crash planes there would be thousands of crashes everyday, simple as that.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com