Whats the technical reason for refusing passengers to use their cellphones on commecial flights? I have flown by chopper and used my phone during take off and landing and the pilot did not object. Try that on kq and those waiters will be on your case seriously and they don't know why they have to enforce the stupid rule. Any aviation or communications experts?

attendants ...

attend to people's needs.....

waiters ....

wait on people.....

the difference is on nomenclature....

I'm the real Massey F.....shut your mouth

Mobile phone = radio device

The safe navigation of an airliner (not helicopter) is dependent on a range of equipment, most of which are radio devices.

Just like the your cell phone will interfere with other simple devices in your house or the operation theatre,it can interfere with the navigation equipment on the flying balloon especially the less modern ones. This is moreso during take of and landing but at cruise level,you can do it undetected....or at least they ignore. Modern planes especially on long haul flights are fitted with equipment that can allow safe use of cellphones but only at cruise.

If you insist and refuse to listen to the attendants,do not be surprised if you are arrested and taken off the plane. This has happened to at least one arrogant person I know at the Kisumu (International) airport.

Don't you be refering to cabin attendants as 'waiter'.



Everyday!

There has been a lot of hogwash about mobile phones interfering with the GPS system in an aircraft. This has now been confirmed to be untrue. There is no technical reason not to use a mobile on a plane.

The only problem now is the disturbance/nuisance to the passenger next to you especially on commercial flights. No one is interested in your conversation.


Fundamentals + Sentiments = Position

@ Murenj.

You could be right. In fact it is common to find telephone services in first class and business class on some carriers such as Continental Airlines,KLM and British Airways. Even Airforce One has telephone,fax e.t.c facilities. But these planes have had to have additional equipment installed to make the operation of this equipment safe.

But there are times when a telephone coming through my cell phone has caused my CD player to stop and as soon at call terminates it,resumed. I have also watched Air Craft Accident investigation where the crash of an airliner in 1995 was partly associated with similar kind of interference. It is believed that the Ground proximity alarm system issued a warning but the warning was delayed for about 13 seconds. The analysis of the red box (black box if you like) indicated that the timing of the alarm and delay period coincided with the timing of a cell phone call made by a passenger. If the pilot had the 13 more seconds to respond to the warning and climb,chances are that the crash would have been averted. 21 people including the passeneger who made the call died but the pilot survived. I am not an eviation systems expert but I believe the warnings have some basis. While would cell phone use be banned by Civil aviation authorities if it was baseless.



Everyday!