Fight the mobile phone invasion at 30,000ft

Financial Times ^ | 3/28/2006 | Jagdish Bhagwati

[safisoft]

How did all those calls come from FLT 93?

They were low and slow when the calls were made. It is not just a matter of altitude, but of speed. At cruise speeds, the transition to new cells is more than the system can handle.

[Blueflag]

Yes - mechanically steered/aligned phased array antennae for in-flight reception. Obviously not an all-aspect receiver ;-)

[safisoft]

I've always been told that cellphones and wireless devices mess up the airplanes electronics. How come, all of a sudden, it's going to be OK?

Most airliners are shielded.

I am an airline pilot for a major airline.

[Spiff]

See my previous post where I said people need to be re-educated on public manners.

Whatever. Just leave my right to use my cell phone alone.

[Mamzelle]

I just don't get the anger over cell phones. As annoyances go, they're pretty small.

[stuartcr]

So what is annouced, isn't really true? It's just a way to get people to turn stuff off?

[safisoft]

The plan includes putting a small base station on board that communicates to the ground.

That is new to the debate - and a totally different issue. The crew will be able to enable or disable this.

Talking about a relay system is a marketplace issue. If the FAA allows cell phones in flight, and your aircraft does not have a relay, you won't be able to use your cell phone.

The airlines will discover quickly that the majority of their passengers do not want this kind of thing, and it won't end up being enabled for most of the flight anyway.

[Cecily]

Agreed. Worrying about cell phone noise while traveling in coach on the average flight is like worrying about a leaky faucet as the tsunami bears down on your beach house. A person is lucky ever to have any small bit of peace and quiet in coach. The seats are small, they are all occupied, the to-ing and fro-ing is constant, and so is the noise.

[safisoft]

You shouldn't call others "moron" while you are laboring under your own mistake of fact. The proposal is to put gear onboard planes that will permit cellphones to work normally at any altitude.

I am an airline pilot for a major airline. We know more about the subject that you can imagine.

[null and void]

Thanks.

[technochick99]

If two people, both of whom were present (as opposed to one present and one on the other end of the phone), were having the same loud conversation, would you be as annoyed?

YES.

[TankerKC]

We know more about the subject that you can imagine.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to read the article, skippy.

[safisoft]

So what is annouced, isn't really true? It's just a way to get people to turn stuff off?

Remember when you used to have to turn your computer on when going through security? What was that about? Proving that 1). You had a power source for detonation; and 2). You had a timing device (system clock) for detonation. Was that it? The computers that DID work were more likely to be bombs than the ones that didn't!

Sometimes things change because of greater understanding, and sometimes things change because someone actually "gets a clue."

So do you think it is possible for a government agency to fudge on the truth because they just don't know any better, or any other reason they think sufficient? 'Nuff said.

[al_c]

I hope it's never permitted except perhaps via some sound proof enclosure.

[safisoft]

Still, it wouldn't hurt to read the article, skippy.

Yup. And we still know more than the morons reporting on this.

[Mamzelle]

re: Don't get me started about noise. We live in an exceptionally noisy world. Many people don't even know what real silence or quiet is. Many don't want to know. )))

I hear you--but that's why I wonder why cell phones seem to annoy so much. They're just one more noise in a noisy place.

My own pet noise peeve was when I had the privilege of living for a short while in Hawaii, and spent every moment I could at the beach to listen to the ocean. Inevitably someone would show up with a boombox--

And I moved out to the country, and enjoy spending time in my garden next to a rocky stream. How I detest the stupid hobby pilots who buzz around pointlessly on every fine, bright day, right over my head--back and forth--

But a cellphone on a plane, on the street, even in a restaurant filled with talking people? No biggie.

[Petronski]

I am an airline pilot for a major airline. We know more about the subject that you can imagine.

Yet in this quote:

The simply truth is, they will only work for about 5 minutes before landing or about 3 minutes after takeoff.

you do not seem to know about the proposal to enable cell phones aboard planes for the entire flight.

[LIConFem]

Easy to say. And I don't doubt any of you. But I can't tell you how many times loud conversations on the train are tolerated while cell phone chatters are lambasted, sometimes by the very same loud "non-cell" talkers.

I loathe cell phones. The only reason I have one is so that my elderly mom can get in touch with me whenever I'm not at home. But much of this furor over public cell phone use is little more than the latest fashionable pet peeve.

[safisoft]

you do not seem to know about the proposal to enable cell phones aboard planes for the entire flight.

Actually, I do. It will be a supplimental device installed by, and controlled by the airline (and in the case of my airline, on my airplane, by ME). That is different from every individual pulling his cell phone out and able to use it at a whim.

The point is that individuals yanking out their cell phones under the sanction of the government is one thing that will not happen.

An airline, on the other hand that is subject to market forces to INSTALL and ENABLE such a relay device is entirely different - and will not happen. The fact is - if it gets out of hand and people start voting with their wallets - it will be disabled, or highly restricted.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

But much of this furor over public cell phone use is little more than the latest fashionable pet peeve.

Fashionable? A peeve is a peeve. On this thread you have also seen discussed many other peeves. Fashions must either stick around for a long time, or a peeve is a peeve.