On Sep 19, 5:19*pm, (Alan) wrote:
In article writes:
* The FAA prohibits the use in flight in 91.21, but that generally doesn't
apply to VFR flight in small aircraft. *(It essentially forbids use in airliners
and IFR flight.)

* The FCC prohibits use in any aircraft when airborne.

* The iPhone is being "operated" when it is updating map data. *It is even
being operated when it is turned on and talking to cell towers.

Yeah, and no one in a small place ever broke that one.

But it doesn't matter. Any specialized gliding program can easily be
written to preload the relevant maps before takeoff. You do have 8 GB
or 16 GB of storage for such things. That's the equivalent of 10 - 20
CDs of data.


* To be legal, turn it off, or put it in airplane mode, before takeoff ---
and leave it that way until back on the ground.

The GPS and accelerometer and so forth will work just fine in airplane
mode. Unfortunately they both turn off if the screen turns off (by
hitting the button on the top, or after a timeout if you haven't
disabled it).


* Better to save the battery to make a call if you land out.

Operating the GPS continuously eats the battery. Any serious gliding
application will want to run the iPhone off the glider's battery in
any case.