AOPA supports cell phones in GA aircraft

From the Aero-News Propwash newsletter this morning:

AOPA Lobbies Congress For Cell Phones In GA Cockpits
Aviation Advocacy Group Says The Time Is Now

General aviation pilots should be
able to use cell phones in the cockpit while they're airborne. And
they should be able to do it now. That's what AOPA is telling the
Federal Communications Commission.

"It's a safety issue," said Randy Kenagy, AOPA senior director
of advanced technology. "Cell phones and other wireless
technologies are invaluable tools for obtaining updated weather and
other information in flight. And the risk of interference with
aircraft avionics for the typical general aviation flight is very
slight."

The FCC is considering changing its rules to allow cell phones
(and other wireless devices such as pagers and Blackberries) to be
used in the air.

Despite the concern in some quarters that cell phones might
cause interference with aircraft radios and navigation equipment,
the FAA has never prohibited their use. The aviation agency always
has given pilots the final authority on what portable electronic
devices could be used in the flight. And AOPA talked with several
major cell phone service providers and found no restrictions on
using their services in GA cockpits.

And for GA pilots, the safety and
convenience benefits of the wireless devices far outweigh any
minimal interference risk.

"The majority of general aviation flights are flown under VFR,
so there is seldom exclusive reliance on electronic navigation,"
said Kenagy. "Plus, the pilot isn't isolated from the passengers
and has the immediate ability and responsibility to terminate the
use of any device at any time if it is interfering with
flight-critical electronics."

AOPA told the FCC that it strongly supports the rule change and
urged the agency to take the regulatory steps to allow the
immediate use of cell phones and other wireless devices in airborne
aircraft.

-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net

I don't know about anyone else, but I can never get a [usable] signal above
2,500 feet agl. Anyone else have a different experience? I have Verizon.

Marco Leon

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...
From the Aero-News Propwash newsletter this morning:

AOPA Lobbies Congress For Cell Phones In GA Cockpits
Aviation Advocacy Group Says The Time Is Now

General aviation pilots should be
able to use cell phones in the cockpit while they're airborne. And
they should be able to do it now. That's what AOPA is telling the
Federal Communications Commission.

"It's a safety issue," said Randy Kenagy, AOPA senior director
of advanced technology. "Cell phones and other wireless
technologies are invaluable tools for obtaining updated weather and
other information in flight. And the risk of interference with
aircraft avionics for the typical general aviation flight is very
slight."

The FCC is considering changing its rules to allow cell phones
(and other wireless devices such as pagers and Blackberries) to be
used in the air.

Despite the concern in some quarters that cell phones might
cause interference with aircraft radios and navigation equipment,
the FAA has never prohibited their use. The aviation agency always
has given pilots the final authority on what portable electronic
devices could be used in the flight. And AOPA talked with several
major cell phone service providers and found no restrictions on
using their services in GA cockpits.

And for GA pilots, the safety and
convenience benefits of the wireless devices far outweigh any
minimal interference risk.

"The majority of general aviation flights are flown under VFR,
so there is seldom exclusive reliance on electronic navigation,"
said Kenagy. "Plus, the pilot isn't isolated from the passengers
and has the immediate ability and responsibility to terminate the
use of any device at any time if it is interfering with
flight-critical electronics."

AOPA told the FCC that it strongly supports the rule change and
urged the agency to take the regulatory steps to allow the
immediate use of cell phones and other wireless devices in airborne
aircraft.

-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net



Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com

"Marco Leon" mmleon(at)yahoo.com wrote:

I don't know about anyone else, but I can never get a [usable] signal
above 2,500 feet agl. Anyone else have a different experience? I have
Verizon.

Generally, cell phone towers have the antenna pattern pointing toward the
ground, where most of the cell phones are to be found.

"Marco Leon" wrote in message ...
I don't know about anyone else, but I can never get a [usable] signal
above
2,500 feet agl. Anyone else have a different experience? I have Verizon.

I've got Verizon also and I usually don't get a usable signal above 400 ft
AGL... At 1000 ft, it'll look like I'm getting a signal, but I'll lose it
before I've even finished dialing (even with speed dial)... I suspect that
the cell tower antennas are oriented more for surface signals instead of
ones above them...

"Grumman-581" writes:

I've got Verizon also and I usually don't get a usable signal above 400 ft
AGL... At 1000 ft, it'll look like I'm getting a signal, but I'll lose it
before I've even finished dialing (even with speed dial)...

This is what happens with my cell phone (Cingular). The only time it
works is when I'm over a fairly remote area but line-of-sight back to
civilization or a freeway. I figure that the phone is getting only
1-2 towers and it works....flying over cities it gets too many towers
and gives up.

On Wed, 30 Mar 2005 01:39:53 GMT, "Grumman-581"
wrote:

"Marco Leon" wrote in message ...
I don't know about anyone else, but I can never get a [usable] signal
above
2,500 feet agl. Anyone else have a different experience? I have Verizon.

I've got Verizon also and I usually don't get a usable signal above 400 ft
AGL... At 1000 ft, it'll look like I'm getting a signal, but I'll lose it
before I've even finished dialing (even with speed dial)... I suspect that
the cell tower antennas are oriented more for surface signals instead of
ones above them...

I once called my wife to tell her that I was feet wet over Great Bay
and that she could see me tour the bay if she looked out the window.

It was not a great success, but not because the connection failed. I
just took off my headset and dialed up, not realizing that all she
would hear was the roar of the engine and me shouting in the
background. She made the natural conclusion that the plane was going
down and I was making my last, 9/11-style call.

I was 600-700 feet, I suppose.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net

I have Verizon and always get a signal. In remote areas sometimes I
have to be at 1000 AGL to get a reliable signal.



Marco Leon wrote:
I don't know about anyone else, but I can never get a [usable] signal above
2,500 feet agl. Anyone else have a different experience? I have Verizon.

Marco Leon

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

From the Aero-News Propwash newsletter this morning:

AOPA Lobbies Congress For Cell Phones In GA Cockpits
Aviation Advocacy Group Says The Time Is Now

General aviation pilots should be
able to use cell phones in the cockpit while they're airborne. And
they should be able to do it now. That's what AOPA is telling the
Federal Communications Commission.

"It's a safety issue," said Randy Kenagy, AOPA senior director
of advanced technology. "Cell phones and other wireless
technologies are invaluable tools for obtaining updated weather and
other information in flight. And the risk of interference with
aircraft avionics for the typical general aviation flight is very
slight."

The FCC is considering changing its rules to allow cell phones
(and other wireless devices such as pagers and Blackberries) to be
used in the air.

Despite the concern in some quarters that cell phones might
cause interference with aircraft radios and navigation equipment,
the FAA has never prohibited their use. The aviation agency always
has given pilots the final authority on what portable electronic
devices could be used in the flight. And AOPA talked with several
major cell phone service providers and found no restrictions on
using their services in GA cockpits.

And for GA pilots, the safety and
convenience benefits of the wireless devices far outweigh any
minimal interference risk.

"The majority of general aviation flights are flown under VFR,
so there is seldom exclusive reliance on electronic navigation,"
said Kenagy. "Plus, the pilot isn't isolated from the passengers
and has the immediate ability and responsibility to terminate the
use of any device at any time if it is interfering with
flight-critical electronics."

AOPA told the FCC that it strongly supports the rule change and
urged the agency to take the regulatory steps to allow the
immediate use of cell phones and other wireless devices in airborne
aircraft.

-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net




Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com

Back in the old days with the analog bag phones, I seem to remember
being able to get a signal while in the air. These days, with the
digital phones, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Cub Driver reported:
From the Aero-News Propwash newsletter this morning:

General aviation pilots should be
able to use cell phones in the cockpit while they're airborne. And
they should be able to do it now. That's what AOPA is telling the
Federal Communications Commission.

I can imagine the FCC reply. "We *know* you want to use cell phones in the air.
That's why we wrote a law against it."

George Patterson
Whosoever bloweth not his own horn, the same shall remain unblown.

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 19:49:56 GMT, George Patterson
wrote:

I can imagine the FCC reply. "We *know* you want to use cell phones in the air.
That's why we wrote a law against it."

Well, I suppose the FCC can write a law if it wants to, but only
Congress can pass one. I don't believe there is any law against using
a cell phone in the air, though there may indeed be an FCC regulation.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net