GPS units on commercial flights

[garypaul]

Since I'm new to these GPS units I was wondering can I bring a handheld unit on a commercial flight and keep track of where we are and the altitude?

[+WARTIDE]

I know there is another lonnnng thread on this somewhere on the site. However, to sum it up the consensus is every airline is different. What I did when taking a trip by plane is wait 'til you're off the ground and when electrical devices can be turned on flip it on and enjoy it. Several of the flight attendants saw mine and paid no attention to it whatsoever. Whatever you do, don't be stealthy and spylike. Just use it and if asked to put it away, just do so and be polite about it.

 

Chiro

[+Bilder]

I know that Alaska Airlines does not allow GPS units to be turned on in the cabin.

 

Why they don't is beyond me. GPS units dont interfere with the cockpit insturments. The policy was probably written by someone who does not know any better.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have never been lost. Been awful confused for a few days, but never lost!

N61.12.041 W149.43.734

[+mrp]

You can get answers to this (and many other questions) at www.gpsinformation.net.

To get you started, it will answer questions like Is it safe to use my GPSr on a commerical airliner and which airlines allow for their use.

 

-- Pneumatic

[OuttaHand]

Check the web site of the specific airline you will be flying. I flew one (don't remember which) earlier this year. Before leaving I checked their site. They had specific lists of what devices were allowed A)any time B)at the gate only C)during level flight but not during takeoff or landing. They specifically listed GPS units OK for at the gate or during cruise -- not during takeoff and landing. Also -- when in doubt, have the flight attendant ask the pilot. It's HIS plane!

[+pileofmonkeycrap]

Must be cool to be able to see the speed and altitude you're at.

 

Rick

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by OuttaHand:

Check the web site of the specific airline you will be flying. I flew one (don't remember which) earlier this year. Before leaving I checked their site. They had specific lists of what devices were allowed A)any time B)at the gate only C)during level flight but not during takeoff or landing. They specifically listed GPS units OK for at the gate or during cruise -- not during takeoff and landing. Also -- when in doubt, have the flight attendant ask the pilot. It's HIS plane!

---

[+Prime Suspect]

quote:

---

Originally posted by pileofmonkeycrap:

Must be cool to be able to see the speed and altitude you're at.

---

What's better is looking at your map as you go zooming along.

 

"Don't mess with a geocacher. We know all the best places to hide a body."

[+Spange & Crew]

I have been using mine on all flights I have been taking lately. If it is not specificly listed as an approved device in the magazine on each plane, I ask the flight attendents. Each one has said no problem. One even came back to check the speed and bearing. It is neat to mark interesting points along the way and then see what they are.

 

"It's not rocket surgery...!"

[+parkrrrr]

I just got back from a trip to Seattle on Delta. I'd been planning on using my GPS to track our progress as we went along, but Delta apparently thought of that. When they're not showing the in-flight movie, they use the TV screens in the cabin to show something they call "Delta Horizons Compass," which is a map showing your current location, things you should be able to see on the ground, and some stats about things like speed, heading, altitude, ETA, and the outside temperature. This was a 767; I'm not sure if they do it on their shorter flights or not.

 

[+quakemap]

Could anybody please zip and send such track log to slg@quakemap.com ? Just curious to see it on the relief maps.

Thanks in advance,

 

http://www.quakemap.com - redefining Easy...

[+GOT GPS?]

Zipped mapsorce file of a July 2003 Flight on a flight that allowed the use of the GPS V:

 

A July 2003 Flight

 

----------------------------------------------------------

Pictures of the insides of my Old GPS V

My Home Page about what is GPS

Strange

[OuttaHand]

It definitely WAS cool to see where you are at any given time. Since we were above clouds all the way, we couldn't see ground at all. The GPS was the only thing that told us where we were. Also interesting is the altitude and speed! We were cruisin'! When we got home, I put the track log into Mapsource and saw exactly where we had been. Kind of interesting to see the round-about method needed to get into and out of airports.

[+duc]

I used mine on a few Delta flights recently, they seem to be GPS friendly.

 

Delta doesn't show that info, Warm Fuzzies, except on their huge planes...

 

It is fascinating to see all the stats the GPS gathers, and like OuttaHand mentioned, it's really neat to see the approach/takeoff on the maps. I also set a GoTo waypoint and it was actually fairly accurate as to our arrival time. Neat stuff!

 

One thing I'll mention here is you HAVE to be sitting by a window to use the GPS. I couldn't get any signal in the middle seat so I asked someone if they'd trade...

[+parkrrrr]

Maybe it's just that I was on a huge plane (as I said, a 767) but the really sharp turns and so on for landing happened after the crew told us to turn off and stow our portable electronic equipment. I know I've sat near people who thought that didn't apply to them and their GPS receivers, and who kept them on all through takeoff and landing, but you're all smarter than that, right? Right?

 

[+IVxIV]

I've been using my Magellan 315 on every flight within Canada, just to curb some boredome

 

Yeah as mentioned you gotta get a window seat for it to work, and even then sometimes I had to hold the thing to the glass a while before it finally got a minimum # of satellites for a lock.

 

Yup it's real cool to know the planes heading & speed and to see all the cities rolling under the plane during the trip! One thing though it seems that altitude isn't too accurate, and I'm thinking it's because the GPS has such a limited view through the tiny window to get good triangulation.

 

Nevertheless, a fun diversion on a flight! Kinda like a grownups GameBoy

[+ThisWayOut]

I'm thinking that the altitude will be even more difficult for the GPSr to calculate since your increased altitude is "flattening out" the geometry and making triangulation that much more difficult. Don't you need a satalite under the GPSr to really get good elevation calcs?

 

If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.

[dtrayers]

I always as the pilot when I check in or while waitng for boarding. I have never been turned down, and I remember to thank him when I deplane. We usually end up discussing the flight and comparing stats.

 

The PILOT has the final word on what's allowed or not allowed during the flight, irrespective of the inflight magazine.

 

- Dave

[garypaul]

Thanks for all of the replies, I'll be taking a cruise in March and will bring my GPS along. It will be pretty cool knowing where we are.

[OuttaHand]

Duc -- you are absolutely right. GPS is not allowed during takeoff or landing. When I mentioned the route taken in my previous post, I was speaking more of the first 50 miles or so after climb-out; and the last 100 miles or so before final approach. They swing out to avoid (as best they can) large cities, etc., and get that big chunk of aluminum lined up to avoid tight turns. A lot of it also has to do with their position and landing order. If they are not first in line to land, they need to go out a bit, stack up, and "get in line". That usually happens before you get word to shut off electronics. Once that order comes, shut it off and stow it!

[+blindleader]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ThisWayOut:

I'm thinking that the altitude will be even more difficult for the GPSr to calculate since your increased altitude is "flattening out" the geometry and making triangulation that much more difficult. Don't you need a satalite under the GPSr to really get good elevation calcs?

---

 

Well in an airliner at forty thousand feet, you're about seven and a half miles up. With the satellites buzzing around at about eleven thousand miles, there isn't much "flattening out"

 

A satellite "under" the GPSR would be pretty useless as the entire Earth would be blocking the signal, unless you're really, really high .

[+ThisWayOut]

Agree. That was my point. I'm still pretty new to this and my (limited) understanding is that accurate 3D solutions are difficult to obtain because of that reason. Thanks for clueing me in on the actual altitude of the satellites. That may definately help prevent me from sounding like a bonehead next time.

 

If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.

[Bob Z]

Two weeks ago on one Unite flight i asked the pilot and he said no and one other time in there anouncement tthey said no gps other times i did not ask and used it and no one said any thing about it. You do need a window and i had no sats on the north side but not to bad on the south side Bob .

[+Brainerd]

The use of GPS receivers are prohibited on American Airlines. I recently asked a pilot, and the 'in-flight magazine' lists the GPS at a prohibited device. Bummer.

[+apersson850]

I assume a unit like the iQue 3600 is nearly optimal, for those who like to "sneak" in the GPS in the aircraft. With the antenna folded, it's no GPS at all, only a PDA (which I think every airline allow, except when taking off and landing), and with the antenna out, it still doesn't look like a GPS.

I don't have any iQue (drooling), so I haven't tried it, thus I don't know if it will receive good enough if you let it lay on the little table, as near the window as possible. Anyone tried yet?

 

Anders