Gps Use In Airplanes

[+shunra]

When flying across the country, I have always regretted not having detailed maps that show what I'm flying over. I vaguely recognise rivers and cities, and some more featurs in areas I am familiar with, but I've always wanted to know more.

 

Now, with map-enabled GPSs, this should be possible. However, is it legal to turn on a GPS in a plane?

 

BTW - I recently happened to sit next to a man who was making discreet cell phone calls on the flight. When he saw me looking alarmed, he said he as a pilot himself, and that the whole thing about not using cell phones was a tradition kept from the time that it wasn't known yet that it was harmless, but that there is no technical or other safety reason not to use a cell phone on a flight.

 

I came home and told me wife. She apparently knew that already. She said she'd never told me, because she was amused to see that there was ONE rule I was respecting.. LOL

[+ChrisCindy]

I will bet it would be against the rules "just because". No reason but "just because". As you stated there is no reason for the cell phone rule it is a "just because" now.

 

People like to make rules "just because".

[+Stunod]

Here is a list of airline rules reguarding GPS use.

[+Renegade Knight]

I can vouche for Sunods list insofar as Horizon doesn't allow GPS's. They don't allow anything that sends or RECIEVES a signal. I guess it doesn't matter that the signal is there whether the Radio, GPS or other passive devices is on or not.

[+rooboy]

I have one comment and one question.

 

My comment is that a lot of airlines that I fly (mainly Pacific Ocean routes) show some form of route map. I especially despise the one that comes up soon after take-off from LAX/SFO that shows time to destination as 13:45 (you mean that I have another 13+ hours of sitting in this seat'! An endurance test par excellence).

 

My question, is even if I turn my GPSr on while crusing at 30,000+ feet, will my GPSr get any signal? After all, I am enclosed in an aluminium cylander.

 

Ciao

RooBoy

[+Stunod]

My question, is even if I turn my GPSr on while crusing at 30,000+ feet, will my GPSr get any signal? After all, I am enclosed in an aluminium cylander.

 

Ciao

RooBoy

You need to be near a window to get any decent reception.

[+rooboy]

Stunod,

 

Thanks for the reply. I guess me, my GOSr, and aeroplanes will never mix--I like aisle seats.

 

Daniel

[+ke6n]

Though I have not measured any RF interference from my GPSr, the fear is that the receivers may cause interference to the airplane's communications radios. Any radio receiver has to have an oscillator and even though the receiver is not termed a transmitter, signal leakage from the oscillator circuit can radiate a short distance. Now, whether or not any signal leakage from the oscillator circuit actually causes interference to the airplane's receivers depends on the frequencies involved. Harmonics (radiation on multiples of the fundamental frequency) can extend very far through the radio spectrum. Then there is the "computer" in the GPSr and possible hash outside of the GPSr's expected receive passband. I can see the concern, however if the flight allows use of notebook computers and the like (which can radiate RF hash from the clocking circuits) there shouldn't be much of a problem. I guess it would be nice that the flight attendants and/or pilot knew of such a device being used just in case it did interfere with their communications. In that case, the interference could be localized and the user could be asked to turn off the receiver. Just my take on it. I, too, think it would be cool to watch the land below drift on by with names on the features.

[Dan Vull]

I've flipped my GPS V on a bunch of times while flying. Cool waypoints showing Z values in the 35K range. I always wonder how a gps unit in the back of the aircraft could interfer with something up front, especially when they have something very similar. How about a laptop with a GPS PC Card receiver?

Cheers

Edited December 1, 2003 by vtpaddler

[+fizzymagic]

is it legal to turn on a GPS in a plane?

I've never had any trouble. I tend to only fly airlines that allow it, though. Interestingly, this is one criterion I use in selecting the airline I use. Hmm... perhaps the airlines should be made aware of that!

but that there is no technical or other safety reason not to use a cell phone on a flight.

There actually is a technical reason not to allow cell phone use on flights, but it has nothing to do with the safety of the plane. Rather, it has to do with the ground-based cell service.

On the ground, your cell phone connects to a single cell at once. But from an airplane, it will connect to several because of a combination of the height and the speed of the plane. That impacts the available bandwidth for all the cells it sees. The mobile phone companies don't like that, no sir. That's the real reason they are banned on flights.

[qman2]

I can tell you for certain that you can use a GPS on Southwest Airlines. They go as far as to list GPS as an acceptable electronic device. It's in the same category as computers.......must be turned off when the plane is below 10k feet.

[+CYBret]

I've used my GPS on SouthWest flights at least twice. Yep, it's allowed, but it's also at pilot's discretion. Chances are you'll be allowed to use it. Heck, if the pilot is impressed, you might even get a tour of the cockpit (you like gladiator movies, Johnny?).

 

I found that to get any signal I had to keep my GPS pressed against the window for about 5-10 minutes first. Don't count on getting very many satellites and don't count on keeping the signal for long.

 

I was able to keep mine near the window and hook up with Microsoft MapPoint to monitor the flight. It was kinda cool in that MapPoint uses an icon that looks like a bus to show your movement. Wow, you should have seen that bus fly over the Appalachians!

 

Bret

[+Team GPSaxophone]

American Airlines specifically forbids them according to their in-flight magazine list of unapproved items

[+Polgara]

American Airlines specifically forbids them according to their in-flight magazine list of unapproved items

Yes, they do forbid them, its on pg 66. ( I just read it recently). However, the steward was fascinated with my GPS on the flight, and he said I could turn it on inflight, I tried it, but I didn't have a window seat, I was one seat over, and it wouldn't lock.

Edited December 1, 2003 by Ce'Nedra

[+hedberg]

It might be different for each airline operator.

I just mailed the two big Swedish companies and asked them.

On one of their pages did I find a text saying something like this:

 

"It is not allowed to use anything onboard that might disturb the equipment in the plane."

 

And a GPSr is just a receiver. It picks up the radiowaves that goes thru the plane anyway... The only hazard might be the batteries, but hey? There are often more batteries in a Sony Walkman, MP3 player or similar things...!

 

In Sweden are it allowed to use cellphones at hospitals now. It hasn't been proved that they disturb the equipment. But you are not allowed to use them at a surgeryroom, which I can understand - you don't want to take the risk it might disturb there...

At bankoffices are there sign saying that cellphones disturb their equipment. It is not correct. It doesn't disturb their equipment - it is about robbery! often stolen cellphones are used at bankrobberys to keep in contact with the getaway-car. So they put up signs saying it is not allowed instead of saying "If you are using a cellphone, we might think you are a bankrobber"

[+hedberg]

I have now received answers from the two big Swedish airline operators:

 

Scandinavian Airlines(SAS) It is not accepted, but ask the crew if they accept it

Malmo Aviation It is accepted to have any kind of receivers on

[+Keith Watson]

One of the reasons why devices are not permitted during takeoff and landing is not so much leakage affecting the avionics, as it is to safety. The flight crew wants your 100% attention if something goes wrong. In the early days of walkmans, people had their ears covered. Not good if they need to give out instructions.

[+hedberg]

One of the reasons why devices are not permitted during takeoff and landing is not so much leakage affecting the avionics, as it is to safety. The flight crew wants your 100% attention if something goes wrong. In the early days of walkmans, people had their ears covered. Not good if they need to give out instructions.

One of the reasons why devices are not permitted during takeoff and landing is not so much leakage affecting the avionics, as it is to safety.  The flight crew wants your 100% attention if something goes wrong. In the early days of walkmans, people had their ears covered. Not good if they need to give out instructions.

 

Yeah, and today the airline operators offers us wireless internet, telephone, DVD, playstation, movies, headphones...

 

And something they call 'food' that is wrapped in plastic and is impossible to open, so these thing doesn't take our attention away from the crew?

[+Keith Watson]

They don't give you all of this during take off and landing.

[+Sparky-Watts]

I've found through experience that a lot of airlines will allow GPS units, and many of the flight attendants are quite impressed with them. But whip out a stun gun, and they're not all smiley and pillow-fluffing friendly anymore!

 

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