Cell Phones
You may wonder why install an AirCell phone when you can use your trusty regular cell phone, after all it does seem to work at 10,000ft. Well, there’s this governing body called the FCC that would love to mail you a ticket for $5,000.00 for using your cell phone while airborne. What are the chances of getting caught you ask? I know of two guys who received fines from the FCC this year. If you are determined to use your cell phone illegally while airborne, don’t be dumb enough to mention in your conversation that you are "in the air". How is one to know if you are talking from an automobile or high in the aircraft? Easy, normally using your cell phone in the automobile the phone will hit only a few ground based cell sites but airborne that same phone would hit dozens of cell sites. When that happens, you stand a good chance of getting busted. The biggest plus of the AirCell 1000 is it’s legal to use and works much like a normal cell phone.
Section 91.21 of the FAA rules (14. C.F.R. 91.21) prohibits the use of (with some exceptions) portable electronic devices while on board U.S. registered civil aircraft operated by the holder of an air carrier operating certificate, or operating certificate, or any other aircraft operated under instrument flight rules. The FAA has issued an advisory circular offering information and guidance for assistance in compliance with Section 91.21. Reference
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/cel.../aircraft.html
FAA Position on PEDs/Cell Phones
“(Advisory Circular 91.21-1A) … prohibits the operation of PEDs (Personal Electronic Devices) aboard U.S.-registered civil aircraft allows for the operation of PEDs which the operator of the aircraft has determined will not interfere with the navigation or communication system of that aircraft …”
Reasoning behind the FCC Ruling Cell phones at altitude …Line-of-site communications to many cells Incompatible with ground frequency re-use pattern Causes interference with voice channels.
A British judge sentenced a 23-year-old man to four months in prison for playing a video game on his cell phone during a flight. Airlines ban the use of cell phones during flights because of concerns that the devices interfere with aircraft electronic systems. The young man, who had been asked three times to turn off the phone, was returning from his honeymoon in Egypt. The judge also recommended that cell phones be confiscated from passengers as they board aircraft.
Denny of Oakland