In flight GPS - NB

[whisper]

Just returned from an hilarious charter (sail) out of Rhodes. On the way back in a 737, I was using a Garmin 76 to record our route and was asked to turn it off by a steward. Obviously I didn't argue but asked him what was the reason for this. He said that the plane's own GPS was susceptible to being interfered with by other sets, apparently a common fault of 737s.
Does anyone know if this is true? I've used it on flights in various types of plane and never been told off previously.

The normal safety announcements seem to mention the switching off of only mobile phones and all other portable transmitting equipment.

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[boatless]

I've been asked what it was I was using (Garmin 12) on flights, crew referred to cockpit, came back and said no problem. I can't believe that they emit anything more than a cd player etc...

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[mjf]

I used mine on concorde once years ago - in the cockpit with BA Pilots etc. The SOG did not have enough digits!

Michael



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[tcm]

total bollx, imho. If all this emisions garbage was true then dozens of planes would be falling out the sky, specially around heathrow where lots of people and graoundstaff use phones. Don't think i've ever been on a plane these days where several phones didn't chirup the moment the plane touched down - so they were all left on throughout.

The idea that having 2, or 25 gps sets on board a plane or a boat would somehow "use up" the transmission space shows thin grasp of the technology, or indeed thin grasp of phyiscs, and is more akin to the 18th century idea of a (presumably limited) "ether" through which all invisible transmissions have to travel.

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[Soong]

I looked into this a few years ago, had a similar telling off by cabin crew. A friend in an electronics lab sniffed my GPSII+ and said it emitted so little it was comparable to a digital watch. They recieve nicely though, eh!

Soong

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[jfm]

Agree there is total bolx uttered by airlines on this. What is infuriating to the traveller is the inconsistency. Some airlines (eg Easyjet) go nuts if you turn on phone even if plane is parked, whereas others (BA) allow phones if engines not running. Last night on Easyjet flight from Nice back to Luton the guy across the aisle from me used his blackberry the whole way and the stewardesses didn't realise it is just a cellphone in disguise. We didn't crash obviously, or I wouldn't be writing this.

My observations on Ryanair are that you can use your phone as the plane is climbing if you sit towarbs the back and crouch down a bit

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[BrendanS]

Re: Some do, some don\'t

Found this some time ago -<A target="_blank" HREF=http://gpsinformation.net/airgps/airgps.htm>http://gpsinformation.net/airgps/airgps.htm</A>

The Airlines which OFFICIALLY APPROVE the use of GPS receivers during CRUISE
This actually means pilot discretion in all cases.

Air Canada
Air New Zealand
Air Malaysia
Alitalia (Italy)
Braathens (owned by SAS) Norway
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
CAAC (China Airlines, Mainland China)
Continental Airlines (as of November 2000)
CrossAir
Delta Airlines
EasyJet (Europe)
Egypt Air
FinnAir (as of May 2003)
Icelandair
Jet Airways (India)
KLM (Flight operations book under rule 120.8.5)
LOT Polish Airlines
Maersk Air (Denmark)
MidWest Express
NorthWest Airlines (Flight operations book under rule 120.8.5)
Qantas
Reno Airlines
Ryanair (Irish)
Singapore Air Lines
SAS (flip-flopped again as of 2/2/04)
SN Brussels Airlines (as of 11/25/03 per <KTeirbroodt@brusselsairlines.com>
South African Airways
Southwest Airlines
Sun Country (Regional USA)
Swiss (Was Swissair and CrossAir)
Tunis Air
United Air Lines (may ask if your GPS is FCC Class B approved. All handhelds are. Show them in the manual.)
US Airways (was US Air)
Vanguard Airlines
Virgin Airlines


Airlines which OFFICIALLY DO NOT APPROVE the use of GPS receivers at ANY time during flight.
(*) Individual Pilots may allow GPS use. (It never hurts to ask the pilot on any flight. Oftentimes, cabin attendants say NO automatically. If the cabin attendant says "no" respectfully ask them to make your request to the pilot.)
Alaska Airlines (as of 04/01, Yep, they changed AGAIN)
Air Tran
America West Airlines
American Airlines (as of 21 July 2000)
Britannia Airlines (as of May 2003)
El Al Airlines (Israel)
Frontier Airlines(*)
Hawaiian Airlines(*)
Horizon Airlines(*)
Iberia Airlines(*)
JetBlue Airways (USA, as of January 2004)(*)
Lufthansa Airlines
Mexicana airlines
Midway Express
Monarch Airlines
Spirit Airlines
TWA
Varig Airlines

<hr width=100% size=1>Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

 

[BrendanS]

for a complete run down -

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://gpsinformation.net/airgps/gpsrfi.htm>http://gpsinformation.net/airgps/gpsrfi.htm</A>

<hr width=100% size=1>Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

 

[nicho]

The only thing that mobile phones interfere with on aircraft is the autothrottles, not the navigation equipment.

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[tcm]

Re: interfering with autothrottles

oho, what the number for that? can i text the autothrottles and make it wham home dead fast?

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[jfm]

Fairline think it affects GPS

Tee hee.

New Fairlines now have a big sticker on the dash saying something like "Mobile phones must be switched off when near the navigation equipment". So, it's ok if you stand over there a bit then? On a 40-60 foot boat how far away can you get from the GPS?

The dash sticker is kind of posh aluminium effect, not just a cheapie peelmeoff sticker. So it looks like a permanent label. However, they must use a special glue because the while thing drops off on its own after about 3 weeks in the sea air

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[nicho]

Re: interfering with autothrottles

Just text "faster", and you'll get 'pedal to the metal'!!

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