Z Sten wrote:

That controller asked if I usually carried a cell phone with me while
flying and gave me the number of the telephone which was located right
next to his console. He told me to use that phone number at anytime I
ever lost a radio and therefore unable to communicate. He would much
rather talk to me on the phone as opposed to trying to communicate via
his light gun. To quote him: "To H___ with the FCC and its regulations.
This could make the difference between life and death."

I think it's a good suggestion (and remember, if you don't know
the tower phone number you can always call 1-800-wx-brief and
FSS will give it to you, or relay). I would not hesitate to use
my cell phone in the air in an emergency (but remember, unless
you have a cell phone input for your headset, you may have
difficulty hearing and being heard, even on the ground with the
engine at full power!)

But I hope it's not going to make the difference between life and
death. Bernoulli not Marconi makes the plane fly, and if I were
in a truly acute condition of distress with a towered airport
available as my best landing site, I personally would not concern
myself with whether I'd been able to establish communication by
radio, cell phone, or light signal. I would just head in and
land. The goal in such circumstances is to live to face your
enforcement hearing, if it is held.

Cheers,
Sydney