AOPA supports cell phones in GA aircraft

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 19:49:56 GMT, George Patterson
wrote:

I can imagine the FCC reply. "We *know* you want to use cell phones in the air.
That's why we wrote a law against it."

Well, I suppose the FCC can write a law if it wants to, but only
Congress can pass one. I don't believe there is any law against using
a cell phone in the air, though there may indeed be an FCC regulation.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
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the blog: www.danford.net

Well, I suppose the FCC can write a law if it wants to, but only
Congress can pass one. I don't believe there is any law against using
a cell phone in the air, though there may indeed be an FCC regulation.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net

In lesislation authorizing executive agencies to regulate something,
Congress usually includes "...such regulations shall have the full force of
law," or some such equivalent language.

"Charles O'Rourke" wrote in message
ups.com...
I have Verizon also, and I got an incoming call at 3,100 AGL a few days
ago.

Digital or analog? I have to wonder if the antenna are oriented the same
for both of them... Was the call a success or just a ring that soon went to
voice mail? I've had calls that would ring and as soon as I answered, I
would lose the signal...

It seems like from everyone's responses that making a cell phone call at any
sensible altitude is difficult at best. AOPA's battle seems like one with an
irrelevent goal.

Marco

"Grumman-581" wrote in message
news:VSx2e.13910$NW5.1486@attbi_s02...
"Charles O'Rourke" wrote in message
ups.com...
I have Verizon also, and I got an incoming call at 3,100 AGL a few days
ago.

Digital or analog? I have to wonder if the antenna are oriented the same
for both of them... Was the call a success or just a ring that soon went
to
voice mail? I've had calls that would ring and as soon as I answered, I
would lose the signal...





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It seems like from everyone's responses that making a cell phone call at any
sensible altitude is difficult at best. AOPA's battle seems like one with an
irrelevent goal.

I disagree (that the goal is irrelevant). There is also the goal of
choosing between =prohibiting= something that is harmless but might not
work, and =allowing= something that is harmless but might not work. It
is against this backdrop that other rules are made and enforced.

We are in the former state, and should be in the latter state.

Jose
--
Get high on gasoline: fly an airplane.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Grumman-581 wrote:
"Charles O'Rourke" wrote in message
ups.com...
I have Verizon also, and I got an incoming call at 3,100 AGL a few
days
ago.

Digital or analog? I have to wonder if the antenna are oriented the
same
for both of them... Was the call a success or just a ring that soon
went to
voice mail? I've had calls that would ring and as soon as I
answered, I
would lose the signal...

It was digital. I couldn't hear anything because it was so loud I
didn't even bother to take off my headset, but I yelled into the phone
like a goofball ("if you can hear me I'm at 3,200 feet and I'll call
you back when I land") and the caller heard me fine.

Charles.

Charles O'Rourke wrote:
It was digital. I couldn't hear anything because it was so loud I
didn't even bother to take off my headset, but I yelled into the
phone
like a goofball ("if you can hear me I'm at 3,200 feet and I'll call
you back when I land") and the caller heard me fine.

I've found that if you bring the engine back to idle, you have a better
chance of actually hearing the other person... Of course, this tends to
prompt you to make shorter conversations... Since I rarely get a good
signal above 400 ft AGL, it makes for VERY short conversations on my
part... Basically, something like, "I'm on short final, pull the car
around"...

Grumman-581 wrote:

Digital or analog? I have to wonder if the antenna are oriented the same
for both of them...

The old AMPS system antennae are pretty much omnidirectional, and those are the
types of phones the FCC regulation prohibits. The PCS antennae are more
directional and don't seem to pick up signals from above very well. Some PCS
phones use the AMPS network as a backup and will work pretty well in the air.

George Patterson
Whosoever bloweth not his own horn, the same shall remain unblown.

Jose wrote:

I disagree (that the goal is irrelevant). There is also the goal of
choosing between =prohibiting= something that is harmless but might not
work, and =allowing= something that is harmless but might not work. It
is against this backdrop that other rules are made and enforced.

We are in the former state, and should be in the latter state.

We are *not* in the former state. The FCC is prohibiting an action that
interferes with other system customers and with the service providers. That is
*not* harmless.

George Patterson
Whosoever bloweth not his own horn, the same shall remain unblown.

Cub Driver wrote:

Well, I suppose the FCC can write a law if it wants to, but only
Congress can pass one. I don't believe there is any law against using
a cell phone in the air, though there may indeed be an FCC regulation.

FCC (and FAA) regulations are considered to be "regulatory law."

George Patterson
Whosoever bloweth not his own horn, the same shall remain unblown.