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From: flak@mcgp1.uucp (Dan Flak)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Use on Airport Runway
Message-ID: <12386@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 20 Sep 90 19:18:24 GMT
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Organization: McCaw Cellular Communications, Inc, Seattle, Wa
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In article <12213@accuvax.nwu.edu> Randal Schwartz <merlyn@iwarp.intel.
com> writes:

>Well, not quite.  The PIC (pilot in command) on a part 91 flight (your
>typical small plane operation) is responsible for approving the use of
>nearly any onboard electronics *after* determining that such use will
>not interfere with any of the avionics in use at the time.  I s'pose
>that you probably aren't using your navigational radios on the ground
>(one would hope!), but if it interferes with communications with
>ground control or clearance delivery, the FAA would have a fit.

Not quite! The pilot checks navigation radios on the ground. You
wouldn't want to have your flight taxi back in because of an erroneous
"bad check" of the instruments. I suspect that the "right" type of
transmission would even "spoof" an INS which gets no electronic data
from the outside world. Also RMI isn't just limited to navigation /
communications equipment. Nearly everything on a modern jet transport
is electronically reported.  There are transducers of every
description to measure engine power, airspeed (OK, not the actual
airspeed itself, but the Central AIr Data Computer), pitch trim ...

(Which, by the way, is one reason why MIL-SPEC coffee pots cost $700.
This still doesn't explain the toilet seats).

The relatively short wavelengths used by cellular makes it a good
candidate for producing RMI. I, as a Pilot in Command would be
hesitant to allow its use during any phase of flight.


  Dan Flak - McCaw Cellular Communications Inc., 201 Elliot Ave W.,
Suite 105, Seattle, Wa 98119, 206-286-4355, (usenet: thebes!mcgp1!flak)