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From: kaufman@Neon.Stanford.EDU (Marc T. Kaufman)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Use on Airport Runway
Message-ID: <12446@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 22 Sep 90 17:35:42 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 667, Message 8 of 12


In article <12412@accuvax.nwu.edu> olsen@xn.ll.mit.edu writes:

>This thread (and the {Wall Street Journal}, and other publications)
>has mentioned a general prohibition against cellular telephone use in
>aircraft.  I have searched the FCC regulations for this prohibition
>(to find out its details), but I cannot find it.

It is certainly too recent to have found itself printed in CFR47 (the
FCC rules and regulations).  In any event, the cabin crew announcement
these days is exceedingly explicit in disallowing operation of ANY
radio equipment (transmitters or receivers) at any time.  US Air also
requested that we turn off laptop computers and video games during
takeoff and landing.

All of the above is, I believe, related to the FARs proscribing
interference to navigational equipment.  The airborne cellular
(specifically) prohibition has be discussed here before, and relates
to cell overloading.  Maybe someone can look it up in the cellular
rules.

I wouldn't be surprised to find the laptop prohibition on takeoff and
landing to be an attempt to prevent injury from flying objects in the
event of an accident.

Sometimes there may be MORE THAN ONE reason for a rule.


Marc Kaufman (kaufman@Neon.stanford.edu)