Cell Phone Use

Have you ever experienced any radio interference from a cell phone during flight?

  • Yes

    Votes: 9 15.3%

  • No

    Votes: 50 84.7%
  • Total voters
    59
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From AvWeb:
There's a whole world of information available to pilots via their cellphones and AOPA says it's time it became legal to place that call. Everything from weather to airport information is available by cell but the Federal Communications Commission still outlaws the use of the phones in light aircraft. The FCC is now considering changing the rules and AOPA says the sooner the better. "Cellphones and other wireless technologies are invaluable tools for obtaining updated weather and other information in flight," said AOPA spokesman Randy Kenagy. "And the risk of interference with aircraft avionics for the typical general aviation flight is very slight."

This topic has been discussed on the AOPA board, but I've included a survey here because I'm curious. How many of you have had radio interference due to cell phones?

If I forget to turn off my cell phone and I get a call it will almost surely cause interference on the com radio - like if the cell phone is close to an FM radio when it rings. So I'm surprised at AOPA's statement.

Chip
 
I have heard interference in the headset speakers from the cellphone, but never had a problem transmitting or receiving on the radios from cellphone interference.
 
I've forgotten to turn my phone off occassionally, and am surprised to see missed calls when I land (I always have it on vibrate). I've never noticed radio, headset or instrument EMI at any time.
 
I get too much static from our transponder to notice anything else, but I did have a CFI once make a phone call from the plane - even after I pointed out to him that doing so was illegal...I didn't notice any change in the avionics during the call - and I never flew w/ him again. :)
 
I've made calls as well as a few of my various instructors have made/received calls while flying and we've never encountered any difficulty.
 
I haven't had any problems in an airplane. But I have had a computer do strange things just before my cell phone rings.

Clicking noises and a squigily (sp?) screen give advance warning that I am about to recieve a call.
 
Of course, I, have never made a cell phone call in flight -- or reported the airport was in sight when it wasn't for that matter...

However, many of the CFI's that I've flown with have tried very hard to make cell phones work all over the country...and the fact of the matter is...it just doesn't work.

Their experience has been that once above 6,000 they are practically worthless. (I read something (maybe Lance wrote it?) about how the antenna on a cell tower is directional and only accepts signals from below or from line-of-sight...but not from above.

Couple the above with the fact that much as-the-direct-to-button-flies is over sparse areas of population...and...well...if you do get signals from time to time...they don't last long.

Without better technologies, my friends just gave up and wished they could afford a Satellite phone.

I, too, wish I could afford one. My avonics shop quoted me $20,000 minimum...but I see portable Sat-phones on ebay for a couple thousand. Does anybody know if a $2,000 sat-phone on ebay would work in an airplane?
 
I've used my cell phone in flight and gotten connections (although short) to let people know I was early or late. Always VMC and the only interference I've ever noticed was a slight buzzing sound over a radio.

There are some phones and antenna systems that work better than others. An airline pilot friend seemed to know where his phone worked and what system was best.

I don't see a problem here when VFR or when IFR is the pilot has checked systems with that phone before. I have had someone new use their phone and it caused quite a bit of radio static. I asked them to turn it off.

Best,

Dave
A-36TN ADS
 
Short final is a good time to make a call, Especially when you are meeting a friend & there is 5 FBOs & you need to know which one to taxi to.


My phone is almost allways on because I usually forget to turn it off. IMC, App's to 200 & 1/4.. never a problem anywhere.

Eamon
 
RobertGerace said:
Their experience has been that once above 6,000 they are practically worthless. (I read something (maybe Lance wrote it?) about how the antenna on a cell tower is directional and only accepts signals from below or from line-of-sight...but not from above.
QUOTE]


Funny, the cell phone calls from the top of Mt. Rainier (14,410') work great, several folks have saved their lives by calling 911 on a cell phone.
Click to expand...
 
Dave Siciliano said:
Always VMC and the only interference I've ever noticed was a slight buzzing sound over a radio.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm talking about. Loud enough through my headset that I can't hear ATC, but only when the phone is ringing.

Chip
 
NC19143 said:
Funny, the cell phone calls from the top of Mt. Rainier (14,410') work great, several folks have saved their lives by calling 911 on a cell phone.
Click to expand...

Cell tower placement? On the mountain? Who knows?
 
RobertGerace said:
Cell tower placement?
Click to expand...
That's it. As I noted in my previous post, I can drive down the mountain from 10,000' to the airport at 5600' and talk on the cell phone all the way (well, except for Eisenhower Tunnel) and then fly back up to 10k and have signal all the way - if it were FCC legal, that is! :cool:
 
gkainz said:
That's it. As I noted in my previous post, I can drive down the mountain from 10,000' to the airport at 5600' and talk on the cell phone all the way (well, except for Eisenhower Tunnel) and then fly back up to 10k and have signal all the way - if it were FCC legal, that is! :cool:
Click to expand...

Have you noticed the "towers"? Colorado made the cell companies disguise them as trees. They're still noticible.

Cellular system design includes "downtilt" on the antennas to force the signal towards the ground - more tilt where the ground is sloping downward.

They were supposed to put repeaters in the Eisenhower Tunnel. Haven't they done that yet?
 
wsuffa said:
Have you noticed the "towers"? Colorado made the cell companies disguise them as trees. They're still noticible.
Click to expand...
Yep, pretty lame looking trees!
wsuffa said:
Cellular system design includes "downtilt" on the antennas to force the signal towards the ground - more tilt where the ground is sloping downward.
Click to expand...
I have a friend who used to work for AirCell - he and I discussed the antenna situation a number of times. AirCell colocates on the cell towers, but orients their antennae beam vertically, with a bottom cutoff at the horizon or somewhat higher, while cell antennae are oriented for a horizontal beam, somewhat tilted down, as you noted.
wsuffa said:
They were supposed to put repeaters in the Eisenhower Tunnel. Haven't they done that yet?
Click to expand...
I really don't know - I haven't tried my phone in the tunnel, actually. I just assumed that I would drop calls there and don't even try. Guess I'll have to check it out next time I go thru!
 
wsuffa said:
Have you noticed the "towers"? Colorado made the cell companies disguise them as trees. They're still noticible.
Click to expand...

Trees? Huh? How do you make a tower look like a tree? Do you have any pictures of the tower/trees? I can't imagine.
 
Dave Siciliano said:
the only interference I've ever noticed was a slight buzzing sound over a radio.
Click to expand...

With AMPS (analog 900 Mhz) phones I never experienced any interference, but with TDMA digital I also got buzzing when the phone was close to the panel. So far my new GSM (Cingular) hasn't interfered, but it hasn't worked in the air either.
 
gkainz said:
That's it. As I noted in my previous post, I can drive down the mountain from 10,000' to the airport at 5600' and talk on the cell phone all the way (well, except for Eisenhower Tunnel) and then fly back up to 10k and have signal all the way - if it were FCC legal, that is! :cool:
Click to expand...

Chances are the cell antennas are above you when you drive. Out here in the flatlands, you are way above any cell tower at 9000 MSL. It's not the altitude above sea level that matters, it's the elevation above the ground station antennas.
 
Steve said:
Aviation headsets are starting to appear with cell phone connectability built in. The manufacturers must know something.
Click to expand...

Softcomm has had that feature for years. My C-90 dating back to 2000 has a jack for connection to a cell phone. Now, they say you are only supposed to use it while on the ground...
 
There are several things that can cause a cell phone to work not-so-well in the air:

1. The ground antennas don't point up
2. The switching systems are confused because you are hitting so many sites at once.
3. Speed. The biggest problem is speed and the doppler effect. This is why they work on top of he mountain but poorly in the plane.

Try slowing WAY down... it actually helps!
 
NC19143 said:
RobertGerace said:
Their experience has been that once above 6,000 they are practically worthless. (I read something (maybe Lance wrote it?) about how the antenna on a cell tower is directional and only accepts signals from below or from line-of-sight...but not from above.
QUOTE]


Funny, the cell phone calls from the top of Mt. Rainier (14,410') work great, several folks have saved their lives by calling 911 on a cell phone.
Click to expand...

The moral of the story is to try to crash into Mt. Rainier if you need to use your cell phone.:dance:
Click to expand...
 
I've used a cell phone in the air to contact FSS on climbout. This was only because I couldn't raise them on the radio (did I miss set the switches?). I was about 1,500' and oddly enough, FSS knew where I was.
 
I have forgotten to turn my cell phone off on several occasions while flying. I've never experienced any form of interference from a cell phone but I have experienced COM radio interference from my Garmin GPSMAP 195 hand held GPS. This happens on certain frequencies while I'm using the external antenna. Garmin Tech support said there is no fix for that because it's an active antenna.

I would tend to agree with AOPA on this issue. I would like to see the ban lifted.

Jean
 
Last edited:
As someone posted earler, I too get a buzz in my headset when I (inadvertently) have left my cell phone on and an incoming call is ringing. For purposes of the poll I did consider this as interference. In the generally flat area around Atlanta the signal pretty much goes away for me above 3000'. I use Cinguar.
 
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