I love flying because I enjoy the people I meet, the places I visit, the amazing sites only seen from the air, and the sense of freedom I get while flying like a bird through the sky. I know many of you are thinking of becoming a pilot or know someone who has an interest in flying. There is an outstanding new resource in the form of free e-newsletter from the Experimental Aircraft Association, Reach For The Sky.
For the past few years of flying, I have relied on a dispatcher to file my flight plan and provide the required information to the FAA. Recently, a failure of equipment on my aircraft required me to fly in the Non RVSM airspace at or below FL290. When the controller asked "what's your new equipment suffix?", the First Officer turned to me with a puzzled look. With a blank stare followed by shrugging of shoulders I responded to his implied question with, "let's look it up".
Assigned seat 15B and squashed between two large men, you are tired, uncomfortable, and getting frustrated because weather is causing your vacation to be shortened. Why can’t the planes just fly around the weather and then to your destination? You watched the weather channel and noticed the only rain is a small area of storms one hundred miles south of the airport. The captain then announces air traffic control is anticipating 90 minutes before they will begin allowing departures. In harmony with the passengers around you let out a sigh of frustration.
What is causing this delay since you know there is only a small area of weather? You have watch television and are aware of the congestion and delays these days, but who is to blame?
I am glad to see the FCC has upheld the ban on Cell phone usage on airplanes. I feel more research is needed to determine the effect of cell phones on both the communications and navigation equipment on aircraft before allowing unconditional use on airplanes.
I have seen first hand the dangers of allowing the use of cellular phones during critical phases of flight such as takeoff and landing. As Captain of a flight departing Newark's Liberty International Airport we where told by the control tower to taxi into position and hold on the runway. This command from the tower tells us to taxi onto the runway and wait for a takeoff clearance from the tower.
While in position for takeoff we heard another transmission from the tower that was garbled due to interference on the radio. The buzzing sound was similar to what I have heard when using a cordless home phone and a cellular car interference with the call. I turned to my copilot and asked "what did he say?". Then I called the flight attendant and asked her to make an announcement that all cell phones and two way pagers such as blackberry devices are off. After the tower repeated that we where cleared for takeoff, we departed for our destination.
Communications is important especially while aircraft are operating in close proximity to each other such as during arrival and departure from an airport. This incident inspired me to do begin research on the use of cell phones on airplanes. I discovered there are studies showing cellular phones have interfered with the navigation and communications equipment on airplanes. I also have discovered that the type of cellular device has some significance in the amount of interference that is caused.
I feel we need more research to determine the safety of using cellular phones on aircraft. From discussions with passengers, I found many feel the only reason cellular phones are turned off in flight is for technical and business purposes required by the cellular phone companies. I hope from my incident more people realize safety is the reason we ask to turn phones and pagers off during flight.
