[Az-Geocaching] GPS on Airlines
William Noll
listserv@azgeocaching.com
Sat, 26 Jul 2003 09:57:58 -0700
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_0013_01C3535C.64C27CB0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
That's interesting. The FAA.GOV website is down right now, I couldn't =
find any official govt info. Here is a website regarding GPS on =
airlines:
http://gpsinformation.net/airgps/airgps.htm
http://gpsinformation.net/airgps/gpsrfi.htm
There is no real safety threat created by a GPS. Laptop Computers =
generate far more RFI (radio frequency interference) than any GPS could. =
What about terrorists? Again, the GPS is not banned, only its usage =
during flight. Most airlines ban RFI generating electronics during =
takeoff and landing due to the inherent potential of RFI interference =
during these critical modes of flight. Cell phones are supposedly banned =
from use because they 'light up' a significant number of cellular tower =
antennas (due to line-of sight), but the real reason could be =
(speculated by some) that the airlines would lose mucho dinero from the =
installed Air-Fones.
There has never been a documented case in which an aircraft has lost =
it's NAV instruments (GPS, VOR, or ILS) due to a GPS (or in that case, =
any other RFI generating device).
Remember, it's ultimately up to the pilot and crew. It NEVER hurts to =
ask!!!
Bill
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Team Cache-Quest=20
To: listserv@azgeocaching.com=20
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2003 11:25 PM
Subject: [Az-Geocaching] GPS on Airlines
I was on an American Airlines flight this week. I was half dozing as =
the Flight Attendant went through the list of banned electronic devices =
(radios, ceel phones, etc.), but my ears perked up when she ended the =
list with GPS devices. I'm sure I'm never heard them specifically =
listed before. I got out their magazine and looked up the list in the =
information section. Sure enough, GPS devices were in the banned list. =
I don't know if this is a new policy or not, but I've used mine Garmin =
Etrex Vista on flights for the past couple years and was never =
questioned. I was on three other flights after that one this week and =
the attendants didn't not mention GPS devices.
Thanks,=20
Jerry
------=_NextPart_000_0013_01C3535C.64C27CB0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1126" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>That's interesting. The FAA.GOV website is down =
right now, I=20
couldn't find any official govt info. Here is a website regarding GPS on =
airlines:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://gpsinformation.net/airgps/airgps.htm">http://gpsinformatio=
n.net/airgps/airgps.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://gpsinformation.net/airgps/gpsrfi.htm">http://gpsinformatio=
n.net/airgps/gpsrfi.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>There is no real safety threat created by a =
GPS. Laptop=20
Computers generate far more RFI (radio frequency interference) than any =
GPS=20
could. What about terrorists? Again, the GPS is not banned, only its =
usage=20
during flight. Most airlines ban RFI generating electronics during =
takeoff and=20
landing due to the inherent potential of RFI interference during these =
critical=20
modes of flight. Cell phones are supposedly banned from use because they =
'light=20
up' a significant number of cellular tower antennas (due to line-of =
sight), but=20
the real reason could be (speculated by some) that the airlines would =
lose mucho=20
dinero from the installed Air-Fones.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>There has never been a documented case in which an =
aircraft=20
has lost it's NAV instruments (GPS, VOR, or ILS) due to a GPS (or in =
that case,=20
any other RFI generating device).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Remember, it's ultimately up to the pilot and crew. =
It NEVER=20
hurts to ask!!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Bill</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dcache-quest@cox.net =
href=3D"mailto:cache-quest@cox.net">Team=20
Cache-Quest</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dlistserv@azgeocaching.com=20
=
href=3D"mailto:listserv@azgeocaching.com">listserv@azgeocaching.com</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, July 25, 2003 =
11:25=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Az-Geocaching] GPS on =
Airlines</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I was on an American Airlines flight this week. I was half =
dozing=20
as the Flight Attendant went through the list of banned electronic =
devices=20
(radios, ceel phones, etc.), but my ears perked up when she ended the =
list=20
with GPS devices. I'm sure I'm never heard them specifically =
listed=20
before. I got out their magazine and looked up the list in the=20
information section. Sure enough, GPS devices were in the banned =
list. I don't know if this is a new policy or not, but I've used =
mine=20
Garmin Etrex Vista on flights for the past couple years and was never=20
questioned. I was on three other flights after that one this =
week and=20
the attendants didn't not mention GPS devices.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thanks, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Jerry</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_0013_01C3535C.64C27CB0--