There are approval rules (FAA). Different countries and airlines have
different rules. They even change over time, i.e. they might have
been different 5 years ago and might be different in 5 years.
WiFi has been tested intensively (I think approx. 2 years) by Boeing,
Lufthansa and others before it was allowed to operate. Some airlines
need simply more time to do these experiments or to earn enough money
to pay the approval process...
I have used that last year for the first time with SAS (two years ago
the system did not have satellite connection for some reason they did
not explain). And that is really nice to send a birthday e-mail right
from 70 degrees north passing over Greenland... Unfortunately, they
have now stopped the WLAN service for business reasons.
Well, the mentioned Airline might go a little far by asking to switch
off ALL devices during the WHOLE flight (ususally it is only during
take-off and landing). But having incidents is so expensive to an
airline that they simply have stay on the safe side.
And I, as the paying customer, would not accept that they would take
more risks.
Am 04.09.2007 um 21:24 schrieb Joe Pfeiffer:
Alexey Feldgendler writes:
On Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:33:31 +0200, Joe Pfeiffer
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
That said, a GPS receiver isn't going to affect avionics.
Neither is
a cell phone, a bluetooth, nor an 802.11 wi-fi. But since they
haven't been *proved* not to, they aren't allowed.
Even worse. I've once flown a Russian airline (I'm not naming it
here)
where ALL handheld electronic devices were prohibited. The
stewardess,
indeed, told me that I have to turn my digital camera off!
Needless to say
that convincing the staff that the RF systems in a cell phone can be
disabled without turning the device off would be missing impossible.
Did they make you turn off your wristwatch? :)
"I'm sorry, sir, but we are requiring you to turn off your pacemaker
to avoid any possible interference with aircraft avionics systems.
This is for your own safety, sir"
