Has anyone tried to use a cell phone on a airplane during a flight?

Question

I have flown several times since 9/11. Twice going to and from New York and Oregon and several flights to Arizona to Oregon and back. In each flight I would turn on my cell phone to see if I could get a connection. I always got no service available to apear on my sceen.
About a year ago I read on the internet that in order for people to use cell phones on flying aircraft the airplanes would need to have a special antenna installed. This has not begun to happen yet.
So my question would be. If you can not get service on your cell phone while flying in an airplane. On 9/11 how did the people on board those doomed aicraft manage to use their cell phone to call out to their loved ones? I'm not counting the people who used the available at great cost aircraft phones just the ones who are said to have used their cell phones.
Just one of the holes in the vast 9/11 story.

Answer 1

The people on the 9/11 flights used seatback Airphones as others in this forum have stated. As a general rule cell phones don't work very well above about 7000 feet. Some airlines have explored the possibility of installing a device, similar in concept to a computer router, that would enable passengers to use personal cellphones while at cruise altitude. It will be expensive to install and and maintain so you can bet the airlines will charge for it.

My2cents is correct, one of the main reasons for the ban by the FCC on cellphones is the accounting issue.

Answer 2

In general you can not use your cell phone because the signal on your cell phone is designed to reach a cell tower within about 6 miles of your position. At 200 mph those towers go by awful fast. At two miles up the plane must be within 5 miles of the tower. That means you have about a minute and a half to catch the signal and get a lock. Since a lot of flights pass over undeveloped terrain (mountains, deserts, etc..) that connection is almost sure to be broken within about 3 minutes even if you get it. A general exception to this is when a plane circles to await a landing. You can almost always get a signal and place a call then.. (until the flight attendant catches you).

Some planes are equipped with a repeater antenna which will pick up your cell signals and relay them to a base station which link back with the cell system. Obviously this service is not free.

In 9/11 it was my understanding that the hijackers allowed the passengers to use the standard seat phones (available on almost all planes) to call home. These phones are wireless but not cell phones, so they can operate anywhere within the cabin of the plane much the same as wireless phones can work within your house.

Answer 3

I've accidentally left my cell on during flights to Ohare and to DFW. When I discovered my mistake, I was surprised to see that the signal was still good although I did not try to make a call.

I know that my cell phone signal could cause interference with sensitive electronics as I found out when my cell rang during a visit to a friend in the hospital. I agree with the technical concerns.

Interestingly, I was told by a friend that works for Verizon that besides the interference issues, there is also an expense/accounting issue. In remote areas, you may pass through an area that is covered by towers not owned by your primary Provider (i.e. You're "roaming"). This coverage triggers billing to your Provider even if you don't use the phone. As you can imagine, when in a plane, this would happen quite often and notably increase their costs. I think this is less of a problem now with improved technology and primary coverage.

PS. I'm no conspiracy theorist.

Answer 4

No, it's not a hole in the 9/11 story. In many cases, you can get a signal in an airplane, especially with a good digital phone, and depending on the tower configuration on the ground. Also, as the previous answer pointed out, and the info linked below shows, most of the calls were placed from Airphones, which are not cell phones, and work at any altitude and speed.

If you're going to try and trot out "facts" to support your conspiracy theory, make sure you know what you're talking about.

Answer 5

There are many more cell phone towers in the east than over states like Utah, Nevada, ect.... also, maybe your cell phone isnt as good as theirs... Don't doubt the heroics of the passengers on United 93... or their stories... Also, I hope you get caught next time and fined the maximum $10,000 and jailed for failing to comply with crewmember instructions... :-) have a nice day