What is This?

[Herod]

I saw a 737-800 of Norwegian the other day and it was sporting a housing on the upper fuselage about half-way between the wing and the tail. I was a captain on the 737 until retirement some nine years ago, and haven't seen this before. I assume either a nav or comms fit?

[underfire]

LiveTV inflight entertainment

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/mt/flightglobalweb/blogs/wings-down-under/assets_c/2011/06/VH-VOK%20LiveTV-thumb-560x375-128955.jpg

[saab340pilot87]

I guess you saw this mod on top of the fuselage; Photos: Boeing 737-8JP Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/photo/Norwegian-Air-Shuttle/Boeing-737-8JP/2306858/L/&sid=986b8bd87f27c8a1eb7845e1b68c180f) That's the WIFI antenna :)

[flyboyike]

Amazing how out of touch one becomes after only nine years.

[Herod]

Amazing how out of touch one becomes after only nine years.

Yes, but the fifty-two weeks leave a year makes up for it. :ok:

[Capn Bloggs]

I guess you saw this mod on top of the fuselage;
That looks the same at the Virgin bump. I don't think that's wifi...

Where did the Norwegian stick his nose to get it all red like that??

[EEngr]

Its probably a dome for a satcom antenna. That could be used for anything from comms to TV or Internet. Not the WiFi part, but the uplink.

[BARKINGMAD]

Let us pray the SATCOM is restricted to crew operational use, otherwise the sounds of dozens of posers shouting "Hello darling, I'm on the plane!" and then droning on ad nauseam about trivia, is likely to spark off even more air rage than we have now.

And you can't grab the offending gadget and chuck it out of the window, like you could on those old-fashioned trains...............................! ! ! ! ! :ugh:

[Pinkman]

I've used the Norwegian system - apart from a barely noticeable pause when sending an e-mail it is very good. Don't worry, you cant use it for comms or streaming video (or any high bandwidth application actually).

It is inhibited below about 10,000 feet IIRC.

[Ian W]

Let us pray the SATCOM is restricted to crew operational use, otherwise the sounds of dozens of posers shouting "Hello darling, I'm on the plane!" and then droning on ad nauseam about trivia, is likely to spark off even more air rage than we have now.

And you can't grab the offending gadget and chuck it out of the window, like you could on those old-fashioned trains...............................! ! ! ! ! :ugh:

Simple fix and make airlines money. Set up a pico cell in the aircraft this will be what the cell phones in the aircraft connect to as the closest reliable signal. Like WiFi the pico cell activates only above 10,000ft. The pico cell software inhibits phone call setup but not the SMS (text) messaging or data. The data is charged at 'roaming' rates set by the airline. The effect is that the phones connect but at extremely low power meaning extremely small interference/EMR hazard, SLF can text away with anyone and if they want to use cell data rather than WiFi they subsidize the airline. But they can't call home and say loudly "I'm on the plane!"

[latetonite]

This thing is the chem agent release port.

[james ozzie]

Looks like the steam dome on a locomotive boiler

[Devils Advocaat]

Could be a WiFi antenna?
A guy I know flew with them recently and told me he had WiFi on board, Ive only ever seen that bump on an A330 that also had Wifi on board?