Mobile phones and cam corders in aircraft

[training wheels]

This is a bit of a naive post, I guess, but with advancements in technology, one would hope that one day, we (as pax) can use mobile phones and cam corders in aircraft during take-offs and landings. Are there people working on this problem or is this all too difficult a problem to solve for the avionics engineers of the 21st Century?

[Captain Stable]

It's not only the aionics engineers. It would also require quite a bit of effort by Telecomms engineers and Camcorder designers etc.

Since the effort is significant and the end result only marginally beneficial to one or two other minor details people are working on, don't hold your breath! ;)

[GoneWest]

I did an Eastbound trans-Atlantic flight one night on a Laker DC10. (June 1997)

"Freddie Laker jnr" was on board and he made his own passenger service announcement (is that allowed??) that he would be travelling back to London with us - and would be touring the cabin to greet each individual passenger, personally.

He brought with him a cameraman, who was operating a full size Sony (television news style) shoulder held camera - with a huge light on top - and a radio microphone clipped to his shirt collar.


Two sets of rules, I suppose.

[john_tullamarine]

One of the main problems is that the problems are so variable ... one gadget may cause a problem ... another none ..... and the situation vary in a different aircraft ..

For instance we have used various models of a particular make of video camera for flight test purposes and never once experienced a problem .... another camera installation may well have presented difficulties ..... and, indeed, those which we used might well have presented problems in another aircraft.

The problem is not so much that there is a problem .. rather that the line operating crew may be caught out with unexpected problems for which no certification investigation has been made.