pilotwolf - I wouldn't make assumptions about everything being specially approved (although exactly how an Aviation GPS is not approved for use on aircraft is still puzzline me).

For WiFi, which is a transmitting system, there is no 'approval'. Passengers can use whatever WiFi kit they bring on board.

You are in denial.

Passenger use of this transmitting equipment is real, it's approved, it's being marketed, and it's being used every day. Boeing Explains

paulo not sure I m the one in denial!

You stated in your post:

...that there fore means the airline has installed their own equipment for the customer to use... which I believe must be subject to the regulations for approval?

Like so many of these things, it's probabilities.

Scenario #1 You're trundling about in your Cessna. You're not using VOR, DME, SSR, ILS, just comms. If the GPS does put out a spur, it's under your control.

Scenario#2. You're up the front end of an airliner, on a dirty night. You're needing comms, ILS, VOR, DME, outer and inner marker beacons, SSR and TCAS at various stages. Now, can you guarantee that a spurious emission from a GPS in the hand of someone down the back isn't on one of those frequencies?

WiFi equipment is Type Approved - in Europe, it has to meet ETS300 - 328, and even there, the spurious emission level of -36dBm below 1GHz and -30dBm above is a bit on the high side if the spurious output is in the wrong place. The FCC limits are somewhat tighter, being -41.25dBm above 2 GHz. Most manufacturers, however, design to the US limits.

But it's all a matter of probability. Wouldn't be nice, though if the GPS radiated a signal on 1030MHz!

Barring TCAS that's all standard kit for anyone flying IFR. It has nothing at all to do with aircraft size, number of passengers, whether it has a seperated passenger cabin, or flying as air transport.

So, your view is that a purpose built Aviation Approved GPS reciever is more likely to interfere with avionics than a non purpose built, non aviation approved, transmitting WiFi card?

(pilotwolf: No special approval. The passengers bring whatever WiFi equipment they want. Although I doubt that booster amps and antenna would go down well :p)

As a cabin crew member i have stopped pax using hand held GPS systems, in this day and age post 9/11 i have to be a little bit suspicious of someone who wants to know EXACTLY where they are at any given time in the flight. Also other pax see someone sticking antenna to the window and they also get a bit worried.I do realise that most of the time its just someone with a spotters gene deficiancy but you never can tell.

pilotwolf

Ignoring any possible safety issues, mobile phones can't be used from an aircraft (except maybe on take-off/landing) because of speed of transition from cell-to-cell and contacting multiple cells simultaneously - the system wasn't designed/intended for this type of use. Hence there's no incentive for the airtime providers.

From the airlines PoV, working mobiles would stop folks paying $5/min for the use of an Airfone, so I guess they don't want it either!

I find this attitude insulting.

I am not a plane spotter - as I mentioned in my earler post I am a current PPL (A) holder.

I also personally have nothing against plane spotters - they are merely harmless enthusiasts.

However, I am not alone - I note that there is a letter in the May edition of Pilot magazine from a PPL who regularly takes along a hand held GPS just to alleviate the boredom of a long flight.

I fully take on board the highly technical points of view put forward on this subject, and agree that if there is the slightest chance, however infinitessimal, of my handheld GPS interfering with the aircraft nav systems, I will no longer take it along.

Thanks for all replies.

Regards

OM