Europe Begins Testing In-Flight Use of Cellphones

[danrok]

From NYTimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/19/te...gy&oref=slogin

PARIS — François Germain, a BP executive, was one of the first passengers to put Air France’s pilot program allowing cellphone calls in flight to the test. The results last week were not quite as he hoped.

From Seat 14C, Mr. Germain punched in the number on his cellphone to his assistant in Paris and waited a few moments for the signal to bounce from a satellite in space to a receiver on the ground 39,000 feet below. “I’m not hearing you very well,” the assistant yelled when he got through. “It sounds like I’m talking to a small robot.”

Comments?

[Favu]

I was under the impression that mobile telephones are not to be used on air planes because it would seriously **** all the other passengers off to be surrounded by a bunch of goons who are either shouting into their handsets or who are being summoned to shout into their handsets by the odious strains of whatever the latest ring tone craze is.

[danrok]

A long voice call will no doubt be expensive.

[skool h8r]

Please, give us more leg room before we use phones on planes.

[noob]

I think most cell phones should fit down the toilet.

I could see many go that way. I would far prefer to keep them off

[fantomfreq]

I was under the impression that cell phone radiation killed pilots. Maybe it's only Nintendo DS rays or laptop emissions that do that.

[Redroar]

Originally Posted by fantomfreq

I was under the impression that cell phone radiation killed pilots. Maybe it's only Nintendo DS rays or laptop emissions that do that.

^ One of my favorite PA comics.

As far as the reasons for not having, extreme annoyance is probably my biggest. You know that as soon as it's allowed there will be people talking nonstop on flights. Ugh, I'd rather not have to sit through that.

[ccperf721p]

I could see myself throwing someone off the plane for this.

[noob]

I think stuffing them through the toilet system over the pacific would be more entertaining. Would probably take longer, meaning less of a boring flight.