Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Spudcote]

Hey guys,
I realize this is really random, but I've been wondering if it's safe to use a GPS when going on a plane. I realize that they use something like that in the plane itself for navigation, so what effect could it have ? It's a small handheld unit, that I've been interested in using in a plane to track our route. I know that CD players and like products will screw with the plane's electronics, but what about a GPS ?
Any and all help is appreciated.

[Sandhead]

Not 100% sure but i don't think they are permitted since they could be used to reley coordinates to terrorist groups that areplanning a missle attack   

[Spudcote]

I never thought of that before, but I've been on the plane with it before, just never turned it on, the airport staff knew I had it because of the x-rays. It's worth quite a lot to me, and I don't always trust baggage checks to put all of my stuff back into the bag, I've had stuff go missing in the past.

[Piscatoral Pete]

Completely and 100% safe.  Handheld GPS units are only receivers and do not emit any signal source.  That being said, I do not think that a handheld unit would function properly on a commercial plane because it has no view of the satellites.  Just like trying to get one to lock up while inside your car....no go unless you put it on the dash where it can see the satellites.

[mikeNW]

No comercial airline will allow the use of GPS units.Before your flight they list all devices that are not allowed and these include transmitters and recievers of all types.I used to take mine along but they are no longer permitted.

[Spudcote]

I posted this on another board, and got this as a response, if any one else was interested.

http://gpsinformation.net/airgps/airgps.htm

http://gpsinformation.net/airgps/gpsrfi.htm

http://www.faa.gov/avr/afs/acs/91-21_1.txt

[The Gilly]

You may have trouble "seeing" the satelites from inside the plane.

[mikeNW]

Interesting read spudcote.My wife is in the travel business and I asked her if she could find this info for me. She could find no airline that would go on the record and say GPS was OK.I make several flights each year,on Air Canada and for the last couple of years flight attendants specifically mention GPS as a no go.In the last year I have also flown with american airlines and Alaskan Airlines and both have a no GPS policy.By the way Garmin units that I own have worked fine aboard airliners in the past.they also work in the car while sitting on the front seat and not on the dashboard.I guess it depends on the Quality and type of antenna and sattelite coverage at a given timr.

[Eskimo]

I'm a pilot at Scare,....er, ..... Air Canada and I double checked our manual about this one.    They are allowed on our airplanes, but there is a cautionary note warning that there have been rare occurances of reported interference caused by "satellite receivers".  A GPS would only be allowed to be turned on in cruise flight.  Many airplanes, including some Air Canada planes use GPS's to navigate.  How well a portable one will work in the back depends on the model, as I believe many portable ones will not keep up to the speeds of a jet in cruise flight, (450 to over 650 mph).  Also, as noted by others, you may need to hold the unit up to the window to be able to recieve satellites. 

As many flight attendants are clueless about what a GPS is, most will just say you can't use it, (tell them a pilot buddy said you can - its in the "Flight Operations Manual"...).

I don't know what other carriers have to say about GPS's, but officially at Air Canada - you can bring it on board and try it once we've levelled out.  If the pilots notice strange things with the instruments, they'll send a message back to turn it off - A GPS won't crash the plane

CD players, MP3's, tape players,  are all also OK, you just can't wear a headset for takeoff and landing - in case the Flight Attendants need to yell instructions, (if there is a need to get out of the plane in a hurry).  The only things that are banned are things that send out IR signals, such as:  a portable laptop printer, a remote control car, a Robosapien.....  Also, with the ability to send and receive e-mails with Blackberry's and some cell phones, the send and recieve function of these units must be turned off if they are on in flight, (many people turn them on for games, schedules, etc).

Hope this helps,

Ron

[Rodney]

As many flight attendants are clueless....

Hey, be careful now Ron, we also have an Air Canada flight attendant reading in this forum lol....

Thanks for clarifying that up.

[Eskimo]

Ok, we have one flight attendant who knows what a GPS is....... 

[DragonSpeed]

The only things that are banned are things that send out IR signals, such as:  a portable laptop printer, a remote control car, a Robosapien..... 

This is asinine.  Anyone who owns or uses a remote control for their TV knows that it's almost impossible, in the first place, to get the damned thing to to work unless it's DIRECTLY in a .5degree angle of the reciever, and that if you even put a piece of paper in the way, it won't go anywhere.  RF remotes (bluetooth, WiFi, etc) I can see.  IR not

[TtotheE]

So....when I turn to the opposing wall and click on the remote,  why does the TV change channels? 

[fishin_chick]

Thank you Rodney....Eskimo...you really should watch what you say, you never can tell who is listening...er reading.  As far as your alleged opinion of  intelligence of a flight attendant, I am insulted.  Are you aware that a great percentage of flight attendants these days,  have more education than the average person.  Most of my colleagues, that I was hired with 10 years ago, are university graduates, one of my friends is an engineer!  

As far as what my Safety and Emergency Procedure manual says: Prohibited are: Radios, radio transmitters, radio controlled toys, printers, laser pointers.  In the acceptable list: Satellite receivers (eg. hand-held global positioning systems) are indeed included.  

Note: Spudcote...the above applies to Air Canada.  I can not speak for other airlines.  

[Rodney]

RUN!

See? You've raised hell. Maybe I shouldn't have informed her about the post....

Ok, I am off to Chilliwack now (don't worry, not fishing, six hours of meetings instead!) before WWIII breaks out.