SMS wrote:
>
> Mxsmanic wrote:
>>
>> JohnT writes:
>>
>>> You can find it at www.google.com
>>
>> No, I can't. Nobody can, because no such regulation exists.
>
> The Southwest Airlines spokesperson mis-spoke. She should have said
that
> the FCC prohibits cell phone use, not the FAA. She further mis-spoke
> when she said that it was a safety regulation, when in fact it's a
> regulation to prevent disruption of some wireless networks (GSM in
> particular).
>
> The airlines frequently intentionally lie about who prohibits cell
> phones because it's easier for them to pretend that it's a safety issue
> than to try to explain about the FCC, and why they prohibit airborne
> cell phone use.
No. In addition to the specific FCC regulation about cell phones, the
FAA has a more general regulation that require the airlines to control
the use of radio transmitting devices. The Southwest spokesperson was
referring to that regulation. It is a safety regulation.
It doesn't mean the airlines can't allow cell phone or radio use, it
simply requires them to satisfy themselves that the use of the equipment
wouldn't be a safety problem. With the FCC regulation on the books, the
airlines haven't felt it necessary to do the necessary testing of cell
phones, since their use in the air is otherwise prohibited. |