was able to get satellite signal enroute from MCI to CLT recently on US Air Embraer 190 by holding my Garmin 205W up to the window. Took a while to get the sats but did get them. Noticed that when I moved my garmin into my lap I lost the signal so it was a pain holding the unit up to the window the whole time. Was also able to use GPS enroute from CLT to STT the same way. Was nice to be able to ID the islands below us. Passed to the north of Cuba and also Haiti/Dominican Rep. Passed just north of Puerto Rico but was unable to see that as I was sitting on the port side of the AC. Garmin also worked on St THomas Island. US AIR allows use of GPS above 10000ft so I had to turn it off on climb and descent. If I can I will attach an image to this post of us flying near Cookeville TN on our way to Charlotte NC.
To post an image to the Forums you first need to have an online “host” for it such as FLickr.com, Photobucket.com, Picasa, etc. After obtaining an account on one of these services, you would upload your photo from your computer to their site and then you’d obtain a URL link for the subject photo. It’s this URL link that you place between the IMG tags for your photo to show on FA.
To wit:
cant figure out how to do it. have a flickr acct and tried to copy and paste the link but was not able to. Dont know why it has to be such a pain to attach a pic. oh well.
Go to your Flickr account, select the picture you want, then select the size you want by clicking on “All sizes” and selecting the size, then THAT picture will have links at the bottom for both HTML and straight links, copy the link (http:// etc., etc.) and paste THAT between the IMG tags.
How would you suggest it be done and FA not have to host all the photos on their server?
Link to Airlines which APPROVE/DISAPPROVE GPS use in Flight
I only fly on airlines that approve of GPS use in flight when possible. The only exception so far since I got my first GPS receiver was when one of my United flights was cancelled and they put me on a couple of American flights. I was miserable not being able use it.
I have a Garmin 60Cx which has the Sirf high-sensitivity chipset. I usually get good reception with the unit on my tray table when sitting next to a window. I use FlightAware to find the most popular route for the trips I take, and plug in navaids and fixes along the way as waypoints. It helps break the monotony of long flights when you break it up into smaller legs and to be able to identify landmarks along the way.
First The FAA has not approved the passenger use of devices that send or receive a signal in-flight. I have flown on US Airways and they say the same thing after the door is shut.
Second if you can’t use flickr try http://www.Photobucket.com
Now I just went threw indoc for a new company and the FARs are the same according to my D.O. and after a short google search the ONLY website that I see that lists or even mentions GPS use in cruse is the one posted above. I’m sorry but I’m not buying it…
opps,
I used one on an AAL flight awhile back, I didn’r realize they were on the “bad” list. The flight attendant saw me using it as I wasn’t trying to hide, she just smiled. I only used it for a few minutes but it is fun and interesting.
Two weeks ago I flew MSY to IAD on United. They have ATC monitoring the whole flight, I give that a big thumbs up!
Check out FAR 91.21
Specifically paragraph b item 5:
Sec. 91.21
Portable electronic devices.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person may operate, nor may any operator or pilot in command of an aircraft allow the operation of, any portable electronic device on any of the following U.S.-registered civil aircraft:
(1) Aircraft operated by a holder of an air carrier operating certificate or an operating certificate; or
(2) Any other aircraft while it is operated under IFR.
(b) Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to–
(1) Portable voice recorders;
(2) Hearing aids;
(3) Heart pacemakers;
(4) Electric shavers; or
(5) Any other portable electronic device that the operator of the aircraft has determined will not cause interference with the navigation or communication system of the aircraft on which it is to be used.
(c) In the case of an aircraft operated by a holder of an air carrier operating certificate or an operating certificate, the determination required by paragraph (b)(5) of this section shall be made by that operator of the aircraft on which the particular device is to be used. In the case of other
aircraft, the determination may be made by the pilot in command or other operator of the aircraft.
In other words, in the case of GPS RECEIVERS, the FAA leaves it open for the operator to decide.
In fact, Delta’s in-flight magazine specifically identifies GPS receivers as approved electronic devices (or at least they did a couple of years ago - I haven’t flown them in a while).
Found it on their Web site:
Devices You Can Sometimes Use:
You can use these while the plane is at the gate with the doors open, after the plane has taken off and reached its cruising altitude and before it begins to descend for landing, and after the plane has landed and is taxiing to the gate.
Personal digital assistants
Personal computer games
GPS (global positioning satellite) systems
Your flight attendant will announce when it is safe to use these devices.
Thanks for setting me straight
Just remember one thing. If you use it on Alitalia, the engines might fall off…
How’s that for bringing up an OLD one…
Glad to help. The more operators who become enlightened on the rule, the better. The list linked to above used to have more airlines who disallow than the ones who allow. Looks like about 66% approval these days. Hopefully we can see 95% or better someday.
If I’m not mistaken, I believe the OP of that thread said his parents wanted to use a portable DVD player, and that the FA told them something to that effect. I’ll see if I can dredge it up a little later. Good stuff…
It was a DVD player (or maybe CD), but I decided to broaden it to all electronics.
since Im too dumb to be able to link my pic, please go to flickr.com and do a search for cookeville and gps and you shall see my wonderful garmin gps pic under my screen name…pappajhn. Next month I fly to west coast and back via SWA so look forward to …for the first time…using my unit on Southwest flights. Anyone else used on on Southwest? 
Skelly76
I used my gps on swa a couple years ago with no problem, Bur To Las then Las to Cmh after delivering a tampico to Whp from Tzr. The FA’s even asked a few times where we were on the leg from Las to Cmh.
well that sounds good to me. I must admit I am sometimes tempted to try to use my GPS prior to reaching 10000ft or when descending below that but THAT may get me in trouble. Any comments on that? I wouldnt want to jeopardize the flight in any way, but since the GPS is a receiver only dont see how it could.
I did it once. Plane didn’t fall out of the sky. It was interesting to see the track of the aircraft from the gate through 10,000 feet and up and then down to 10,000 at the end (I turned off at that point).
Technically you’re breaking the law because you are violating the airline’s written and stated policy (which are based off the FARs they have to follow) and not complying with crew instructions since they announce that you need to shut off all PED’s.
FWIW, it is possible in principle, because of how almost all radios are made, but AFAIK so very unlikely that the existing rules can be called “very conservative” i.e. just in case. HF, VHF and UHF receivers use a “local oscillator” at a nearby frequency as part of selecting and detecting the channel you want to hear. The technique is nearly universal because it’s a really good idea. I think it’s even more likely to be used for GHz and higher frequencies, like GPS.
So each receiver is also generating its own radio-frequency signal, which is never supposed to leak off the circuit board. If it’s decently made, you’ll be hard pressed to even detect that LO emission, much less suffer from it.
If anybody brought a rogue GPS or other device on the flight, and it did manage to tangle the comm or nav equipment, you’d want to diagnose the problem during level cruise, not DP or STAR.
Jeebus! Can we take off the tin foil hats and not hash this PED interference BS subject AGAIN. 