Steve Bonine wrote:
wrote:
A balloon is an aircraft so that makes it illegal to transmit.
No transmitting equipment may be operated from an aircraft other than
type approved aviation band equipment under the control of the commander.
Can you cite any sources that back up this statement?
It will be in an Air Navigation Order or an Avaition Act somewhere.
Weather balloons are launched on a daily basis, using radio to send
their data. I don't think that these are illegal.
Radiosondes are a special case, using very low power on an assigned
frequency.
I believe that "pilot in command" is the term you want instead of
"commander", and it's my understanding that any equipment that the PIC
approves can be used from the aircraft. I've heard a fair number of
hams signing "aeronautical mobile" and I'm sure that private pilots
routinely use cell phones. Another example is the telephone service
provided on many commercial airliners.
The Commander of an aircraft is not necessarily the pilot in command.
The commander, who is a qualified pilot but does not necessarily fly
the aircraft, is responsible throughout the flight in the same way
as the captain of a ship. Many long haul flights depart with 2 crews,
one sleeping. It is not unusual for the person sitting in the left hand
seat (and thus pilot in command) to change 3 or more times in the
course of the flight but there is only one commander.
Do you expect the two pilots sitting up front to remain awake and
competant for a 16 hour flight ?.
That may be the case in the USA but it is certainly illegal in the UK
and in the European Union. There are a few type-approved satellite based
telephone systems which ICAO have agreed may be fitted in passenger
aircraft, all of which are permanent fixtures. These remain switched
off until the aircraft reaches cruising altitude and are switched off
again at top of descent to minimise the risk to navigation systems.
g4jci