RadioBanter - View Single Post

Ivor Jones[_2_] · March 14th 08, 04:38 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.moderated

"Steve Bonine" wrote in message

: 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?
:
: Weather balloons are launched on a daily basis, using
: radio to send their data. I don't think that these are
: illegal.
:
: 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.

But these are still region-specific. Here in Region 1 we are most
definitely *not* allowed to use amateur equipment on board aircraft, even
a light aircraft of which the operator might be the sole occupant and
therefore his own PIC.

Likewise cellular phones. Although the technical specifications of the
systems in use, certainly GSM as used over here, means that once in the
air the handset would be unlikely to see many base stations as the
transmitting antennas of these would be aimed downwards at ground-based
users.

The phone service provided commercially on airliners is satellite based
and is specifically licensed for the purpose. Some airlines are
(unfortunately IMHO) experimenting with pico-cells inside the cabin to
allow passengers to use their own handsets, but the onward transmission
from the aircraft is by satellite.

73 Ivor G6URP