Hey! I have seen that guy on the bus! That said, I may need some new glasses. ;)

Gives new meaning to the term "couch potato".

Let me see if I remember the drill here. I cannot use a cell phone on a commercial aircraft because the radio waves can mess up the flight instruments, but I can use WiFi because the radio waves do not mess up flight instruments.

I suspect that we should "Follow the money" guys and gals.

The different frequencies might be an excuse, but WiFi sits surrounded by cell phone frequencies. Might be stronger radiation from cell phones? Nope! How about the infamous multi-cell tower problem? Maybe. Does anyone have really good info on these matters?

This is my favorite spud experiment.

http://www.youtub...znW0nv2I

I cannot use a cell phone on a commercial aircraft because the radio waves can mess up the flight instruments, but I can use WiFi because the radio waves do not mess up flight instruments.

Electromagnetic waves come in many different frequencies. From gammas to light to infrared to radiowaves. In order to make sure that that radiation doesn't mess up your electronics you have to make sure that no bit of metal in it is a multiple the length of a received EM wave (I think even half the wavelength is enough - but I'd have to look that one up).

In-flight WIFI is on a very specific frequency KNOWN TO THE MANUFACTURER OF THE PLANE. So they can design and check their airplane for safety to that frequency.
Any old cell phone by a traveller may be on any frequency (many different standards exist) and therefore it poses an unknown/uncheckable risk.

See the difference?

@antialias_physorg: I understand the full and half wave matter, and recognize the concerns of RF interference. I recently worked for 3 yrs as a test engineer on a software defined radio for the US Gov't. I am certain the all instruments and associated antennas in a commercial aircraft are well shielded from stray RF in aircraft both old and new. As far as I know, antennas are located on the skin of the aircraft and connected by shielded cables to the radios (even my Piper is built this way) and cut to 1/2 or 1/4 the range of wavelength(s) desired. No other part of the airframe is involved. The manufacturer of the plane does not (can not) assure all RF issues are designed into the aircraft. Most modern aircraft (1960 - 2000) have avionics that are newer than the plane both by frequencies used and date of manufacture (e.g., ADS-B, GPS, etc.). I find conflicting results of testing cell phones in commercial aircraft. Nothing definitive. Do you know of any such information?

@antialias_physorg: I understand the full and half wave matter, and recognize the concerns of RF interference. I recently worked for 3 yrs as a test engineer on a software defined radio for US Gov't military aircraft. I am certain the all instruments and associated antennas in a mil/cmrl aircraft are well shielded from stray RF in aircraft both old and new. As far as I know, antennas are located on the skin of the aircraft and connected by shielded cables to the radios (even my Piper is built this way) and cut to 1/2 or 1/4 the range of wavelength(s) desired. No other part of the airframe is involved. The manufacturer of the plane does not (can not) assure all RF issues are designed into the aircraft. Most modern aircraft (1960 - 2000) have avionics that are newer than the plane both by frequencies used and date of manufacture (e.g., ADS-B, GPS, etc.). I find conflicting results of testing cell phones in commercial aircraft. Nothing definitive. Do you know of any such information?

I am certain the all instruments and associated antennas in a commercial aircraft are well shielded from stray RF

If you worked inteh field then you know that any type of electronics can be an antenna (even connections on printed ciruit board - that is why HF circuit boards have no edges but rounded paths instead of the rectangular ones common in low frequency/analog boards)

Commercial airplanes have a lot of electronics - and shielding that is heavy (i.e. costly)

That said: what would you use your cell phone for, anyhow? On an airplane it's not in range of a receiving station in any case.

"Range": The folks on Flt 93 in Pennsylvania (9/11) used cell phones.

"Use": I would use to get Wx in my piper. Otherwise there really isn't much use for it.