Inexperienced flyer

[bobsboy84]

I will be on a plane from CR to Washington DC (with stop in Detroit) during the game on Saturday night. Can I get am/fm radio or internet connection while on the flight?

[panthertrack]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

I will be on a plane from CR to Washington DC (with stop in Detroit) during the game on Saturday night. Can I get am/fm radio or internet connection while on the flight?

Very unlikely, unless you're flying first class. Usually, they have a dumbed down version of XM radio on the plane. They make you disable your wireless card for the duration of the flight.

I have a friend in the Air Force and he says it's BS, as when he flies he listens to radio all the time and it has nothing to do with his navigation system. It's just another weird regulation by the FAA.

[Roy Fleming]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

I don't think you are suppose to have a radio on during flight...but I did listen to XM radio on a plane before (Pioneer Inno). Even then, the signal was pretty haphazard. After the first period (hockey) I gave up.

[ofpantherandman]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

Those regulations are mostly BS. Cell phones, computers and other electronic devices don't really interfere with instrumentation as much as the airlines would have you believe.

Nowadays, plenty of planes have XM radio, and even DirecTV. I watched every Sunday Night Football game last season in the air - FWIW.

[Newsbreaker]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

You won't keep an AM or FM signal long enough for it to matter. Your best hope is that the airline has added highspeed internet on the flight...many are.

[KansasCityPanther]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

Take an earlier flight!

[Pantherwoman]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

Ask the flight attendant to have the pilots update you on the game. I have requested this before and they were interested to accomodate me...most of them follow teams as well.

[bobsboy84]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

Ask the flight attendant to have the pilots update you on the game. I have requested this before and they were interested to accomodate me...most of them follow teams as well.

Excellent idea. I love any excuse for striking up a conversation with the flight attendants.

[4N6]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

Take a different flight.

[DomeRanger Posse]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

Drive.

ten characters

[jegbomb52]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

Drive.

ten characters

um, excuse me...
don't you mean, Drive?

Kaboom?

[JayJ79]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

I advise against yelling "KABOOM!" while on the airplane.
People might interpret it as a terrorist threat and you could cause a panic.

[bobsboy84]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

I advise against yelling "KABOOM!" while on the airplane.
People might interpret it as a terrorist threat and you could cause a panic.

Yes, my admin has already prepped (lectured) me on plane etiquette.
ie what to say/what not to say, proper eye contact/improper eye contact, etc. It will be a challenge for me to make it to DC with my mouth and eyes shut.

[SteinPizza]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

Very unlikely, unless you're flying first class. Usually, they have a dumbed down version of XM radio on the plane. They make you disable your wireless card for the duration of the flight.

I have a friend in the Air Force and he says it's BS, as when he flies he listens to radio all the time and it has nothing to do with his navigation system. It's just another weird regulation by the FAA.

Totally depends on the airline. I fly a lot. United has inflight audio, but it's all proprietary programming, with the exception of whether the pilot has channel 9 on air traffic control or XM (some music channel which I wouldn't listen to anyway). Your only other choice is Airtran, which has full XM/Siruis audio in every seat. I'm not sure, but I doubt Airtran flies anywhere in Iowa. Class of seating makes no difference, although I don't have enough status on carriers other than United to get upgraded regularly.

As far as RF (radio frequency) or electrical interference with nav and/or radio equipment...it's not BS, it can happen. The same is true with your LAN at work or the connection between your home computer and router.

Any aircraft without shielded cabling/instrumentation is susceptable...probably only really old aircraft which you'd never fly anyway. There was an episode of "Mythbusters" which dealt with this topic. Bottom line, a modern aircraft has no problems, but the FAA and airlines have those rules just to be safe.

[clenz]

Re: Inexperienced flyer

Totally depends on the airline. I fly a lot. United has inflight audio, but it's all proprietary programming, with the exception of whether the pilot has channel 9 on air traffic control or XM (some music channel which I wouldn't listen to anyway). Your only other choice is Airtran, which has full XM/Siruis audio in every seat. I'm not sure, but I doubt Airtran flies anywhere in Iowa. Class of seating makes no difference, although I don't have enough status on carriers other than United to get upgraded regularly.

As far as RF (radio frequency) or electrical interference with nav and/or radio equipment...it's not BS, it can happen. The same is true with your LAN at work or the connection between your home computer and router.

Any aircraft without shielded cabling/instrumentation is susceptable...probably only really old aircraft which you'd never fly anyway. There was an episode of "Mythbusters" which dealt with this topic. Bottom line, a modern aircraft has no problems, but the FAA and airlines have those rules just to be safe.

I was just thinking of that episode of Mythbusters, and what they tested was on old set up for a plane. A new "high tech" plane should be able to handle a radio or two.