GPS aboard airliner (airlines, best, flight, cities)

[Jaybee]

I have two questions regarding handheld GPS units; mine's a Magellan that can operate on internal battery power for a few hours. I'd like to use mine while taking a cross country flight to identify the features/cities I'm overflying. First, do they operate effectively aboard airliners? And second, is GPS use permitted while airborne?

[lcole07]

Just "Google" your question, there's over a million tags....

[Alaskan Mutt]

Most airlines do not allow the use of GPS units while inflight. Some airlines come right out and say GPS units are not allow. Others simply say the use of anything that sends or receives a signal is not allowed.

[Chava61]

I believe one is not permitted to use a GPS while airborne on a commercial flight on a USA airline.

[irman]

We fly commercially, but also are *private pilots*.
So the question becomes, *why can I operate a GPS in my private plane* today,
and NOT have problems, while operating the same unit in a commercial carrier, *might* cause a problem ???

The Government -- We are not happy, until you are unhappy !!!

*Operating/using* a GPS, on a *commercial* flight, is nothing more than
*I like to know where I am and what is that down there ?*
So in answer to the last part of the question, yes it will work, but even better if you hold the unit near the window !

On the other hand, If I had doubts that the pilot in command,
might have problems getting to the intended destination,
I would not fly with them ...

Chava, is right in his statement that it is *illegal* on many USA based airlines ?

http://gpsinformation.net/airgps/airgps.htm.


What is the TRACK RECORD of GPS receivers in so far as EMI is concerned? Garmin and Magellan tell us that there has never been a REPORT of any problem caused to any avionics system as a result of the use of a GPS on an aircraft. No pilot or engineer on the GPS newsgroup has ever reported a GPS receiver causing interference to an avionics system on an aircraft. About 80% of the airlines in our survey permit the use of handheld GPS receivers by passengers. I believe it is safe to say, "If EMI from a handheld GPS were a problem *somebody* would have noticed it by now". My conclusion therefore is that the use of a low power GPS receiver on an aircraft is substantially less likely than a laptop computer to generate significant amounts of EMI and since laptop computers are judged "safe" then GPS receivers are "safer".

This is good enough for me to use one if and when the commercial operator allows me to do so.
BTW, my laptop, does have the capability to function as a GPS, with only a small adapter connected to it.
I am sure that most run of the mill flight attendants would have no idea that I was operating a GPS ...

[rogerbacon]

I'm also a private pilot and I use my AnywhereMap aviation software when I fly my plane. I have a copy of the software on my cell phone and I have used it while flying commercially. It is hard to get a signal unless you are sitting by a window (side of the plane facing South is best). The above poster is right that a GPS does not interfear with anything in the cockpit. If they disallow such a low power device then the yshould disallow laptops too. The business travelers would revolt if they did that. Even Big Sis isn't ready to take on that group (yet).

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by lcole07

Just "Google" your question, there's over a million tags....

Good advice.
I did and found some airlines permit it,some do not. It turns out the airline I'm flying next (American) has a policy that prohbits their use.

[lcole07]

Found this site, lists all airline: Airlines which APPROVE/DISPROVE GPS use in Flight

[elnina]

^^^ that's the same list irman posted already

[elnina]

I guess you cannot use phone GPS, because when you turn on the "flight mode" then the GPS goes off. The use of GPS is possible only on devices like Magellan, TomTom, Garmin etc.