Seeking Air Phone Info Options

[valis]

It has been suggested that phone calls made from 9/11 flights were made through the Verizon AirFone system. I was wondering if anyone here could elaborate on the temporal and physical restraints for this system - and this hypothesis.

I am wondering about the registration process for both new AirFone users - how long does it take to sign up? and current users - How long would it take to swipe a credit card, log in, - and dial? - And does the AirFone system have a directory of sorts - or did all the passengers know all the numbers they were dialing off of the tops of their heads?

Thanks in advance.

cheers

[Bruce Sinclair]

I currently fly a medevac King Air out of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada and I have been flying with my cell phone left on for years. My experience is that the cell phone acquires a signal as we desend below 3,000 ft AGL fairly reliably. I have it in the top pocket of my flight suit and it vibrates as soon as it is receiving a message so I've had lots of opportunity to experience this. Signals above this height are problematic to say the least. The highest I have ever had a good signal was at 17,000 feet, which was almost 16,000 feet AGL, but this was only once. I think this may be because there is only one cell tower for it to receive in this area (over the tar sands plants north of Fort McMurray).

I have also left it on many times on commerical airliners as a passenger and I have never been able to get a signal at altitude. I also fly a Boeing 727 part time and this is the same experience on this equipment while flying the aircraft and therefore having the cell phone on the flight deck.

So, having had hundreds of hours of flying with my cell phone on, I can say fairly confidently that the chances of being able to use a cell phone in a commerical airliner at altitude are near zero.

Hope this helps.