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To: Yo-Yo
Rut Roh, I don't think the FCC would approve.

Is the flight control computer going to suddenly turn the blimp upside down when interfered with?

6 posted on 10/15/2008 12:10:49 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (The $700B bail out is giving parachutes to bankers while we must keep our seat belts on and shut up.)
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To: KarlInOhio
Noooo. The FCC bans cell phone use from aircraft, even from hot air balloons, because the cell phone system relies on a network of cells that re-use frequencies. When you're up in an aircraft, you can radiate to many towers at the same time, interfering with calls.

The system was designed to be used at ground level, with cell phone towers usually about 150' in the air, so that at most a cell phone could only 'see' towers within a couple of miles. Raising the cell phone to 5,000' means you can see cell phone towers tens of miles away.

Usually it doesn't matter, and it's done all the time. (The heroes of Flight 93 on 9/11 used cell phones to call loved ones and that is how they found out the fate of the other hijacked aircraft.)

Still, it's illegal to do so, and I wouldn't be admitting to doing it in print.

8 posted on 10/15/2008 12:17:50 PM PDT by Yo-Yo
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To: KarlInOhio
Is the flight control computer going to suddenly turn the blimp upside down when interfered with?

Yeah, but it's gonna take about 20 minutes.

9 posted on 10/15/2008 12:36:53 PM PDT by numberonepal (Don't Even Think About Treading On Me)
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