| Plane WiFi from Experience Saw all the posts and just had to put my 2 cents in. I have actually gotten to use WiFi on a 9 hour Atlantic flight. Once in Business with Power and once without in Coach. Giving it the IT challenge, I used the connection for Chat, Surfing, and even Skype Calling. All worked just great. Even Skype Video worked! Just that some Schmuck in front of my complained about the talking. I wanted to tell him to jump off the plane, but that wouldn't have helped me. I suppose that it will work just fine with just about anything until the pipeline gets more utilized. But is is definitely worth the $26 for 24 hours of access. It would of course be better if the connecting flights had it. And once I stopped testing, I did get lots of productive work done.
Oh and power is nice, but an extra battery will mostly suffice as you forgot about all the time that the food service takes. The only time an extra battery won't cut it is trans-Pacific 14-18 hour flights. |
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"Just that some Schmuck in front of my complained about the talking"
No doubt your voice was loud enough to be audible over 2 or perhaps even 4 turbofan jet engines. Which even at cruise require a loud voice. Crying babies/children is one thing, someone talking on skype is another. I bet you were probably more annoying than the crying baby because your noise will have been constant.
2 points I want to make:
1.) PEDs (portable electronic devices) DO effect various aircraft systems. Here is a study: »www.house.gov/transportation/avi···CKGROUND An extract from that study: "In August 1995, an aircraft making its approach to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston was advised that it was 4 miles off course. Because the course director indicators had been scalloping left and right of center, the captain ordered the flight attendant to check the cabin for any passengers using a portable electronic device. Within 15 seconds, problems with the course director indicators disappeared. The captain later learned that a passenger had been using a portable computer."
Maybe people dont realise this, but with 50,000 planes landing everyday in the USA alone the skies are getting more congested. Aircraft vertical seperation is 1000ft minimum, I hate the idea of some self important salesman using his laptop and causing a mid-air collision.
2.) Trains here have Wifi and power outlets for laptops, because of all the noise created from people using this equipment there is now usually a whole carriage created specifically as a "quiet zone" i.e no laptops/phones allowed. I cant see planes creating an area like this, with profit margins being as they are.
Impressive tech, but 99% of people dont NEED it, add to the fact that interferance caused by devices can be unpredictable and intermittent just seems bad news to me. |
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join:2002-08-06
Santa Monica, CA | The report (from the link above) also states:
“Boeing has attempted to duplicate instances of PED interference, reportedly even going so far as to purchase a passenger’s laptop that had allegedly caused interference on a London to Paris flight. The pilot on that flight claimed that turning the laptop on and off triggered autopilot error. Boeing flew the same laptop on the same route in the same seat but was unable to duplicate the interference.”
In fact all laptop interference incidents has been anecdotal - no one has yet been able to duplicate the interference...
More info can be found from these House hearings (transcripts 7/20/2000):
»commdocs.house.gov/committees/Tr···02_1.HTM
CVB |
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| reply to saabnut
Using Skype on a plane, and you are upset you annoyed your fellow passangers with "cool, I'm using skype on a plane" conversation where your voice was probably much louder than you think.
Are you the same guy that has a really cool cell phone ring tone and gets pissed off that people don't want to hear it in the middle of a movie.
Voice communications on a plane should be limited to quiet conversations. G-d help us all, the day when cell phones work in the air. |
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