Author: Jake Olson Date: To: listserv Subject: Re: [Az-Geocaching] GPS receivers allowed on airlines: ++Continental
My in-dash stereo on my truck hasn't worked for a couple of years. I've
been using a walkman in my truck. I can tell you that I do hear
interference from the GPSr when it is turned on even more so when the
backlight is turned on. Granted my GPSr would be back far enough away in
the passenger cabin it is not likely to cause an problems with with the
avionics... but I'd rather turn off my unnecessary GPSr, than give the pilot
any additional distraction while he his trying to see to the safety of the
flight during the most critical moments of take off and landing.
I purchased my first GPSr shortly after 9/11. I lent it to my room mate who
was going on a trip to Alabama. He tied the unit into his laptop while in
flight, with the approval of the flight crew. The flight attendants weren't
too thrilled when the software that he was using picked up the GPS motion
data and assumed he was driving a route. The voice software kept announcing
that it was off course since the plane wasn't following the contours of
roads below.
I haven't been on a plane since 9/11, but I did get some serious questioning
from the national guardsmen stationed at Hoover Dam. It was about 2 months
after 9/11 and at 2AM. It's pretty interesting answering questions from a
gentleman with a large automatic weapon, about the funny doodad sitting on
you dashboard. I'm not sure what was more difficult, explaining the GPSr,
or the elbow and knee pads I had in my back seat for my roller blades.
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