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Airline Issues
What do you need to know about using (or not) your BlackBerry on an airplane? The short answer is that you will be directed to turn off your cellular telephone shortly before take-off, and you will be allowed to turn it on shortly after landing. But…your BlackBerry is a smartphone, not just a cellular telephone! There are different rules for “portable electronic devices” (e.g., laptop computers, handheld games, MP3 players, video cameras, and PDAs). What if you want to use your phone like a portable electronic device to listen to music, watch a video, compose a message to send later, take pictures, play a game, run an application, etc.? This post digs a bit deeper into the issue than your airline crew or their in-flight information magazine will explain.
I just returned from a trip to Colorado and had to deal with the rules and regulations regarding cellular telephone usage on an airliner. In my case, the airline was Delta, but I would guess that all commercial airlines have identical or similar rules. Generally, airlines allow you to use your cell phone (1) at the gate before take-off and (2) after landing. At all other times, they direct you to completely power down your phone. The concern is that radio signal transmissions from the phone might interfere with airplane communication or navigation equipment. Note: a cell phone transmits a signal even when you are not on a call–that’s why they require that you power it down and not simply refrain from making or taking calls.
I believe that you can accomodate the airline’s safety concerns yet still use many of your BlackBerry’s features during most of your flight. My confidence in this opinion is based on my education as an electrical engineer, my experience in designing data communication equipment, and my experience working in the aerospace industry. None of this will help you if your airline steward/stewardess disagrees–in which case I advise you simply comply with their wishes. But I do believe you will be complying with the intent of their rules and regulations if you use your BlackBerry as I suggest below.
First, it might help if you think of your BlackBerry Pearl 8130 as a computer with a built-in cellular telephone. If you can disable the built-in cell phone of your BlackBerry computer, your BlackBerry really becomes a portable electronic device as defined by the airlines. How do you do that? From the Home screen, select the Manage Connections icon. On the resulting menu, select Turn All Connections Off. That will shut down both your Mobile Network (cell phone communications) and your Bluetooth network (optionally used for a wireless earpiece or headset). Note that on that same menu you could have turned off both those connections or networks separately and achieved the same result. REMEMBER: You must return to this same menu to turn back on your Mobile Network when cellular communications are allowed! It is not necessary or desired to turn on Bluetooth at that time. (I don’t think Bluetooth devices or operation are ever allowed in an airliner. Wait till you’re off the plane to enable or turn on Bluetooth.)
Now, with Mobile Network and Bluetooth shut down, your BlackBerry can be equated–in the eyes of the airlines rules and regulations–to a Portable Electronic Device (PED). PEDs can be powered up at altitudes above 10,000 feet (presumably because the airplane is substantially between take-off and landing and less dependent on communication and navigation equipment). This allows you to use your BlackBerry to:
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Listen to music (using earphones/headphones–wired not Bluetooth)
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View videos (using earphones/headphones–wired not Bluetooth–for audio)
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Take pictures or record audio/video
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Play games (e.g., BrickBreaker)
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Compose a message to send later (when cellular communications is allowed)
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Work with your Calendar, Tasks, Memos, Calculator, Address Book, and Alarm
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Run applications that don’t require cellular communications
Since your cellular communications and data services are turned off, you will not be able to:
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Make or take phone calls (obviously)
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Do Instant Messaging, BlackBerry Messaging, or chat
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Browse the Web or run an application that accesses the Internet
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Use a map application (e.g., Google Maps)
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Use a GPS application
The above lists are not exhaustive because I have yet to learn all the optional applications that can be run on my BlackBerry.
How serious is this issue about cellphones and airlines? A brief search of the Internet suggested to me that the airlines are being extremely cautious and have not based their rules and regulations on hard evidence that using cell phones during flight is a significant risk. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not banned cell phones on either commercial or private airplanes–commercial airlines have made this decision on their own. But if I were in their shoes, I’d rather err on the side of safety, too.
Lastly, I think it’s worth noting that today’s cellular telephone communication networks were never designed for phones to be used at altitudes high above cell phone towers nor while traveling at speeds far beyond that of an automobile. If the airlines allowed us to use them during flight, we might discover that on occasion they would be quite unreliable.
PostScript, 2008-01-01: I’ve just learned that airlines are making allowances for some uses of your BlackBerry during flight. At the time of this writing, it applies to only select BlackBerry models (those with Wi-Fi built in), select airlines (JetBlue), and select services (Yahoo email and IM)–but this may be the beginning of a larger movement. For one story, see here.
PostScript, 2008-03-21: Here’s an Arab News article about a United Arab Emirates airline allowing cell phone use during flight.
22 comments on this post
How the heck do I turn my blackberry pearl ON? i turned it off during flight and i just can’t figure out how to turn it back on.
Thanks,
Angie
Angie,
Press the button on the upper right corner of the keypad. It’s got a red phone on it and a little digit 1 with a circle around it. If your battery has adequate charge on it, a simple momentary press on it should power up the phone. If it doesn’t, I suspect your battery is dead.
The only other thing I can think of is the battery is loose in its compartment–but I seriously doubt it. Turn your phone over and down at the bottom is a shiny silver button between two copper contacts. Push that button and the battery compartment will unlatch. Slide the cover off the back of the phone and you’ll see the battery. Make sure it’s pushed in snugly. Replace the back cover.
If you’ve charged your battery and it still won’t turn on, maybe the battery is defective. I’d take it to your local (Verizon, Sprint, whatever-your-service-is) store and they should be able to tell you.
I’m sure you’re bummed if you can’t get your phone to even turn on. Please let know how this works out for you.
Kelly Carter
Excellent advice - glad I have found the site….
How do can i have my email stop coming in while i am at work? Turning back on when i leave. Anyone???
Thanks
Ashley,
Why are you wanting to do that? Is it purely because the notifications (vibrations, tones, etc.) are disruptive while at work? If so, you could accomplish that with a profile. You could create a custom profile to ring the phone for incoming calls, but be silent for all other types of messages. Then you could switch back to a “normal” profile at the end of your work shift.
Now, if you also didn’t want phone calls during work, you could shut off the phone, or shut off only the radio so you could use the phone for the non-messaging features it offers.
If you give me a fuller explanation of why you’re wanting to do stop email, I can give you more detailed instructions, if you need that.
Kelly
Any idea how to turn off the GPS on an 8310?
If you have Blip running in the background and get to 10′000ft and switch your BB back on, Blip will try to get a fix silently in the background unless you remember to close it down?
Just a thought…
You can turn off the GPS for most BB’s by going to Options/Advanced Options/GPS (at least on my version of the OS).
I wouldn’t worry too much about a GPS though since it’s a receiver and not a transmitter. Some airlines allow (or more explicitly don’t disallow) use of a GPS. It shouldn’t cause any harm, but if your plane goes down when you turn your phone on, let us all know
David,
Thanks for your comments here and on other pages.
About airplanes and GPS, I haven’t read anything one way or the other about their permissibility. I do know, however, that even receivers have RF oscillators needed to demodulate the received signal, so they can still be a source of RF emissions that could interfere with an aircraft’s avionics–in fact, an aircraft’s own GPS receivers. At least I think that’s a theoretical possibility.
Still, I think an early trend is for airlines to start allowing more use of cell phones (which would include whatever they have built into them) as they discover what’s a theoretical problem and what’s a real problem.
Kelly
Here’s a list of airlines which allow GPS use in flight: http://gpsinformation.net/airgps/airgps.htm
We can just imagine what happens when someone fires up their notebook. Besides the normal RF from the notebook, it probably auto starts the broadcast of the wifi looking for an access point - is anyone home? If they have bluetooth installed and enabled that is broadcast on startup. With Nintendo DS units, they look for other nearby units as well as wifi access points. I don’t know about PSPs. Folks play games on their cell phones and probably have no idea how to turn off the transmitter. iPhones/iTouch units are all wifi enabled as well as Windows Mobile devices. I’m sure folks could come up with dozens of more interference generating devices in use on every flight.
It says that my radio is off, how the heck do I turn it back on??? Its not allowing me to send messages or anything!
Joanna,
From the Home Screen, do Manage Connections and click Mobile Network (if it is indeed off).
Kelly
How do I get my Blackberry unlatched? I purchased it used, it is unlocked but is apparently ‘latched’ to 02. I am with Orange and would prefer to stay with them if possible. I get the message at the top of the screen “data connection refused” and cannot use email etc. Can I sort this myself or will I have take it to a mobile phone shop?
Jill,
I am no expert on unlocking. I would first try asking your Orange customer support representative if he/she would look at your phone. It may not really be unlocked. I’m not familiar with the term “latched” nor can I find it using Google. If it’s truly unlocked, perhaps the phone needs to be wiped and have its operating system reinstalled (with the Orange version). Sorry I can’t be more helpful. Orange should help if you are their customer! I’d like to know how this works out, please.
Kelly
My bb pearl just shuts down at random times when I am usen it. The auto turn on n off is not on. I just got the phone a day ago
Wayne,
I would first suspect the battery. Did you have low charge before it died? If so, you’d probably have figured out it was the battery. Assuming it was charged up pretty well, maybe the battery is bad. About the only other thing I can think of is a defective phone. I can’t think of anything “normal” that would cause that.
Kelly
Pearl Problems have not ceased! I purchased my bb pearl 8100 may 5 2007 from tmobile and have exchanged it 7 yes 7 times thru june of 2008. I have had bb’s since 2004 and have never had any problems with any other bb. I had problems with everything from the trackwheel sticking to not being able to hear someone speak, to getting a connection and the other person will not be able to hear me speak. Well 4 days ago i got my 8th bb pearl 8100 and today my phone keeps shutting off whenever I touch any button on the phone. Since I had my fair share of free phones from tmobile they were not willing to do another exchange with me but allowed me to purchase the 8120 at a disounted price. My question is where do I send my latest crappy phone to RIM for repairs so that i can give it to my little brother? I could not find an address on RIM’s website for sending in faulty phones. Thanks!
hendrik,
What a terrible story! One thing I learned from a Verizon Wireless rep was that when customers exchanged phones, they were given refurbished phones that had already been returned by some other customer because of a problem. The rep told me to advise people to always demand a NEW not refurbished phone as a replacement. So, that might explain your streak of bad luck with TMobile (if their business practices are similar).
I’m guessing that phone repair is generally so expensive it’s not feasible. That’s why I think the so-called “refurbished” phones don’t really get repaired. They probably just clean them up a bit, replace the battery maybe, and if it powers up and works for 15 seconds, they declare it “good.” That’s just my opinion; I have no direct evidence of that.
So, I’d be kind of my little brother and NOT give him a phone even if it was said to be repaired.
Hope your fortune takes a turn for the better. Stay in touch.
Kelly
Thanks Kelly,
Yes the Tmobile reps did inform me everytime I made an exchange that the phone may not be a new phone and would possibly be a refurbished one. I demanded a new phone since the original phone that i purchased was a new phone. They then informed me that they could not guarantee the replacement phone would be new and as evidenced by the phones that i received they didnt work properly. Last question, do you know the address for RIM customer support or repair? I would love to send them the phone back to repair since its less then a week old and then roll over it with my truck. My 8120 should be here in a few days. It’s just too bad that I am phoneless until then. Right now my screen is all white and I can hear my emails and voice messages coming in…. Well maybe I should keep the 8100 after they repair it and use it as a backup if I have the same horrible luck with the 8120.. Thanks for your help!
hendrik,
No, I’m sorry, I have no special info on how to return a defective product to RIM. I do hear from readers that one can actually get through to RIM customer support by phone, so that might be worth trying. I’m sure they have some kind of phone number on the RIM web site. If you find a good way(s) to get through to RIM, it would be great if you’d come back and share that with us.
Kelly
Here is a link to RIM however unless you purchased the phone from RIM directly there is nothing they can do for any of us… Anyways the struggle continues and thanks for your help!
http://na.blackberry.com/eng/support/devices/service_options.jsp#tab_tab_instructions
I will keep you posted on any progress has been made with my 8100 repair.
Hendrik
I have the biggest problem with my blackberry pearl. Several times a day, all of my call log deletes. I called my mobilr carrier, U.S. Cellular, and they keep telling me to do a hard reset by taking the battery out and then put it right back in. I find myself doing theis all the time. If someone calls me from a new number, I can;t return the call because it has been deleted. I have a memory card for my phone since the 1st day that i bought it. They say this is a safety feature of the phone. It automatically frees up space. Please help me make it stop…..
Latoya,
This is a lesson we’ve all had to learn. You have to manage your phone’s memory…meaning, you have to keep it freed up. If you don’t, the phone will automatically free up memory by deleting “old” messages, call logs, etc.
Please read this article and it should help a lot: http://blackberry8130.wordpress.com/2008/03/01/text-messages-email-call-logs-disappearing-insufficient-application-space-keep-getting-a-tumbling-hourglass/.
Come back and ask more questions if you still have trouble.
Kelly