The reason for the rule that forbids cellphones on flights has really nothing to
do with a Faraday cage. The Faraday cage is just one reason for not having a
good reception.
Of course, the FAA says the main reason is the possibility of interference with
the operation of the airplane.
However, I think the real reason is that you hit more than one cell when you're
up in
the air. I know of one guy who used his cellphone while flying in the LA basin
in his
little Cessna. That knocked out the Airtouch network for a couple of hours.
There is a test underway with a cellphone system specially designed for use in
airplanes, with ground antennas that point up and cover a much bigger area, so
the probability of hitting multiple cells is much diminished. But that still is
not designed for the airlines, but for private pilots like me who want to use
their cellphones on their flights.
> For another, the inflight movie was Ronin, the
> first one I've cared to see in a long time. Waay too violent for an
> airline film, I thought, but just right for me.
I also saw Ronin on a recent flight, and, having seen it in the theater before,
I noticed that they cut the most violent scenes.
-JoeF