Hey guys,
Im the king of bone questions, but I have another one.
Is there some kind of law or regulation that stops both Flight Deck crew and Cabin Crew from using onboard wi-fi?
If so, does it differ from the US to Europe? Personally have never seen any Virgin America or JetBlue crews tapping away at their phones but have seen a Norwegian and an ASL Airlines crew doing so (Of course, whether or not they were on wifi was different, but I assume so).
Thanks
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- longhauler
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Re: Can Crews use onboard wi-fi?
We don't use the same commercial wifi offered to the passengers. We have our own discreet wifi (much faster), unseen by passengers and only accessable through an app on our iPads.
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- ClipperYankee
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Re: Can Crews use onboard wi-fi?
I take it there are missives telling you what you can or can't use the cockpit wifi for, or are you able to check the baseball scores, for example?
Re: Can Crews use onboard wi-fi?
ClipperYankee wrote:I take it there are missives telling you what you can or can't use the cockpit wifi for, or are you able to check the baseball scores, for example?
I used to "check the baseball scores" a lot when I was a teenager.
I wonder how distracting it is t have your phone going off in the cockpit.
Fred
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- longhauler
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Re: Can Crews use onboard wi-fi?
ClipperYankee wrote:I take it there are missives telling you what you can or can't use the cockpit wifi for, or are you able to check the baseball scores, for example?
While our company iPads could be monitored, they normally are not. We are reminded though, to keep things "businesslike".
I use the onboard wifi for functions normally filled using ACARS, or some things that can be not ... like radar plots 1000 nms ahead, or recently, hockey scores when the Leafs were in the finals. (Happens about once every 20 years). Technically, we can look at anything on the internet, and as long as it is legal, likely, no one would care.
Last winter, we had a medical diversion into an airport we don't normally visit, but is approved as an enroute alternate. Using the wifi, I was able to confirm de-icing facilities, the fluids used, and the holdover times we would expect, as our HOT App could be populated with current weather. Again, this could have been done using ACARS through Flight Dispatch, but this was far far quicker.
It is my opinion, that ultimately, ACARS use will be cut down to almost nothing.
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- longhauler
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Re: Can Crews use onboard wi-fi?
flipdewaf wrote:I wonder how distracting it is t have your phone going off in the cockpit.
Our SOPs require that our cell phones are switched off just before pushback. Its actually in the "threat" checklist now!
The onboard wifi, cockpit and passenger, is shut down below 10,000 feet. However, our company iPads are 4G capable, so below 10,000', they start to pick up cell signals. Anyone that thinks there is no cell interference with communications should be made to listen to the racket this causes .... I switch to "airplane mode" at the 10,000' check on descent.
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- ClipperYankee
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Re: Can Crews use onboard wi-fi?
Thank you for the replies, quite interesting.
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