anyone used their GPS in a plane

phil-k · 21 Feb 2013 at 19:23

getting a phone soon with GPS and will also be flying later on in the year. I just thought it would be cool to see where I was actually flying over.
With the phone in flight mode I imagine the GPS would still work and also as long as I have maps pre-loaded
Would it work and has anyone done it

teenwolf · 21 Feb 2013 at 19:24

phil-k said:
getting a phone soon with GPS

where have you been for the last 10 years

SexyGreyFox · 21 Feb 2013 at 19:26

I have tried a couple of times but couldn't get a signal.
I did make a phone call from the air though around 1999 with a Philips D12.

phil-k · 21 Feb 2013 at 19:31

bunnox said:
where have you been for the last 10 years

Ha Ha, I've had an old mans phone, now my wife has let me get a modern one rather than her having our netbook filling her pockets when going on holiday

Dangerous · 21 Feb 2013 at 20:03

bunnox said:
where have you been for the last 10 years

I have never managed to get a GPS signal in the air with any modern device, Samsung GS3 or Nexus 4.

On takeoff upto about 80mph I could though.

geuben · 21 Feb 2013 at 20:05

I think most consumer GPS devices have an altitude limit so that they can't be used as missile guidance systems. At least ones that use USA satellites.

N.B The above statement may be untrue.

Myshra · 21 Feb 2013 at 21:22

I've done this on a Nokia N82 (London to Berlin I think) by accident, I had it plotted by the sports tracker thing symbian used to have. There were some jumps in the plot but it worked.

Simian · 22 Feb 2013 at 07:18

I flew to Belfast last year with my Xperia Arc...

Didn't try NavFree, but thought GPS test was great!!

joey1211 · 22 Feb 2013 at 07:34

Flightradar24

Not using your gps, but still cool.

Do you have internet access on planes? I have no idea

deshepherd · 22 Feb 2013 at 10:02

Dimple said:
I have tried a couple of times but couldn't get a signal.
I did make a phone call from the air though around 1999 with a Philips D12.

Couple of years ago flew to Portugal and when we arrive my wife found she'd left her phone turned on in bag in overhead locker and it had collected a series of "welcome to Spain" texts as we'd passed overhead!

phil-k · 22 Feb 2013 at 12:29

deshepherd said:
Couple of years ago flew to Portugal and when we arrive my wife found she'd left her phone turned on in bag in overhead locker and it had collected a series of "welcome to Spain" texts as we'd passed overhead!

lol, obviously the plane didnt crash with it switched on

englishpremier · 22 Feb 2013 at 13:24

Yep done GPS on a plane. Wanted to see how fast it went before taking of.

170mph ish. so my old ZX9R would have been able to keep up with it. :-)

Christo · 22 Feb 2013 at 13:49

Did this when the N95 was en vogue - got a v cool track to south of Spain and half a track to New York. Was mindblowing to me in those days!