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Cell phones on aircraft

taxi1

Well-Known Member
pilot
There’s really no good way to have phones onboard and be risk free.
The sensing capabilities of phones these days...

Even with just the accelerometer history you could figure out roughly where that phone had been over time. Not trivial data.

And a phone isn’t off until the battery is removed, and maybe run over by a steamroller.
 

CommodoreMid

Whateva! I do what I want!
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
My squadron has 3 bags per plane for deployment purposes. We've found it's enough for 21 people to throw in a laptop/tablet/phone/watch each. Of course if you want to bring your Xbox, that needs to go in your husky or with a buddy on the airlift.
 

wlawr005

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
The sensing capabilities of phones these days...

Even with just the accelerometer history you could figure out roughly where that phone had been over time. Not trivial data.

And a phone isn’t off until the battery is removed, and maybe run over by a steamroller.
I didn't realize P8s were otherwise stealth. Plenty of ways to figure out where that plane has been without resorting to nefarious cell phone data ?
 

taxi1

Well-Known Member
pilot
I didn't realize P8s were otherwise stealth. Plenty of ways to figure out where that plane has been without resorting to nefarious cell phone data ?
Ok, ok, it’s an example.

Install Physics Toolbox (on an Android) on your phone and check out all of the sensor feeds. Lots of modern phones (most?) measure barometric pressure, temperature, all accelerations and rotation rates, mag compass, magnetometer, sound (so frequency analysis) and obviously listen across a pile of spectrums and protocols. And of course GPS. That’s without messing with it’s innards.
 
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wlawr005

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
I think the percentage threat is less about what data some bad state actor can collect and is more about that fresh Insta pic with some classified screen up in the background.

Should the tube be treated like a SCIF? Maybe...I've never been in one so I don't know. If it does, then it should be treated like any other SCIF, leave your phone outside in a box by the door. Banning phones from the plane, or making people put them in Faraday bags is just draconian policy from people just looking to cover their own ass.

AF One has an entire press room. I'm sure the technology exists to both protect classified information and use common electronic devices for reasonable work.

As far as the physics app goes, who gives a shit? It's a 737 on an international flight plan, even in "combat".
 
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Treetop Flyer

Well-Known Member
pilot
I think the percentage threat is less about what data some bad state actor can collect and is more about that fresh Insta pic with some classified screen up in the background.

Should the tube be treated like a SCIF? Maybe...I've never been in one so I don't know. If it does, then it should be treated like any other SCIF, leave your phone outside in a box by the door. Banning phones from the plane, or making people put them in Faraday bags is just draconian policy from people just looking to cover their own ass.

AF One has an entire press room. I'm sure the technology exists to both protect classified information and use common electronic devices for reasonable work.

As far as the physics app goes, who gives a shit? It's a 737 on an international flight plan, even in "combat".
A few years back the deputy commandant for aviation had a phone ban policy, and it seemed that the main intent was to eliminate distraction and sort of pre-CYA if there were a cell phone related mishap. No phones in aircraft or the flight line or in maintenance spaces if I recall correctly.

Pretty sure it was roundly ignored since a phone is pretty important in the case of cross country, divert, or ejection
 

ChuckMK23

FERS and TSP contributor!
pilot
A few years back the deputy commandant for aviation had a phone ban policy, and it seemed that the main intent was to eliminate distraction and sort of pre-CYA if there were a cell phone related mishap. No phones in aircraft or the flight line or in maintenance spaces if I recall correctly.

Pretty sure it was roundly ignored since a phone is pretty important in the case of cross country, divert, or ejection
Given the historic failure rates of military aircrew personnel locator beacons a phone seems critical - especially in a ejection seat aircraft. Even civil aircraft ELT's (406MHz type) are next to useless in actual SAR from the NASA data. ADS-B tracks and aircrew phones data are #1 now in means to locate crash location.


 
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