SPV use in the aeroplane?

[Guest u03ekw]

Has anyone tried using SPV in the plane? I'm sure it has to be allowed since we have that 'radio off' function... I'm going for a long distance flight pretty soon and i think Zelda DX on gnuboy would be good company! :)

[Guest Richie M]

Technically yes, but you have to convince the Cabin Crew!

[Guest Rob.P]

There was a thread about this but I can't remember what it was called.

Basically I have used my phone twice now on planes but I did take the precaution of doing some research first. I emailed my airline and asked them giving a URL to the Phone Specs, they replied saying that it was okay to use my phone, so I printed out the email and took it with me to show cabin crew. I think the 2nd time it was a bit more difficult and required more talking/blagging.

I'm about to go off to Thailand on Thai Airways and haven't done the above as they state on their website that you can use game devices, so I'm going on the assumption that I can blag this one, if not will just have to watch the films.

[Guest sparks1061]

Here is one of the threads relating to this,

http://www.modaco.com/viewtopic...1890&highlight=

In brief yes it should be OK, but if the aircrew say no it really isn't worth arguing with them, especially is the current climate :cry:

and in light of one of the other threads in progress at the moment I must say I only managed to find it because I knew I'd posted a message on it, so just did a search for all my posts :)

[Guest Monolithix [MVP]]

http://www.modaco.com/viewtopic...=doh+hide+plane

There you go, thats the beast.

See also: http://www.modaco.com/viewtopic...ight=spv+flight

About 1/2 the way down the first page in an interesting post from a passenger jet pilot.

Have a good read through both before you decide if you want to show off your SPV to the cabin crew :)

edit- beat me to it sparks :/

[Guest fraser]

Another thing that isn't mentioned is that you'll have a whole string of passengers either reporting you to the stewards or speaking to you.

You'd need to wear a T-shirt or a sign proclaiming "the radio part of the phone is switched off"!! :)

[Guest Rog]

Don't tell them it's a phone!

Seriously I was interrogated in a hospital yesterday when playing on my 'phone, she wasn't convinced until I showed the 'radio off' bit and explained.

My wife surreptitiously pulled her Nokia phone out of her pocket and turned it of after that!

[Guest sparks1061]

Don't tell them it's a phone!

Seriously I was interrogated in a hospital yesterday when playing on my 'phone, she wasn't convinced until I showed the 'radio off' bit and explained.

My wife surreptitiously pulled her Nokia phone out of her pocket and turned it of after that!

Am I the only one who finds it a bit side that you would be "Playing" with your phone when you are sat in a hospital with your wife? The art of conversation really is dead!!! :shock: :? :) ;)

[Guest spacemonkey]

Sparks, are you in the UK? My experience with hospitals here is that, if you go in (even if it's just for a normal clinic/checkup type thing) don't expect to leave for at least 8 hours.

Don't know about your conversational skills, but mine aren't up to that...

[Guest sparks1061]

ah now see that is where Nokia at least got one thing right, 2 player snake :)

I think my Girlfriend would do me a serious injury if I sat in a hospital with her and spent the time playing on my SPV.

Maybe you guys are just braver than me, or have more forgiving partners! :?:

[Guest reubenhowes]

I did ask the cabin crew on a ryanair flight and believe it or not they had heard of the SPV !! but did (very politely) decline as other passengers may see me using a phone and assume its ok/or cause problems for them (eg I want to play snake)

Yep i can totally see their point of view and on only a short flight I could do without music and look out of the window and watch the world go past

[Guest Syvwlch]

I'm in planes a lot, and I've found that on more than half of flights, they'll let you use it. Male stewards in particular, if you show off the games, videos and such, will get all enthusiastic and let you use it in exchange for a coupla minutes playtime of their own.

On the issue of asking permission first, or just whipping it out and waiting for them to find you, success rate is about the same. Depends on the stewardess, mostly.

[Guest tetstb]

On a recent flight from Boston I was allowed to use my SPV to listen to

music only and to observe the rules about switching it off on landing etc.

The American Airlines staff seemed quite used to this as I think a lot of people in the US have XDA type devices.

[Guest nickcornaglia]

Tell them it's a cigarette lighter. That's what I do when I bring a gun onboard! :)

[Guest Pagemakers]

I am an airline pilot. I'd let you use it but I know some of my colleagues would not.

Basically, it all depends who you get on the day - nothing more challenging than that!

[Guest mrjuglas]

I haven't tested this fully but I'm afraid it looks like the radio off function only stops it searching for a network and I believe that if it's set to send/receive emails periodically it continues to do this even when the radio is 'off'

I'll tell you why I think so - I work in a call centre and we have to keep our mobiles off. Of course I just turn the Radio off and I notice every 15 minutes that telltale sound on my headset...

As I said, I'm not certain but has anyone else tested this? My advice in the meantime would be to make sure your email sync is also set to off before you try using it on the plane...

[Guest James]

i have been on 10 flights since jan when i got my SPV:

'Please can i use my phone for games please? i can turn the actulal phone part off so it wont give off or recieve any signals'

here are the answers:-

BA = No

Monarch = No

BMI = No

Easy Jet = No

Iberia = No

o, well. worth a try....

[Guest mrjuglas]

I've used my phone on a couple of flights - for games, music and video but I didn't want to have that discussion with the stewards/esses so i was just really discreet about it. None of them noticed and other passengers didn't either... guess I was just lucky but I was ready to defend it if necessary and would have turned it off rather than cause anybody any hassle...

[Guest James]

well i never argue, i just ask. if they say no then i just switch it off. no need to give them a hard time.

[Guest mrjuglas]

Yes mate, but rather than ask and be refused, some simple sleight of hand and everyone's happy :)

If you've got most of the keypad covered it doesn't look like a phone anyway, just be sure to turn the auto-sync off for emails

[Guest Gorskar]

I wonder what they'll say when those nokia n-gages start coming out - they look nothing like a mobile phone

[Guest James]

ha ha! But Nokia's are classed as dangerous weapons on planes these days!

[Guest mike-oh]

Hmmm, as someone said on one of the earlier threads. Would you really want to be seen discretely messing about with a "device" under your coat in this day and age?

And the point made earlier about people thinking it's ok to use their phone when they see you using yours is a very valid one!

[Guest ukpauls]

could be werth the hasle just to show off :wink: :)

[Guest jmjarvis]

Hey Guys,

Well word of the SPV and its Radio Off functionalilty is getting around.

We went into hospital this weekend (23rd) to give birth to our baby son.

I was in the shall I mention it stage or not when I plucked up the courage to attempt a long winded technical explanation of Radio Off. To my surprise the Midwife replied with "Oh yeh we know all about that phone feel free" :shock:

My wife sure loved Tennis Addict & Solitaire. It made the 16 hour labour all that more easier.

Jas