[Looger]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

So really, you're just pulling out of your ass your objection that people couldn't have been using cellphones on these particular commercial flights.

Isn't that right?

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...cell_air2.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/0...ail/index.html

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=...airliners&meta=

Cowperson

yep, straight out of my ass.

http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch1.pdf

The hijackers attacked at 9:28. While traveling 35,000 feet above eastern
Ohio, United 93 suddenly dropped 700 feet.

also:

At 9:32, a hijacker, probably Jarrah, made or attempted to make the following announcement to the passengers of Flight 93:“Ladies and Gentlemen:Here the captain, please sit down keep remaining sitting.We have a bomb on board. So, sit.” The flight data recorder (also recovered) indicates that Jarrah then instructed the plane’s autopilot to turn the aircraft around and head east.

75

The cockpit voice recorder data indicate that a woman, most likely a flight
attendant,was being held captive in the cockpit. She struggled with one of the hijackers who killed or otherwise silenced her.

76

Shortly thereafter, the passengers and flight crew began a series of calls from GTE airphones and cellular phones.

also:

9:41 Transponder is turned off

so, how much altitude can a plane drop in 4 minutes, well admittedly, quite a bit. but don't cell phones have to be below 10,000 feet to work reliably? i guess it comes down to how far off the ground 93 went in those 4 minutes, i'm honestly not sure how much altitude it had when the transponder was lost.

from your own link,

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...cell_air2.html

Who would want airline passengers to be able to make cell phone calls at 30,000 feet? Another federal agency, the Federal Communications Commission, seems to be the leading backer of the idea.

seems like a lot of research is being done to make cells work at higher altitudes, why bother when dozens of calls worked with networks seven years older?