Can I use a cellphone while flying?
It’s only legal if you use a PCS (Sprint and perhaps some other carriers) phone, which is technically not a “cell” phone. The use of cell phones aboard airborne aircraft is banned by the FCC in 47 C.F.R. § 22.925: “The use of cellular telephones while this aircraft is airborne is prohibited by FCC rules…. The use of cellular telephones while this aircraft is on the ground is subject to FAA regulations.” This ban applies to phones that use the 800 MHz spectrum. PCS (Personal Communications Services) phones that use the 1900 MHz spectrum are governed under FCC 47CFR24, and their use in aircraft is not restricted by the FCC, whether on the ground or in flight. The FAA, in 14 C.F.R § 91.21 bans the use of all portable electronic devices (with a few odd exceptions) for all flights operated by an airline or under IFR, but allows that the airline (or, for privately operated aircraft, the pilot) can make any exception to this rule if the operator deems that device safe. This effectively give
