Do you have a GPS signal on board of a plane?

Question

Does anybody know if there is a GPS signal available on board of a plane with a common and normal GPS receiver?

Answer 1

Unfortunately the plane body does an excellent job of blocking GPS signal. In general if you're in a window seat you will be able to get a signal by holding the GPS near the window (or, for example, on a tray table) - but if you're elsewhere on the plane it's very unlikely you'll get a signal.

The exception to this may be the new Boeing 787, which is made primarily of Carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). Not only does CFRP allow for larger windows (which would allow a greater visibility of the sky, and thus more GPS satellites), but it's likely that the GPS signal would pass through the aircraft shell better than on conventional planes.

Keep in mind that not all airlines allow passengers to use GPS receivers in flight (they are technically "radio receivers" which are often not allowed). Be sure to check with the specific airline and/or the flight crew to confirm that you are allowed use one.

Answer 2

Yes; i did have GPS reception on my cellphone during a flight; however it took quite a long time to get the initial coordinates, and i could not get updates on my location very often (coords changed maybe once every 3-5 mins). So i would say you have bad reception in the best case.

Maybe dedicated GPS devices would have a better antenna & reception than my $300 phone :)

Answer 3

Yes, but the signal can be a bit weak. It's best to hold it to the window to get a lock. Depending on the GPS device, some are able to "hold onto the lock" even if they are not facing the window, so you only need to have it by the window for the initial lock. You may or may not be allowed to have it in the GPS.

Here's my GPS while I was travelling near the equator. Look how I'm 4,500 m above sea level and travelling at 600 km/hr.

crimey was that 4 years ago... where does the time go...

Answer 4

I tested this once on a flight which claimed it was fine, once you'd taken off, and not during landing - to use devices like this.

I have an app on my phone (MyTracks) which is meant to track you when running, for example, but I just turned it on and left the phone running in my pocket. Not ideal for GPS, but I was in a window seat, giving it a slight chance.

Long story short, there were some data points recorded during the flight, and at a range of altitudes. It wasn't a steady connection, but it was certainly received intermittently, until the final 'please turn off all electronic devices' warning came and I had to stop the test.