It varies by country. Different countries have set up their networks differently as to whether to blacklist a device which is connecting to too many towers.
I had always understood that the reason reception is poor at altitudes was that the antennae were “tilted” downwards
Mostly it is due to client device blacklisting. For example over France you can have a strong GSM signal at FL100, but no functionality.
Sebastian_H wrote:
This goes a bit on a tangent, but has anyone experience with mobile phone connectivity in low-level flight? I have a GMA 245 audio panel
It vastly depends on where you are and what equipment. In Europe I most commonly get voice capable connections up to about 3,000 ft, data on 5G a bit further up. Near bigger airfields in question and at the usual ‘2,000 ft entry route’ you should get coverage most of the times.
@Peter_Mundy: The older mobile networks used ground-covering antennas, while starting 4G and 5G they are more spherical – one reason the drone warriors discuss mobile networks for conspicuity.
Btw, I do have a PMA8000BT audio panel and used to couple the phone to it, but don’t do that any longer (unless PAX wants music or make a call). If radio is weak, in most cases you may have a power issue as well, so don’t want to drain power there. My way is coupling the phone to the BT headset (batteries included), not the audio panel.
I had always understood that the reason reception is poor at altitudes was that the antennae were “tilted” downwards
Sebastian_H wrote:
This goes a bit on a tangent, but has anyone experience with mobile phone connectivity in low-level flight? I have a GMA 245 audio panel waiting to be installed, which would enable me to do phone calls via Bluetooth, and I considered that writing down the phone number of the tower as part of the flight planning could have meant to call them up when NORDO and arrange something as another option in the big bag of tricks.
I was flying an aircraft back to my home base when the actual PTT button broke on the pilot’s yoke. No problem, the person sitting next to me is also a licensed pilot. That button also decided to fail in that moment. I then connected the phone to my headset (Zulu 2) and descended to 1400 feet AGL, googled the number for the Flugleiter and called him up, explained I was coming in NORDO and would be using the phone to call out my position, that although I couldn’t transmit, I could still receive.
It worked surprisingly well, even though it sounded weird to hear the Flugleiter call my downwind, base and final after each call as a precaution for any other traffic in the vicinity.
IIRC in certain areas the signal will work up until 3000 feet but in that area – relatively flat, open terrain – I could only get reception from 1400 feet or below. Apparently at higher levels the phone sees too many towers so won’t be able to choose which station to log into as multiple will have similar signal levels. Lower down, geographic elements such as hills or mountains or buildings will reduce the signal of certain towers meaning the phone can log into one base station….. At least that’s my understanding as to why mobile phones won’t connect at higher altitudes…
If it’s just lost radio, ideally one will avoid controlled airspaces or controlled aerdromes under VFR…if it’s an emergency and loss of radio, unless it’s busy airport with 3 departures every 5min, I would go for it with 7700, open my eyes, land and unload my passenger
The problem with going to controlled airports with lost comms and emergency is not landing, it’s takeoff: you need to fix your radio and that is likely to be a real challenge without GA maintenance there (one can depart CTR using VHF handheld, don’t tell anyone though 
)
I recommend to have at least the national AIS/ARO/VFSD or whatever available via Phone.
In Austria, they do this, and it makes sense.
Regarding the above case, my first action would have been to squawk 7600 and call (I have the numbers saved). However, without any phone numbers right at hand, better stick to KISS (keep it simple stupid) than to stall due playing around on the phone.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
In my opinion you handled a stressful situation very well before it could compound by indicating with the transponder that you require two things:
1) To land now
2) Attention/separation due to loss comm
I could see many others (myself included) self pressuring into flying to some small, unfamiliar strip or staying airborne to hope the problems subside in order not to inconvenience a „controlled“ airport, let alone „whoever else“ by squawking 7700. The thing is, though, that especially involving an airborne medical scenario one wants to land where medical facilities are readily available or at worst quick to arrange. That’s just not happening at a deserted grass strip. What if the airsickness turns out to be merely a symptom of a different, much worse condition? Then one has wasted time flying somewhere else, potentially aggravating the situation, has increased risk by landing on a potentially unfamiliar and unsuitable place and once on the ground no one is present to help.
The second reason to pick a known, familiar/or even homebased with/at and immediately close by airport whether it’s controlled or not is due to the loss comm. Yes, we all know the drill, but let’s be real here for a moment. Apart from 15-20 major airports in Europe, most airports are more or less sleepy regarding heavy metal, so you’re not going to inconvenience anybody.
Further, at a controlled airport, there is usually a published VFR nordo procedure, ATC will see your squawk, know you need assistance, will separate other traffic to stay clear of you and can give you light gun signals to clear you to land.
Sounds better to me than hitting the patrern of some of the uncontrolled airfields that are buzzing with all variants of GA traffic with a despairingly ill pax aboar where you will not be able to let anybody know you’re coming… See and avoid my a**.
Good job well done!
Declare early, declare often. Nothing happens.
Do you think you would have had more barriers to declare an emergency using voice/radio than by setting the squawk code?
Peter_Mundy wrote:
Never had to use it but I have the number of the LVNL Area Control Supervisor ( 00 31 20 406 3999 ) stored in my Contacts and he/she would co-ordinate with Rotterdam in an emergency
I keep my ANR headset on aircraft power, but with batteries for emergency loaded. As it has Bluetooth, in flight it is usually coupled to my phone anyways to get warnings and advice (CO and traffic). In the unlikely event of an emergency, I either call via phone or couple the handheld radio the same way. Risk mitigation is easy nowadays, but you have to be open for change ;-).
Sebastian_H wrote:
but has anyone experience with mobile phone connectivity in low-level flight?
Never had to use it but I have the number of the LVNL Area Control Supervisor ( 00 31 20 406 3999 ) stored in my Contacts and he/she would co-ordinate with Rotterdam in an emergency
MichaLSA wrote:
Regarding decision making in the air. If a PAX vomits in a GA cockpit it may only be annoying, or it could be dangerous i.e. when cramps follow. You don’t want to have RHS cramps interfering with flight controls!
Not only that, but the smell of vomit induces vomiting in human beings. I’m particularly subject to this, so a passenger vomiting is one of my “nightmare scenarios” (much more than a radio or alternator failure); unless I have in the RHS a fit and “more resistant to the smell of vomit than me” able pilot, I would, without hesitation, treat it as an absolute emergency, having to beat the time before I, the only pilot, become completely incapacitated.
