B.c. Rescuers Use Helicopter-Mounted Cell Tower to Find Missing Man
Posted3 months agoActive3 months ago
cbc.caTechstory
calmpositive
Debate
20/100
Search and RescueCell Phone TechnologyEmergency Response
Key topics
Search and Rescue
Cell Phone Technology
Emergency Response
Rescuers in British Columbia used a helicopter-mounted cell tower to locate a missing person, sparking discussion about the technology's potential and limitations, including its effectiveness with phones in airplane mode.
Snapshot generated from the HN discussion
Discussion Activity
Light discussionFirst comment
3h
Peak period
2
2-4h
Avg / period
1.7
Key moments
- 01Story posted
Sep 24, 2025 at 12:12 PM EDT
3 months ago
Step 01 - 02First comment
Sep 24, 2025 at 3:12 PM EDT
3h after posting
Step 02 - 03Peak activity
2 comments in 2-4h
Hottest window of the conversation
Step 03 - 04Latest activity
Sep 25, 2025 at 12:47 PM EDT
3 months ago
Step 04
Generating AI Summary...
Analyzing up to 500 comments to identify key contributors and discussion patterns
ID: 45362412Type: storyLast synced: 11/20/2025, 3:35:02 PM
Want the full context?
Jump to the original sources
Read the primary article or dive into the live Hacker News thread when you're ready.
“Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) made a recommendation on the use of electronic devices in airplane mode—cellular telephony must be disabled, while Wi-Fi may be used if the carrier offers it.”
--https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airplane_mode
Airplane mode is to satisfy the FCC, not FAA.
The whole restriction about “large electronic” devices (like laptops) below 10000ft has nothing to do with RF or radar — it’s simply because they are bulky and hinder movement.
The whole thing is stupid.
They seem to have no problem with someone laying out as Monopoly board game below 10000ft… Or read a newspaper… But God forbid someone use an iPad…
If it was a safety issue, wireless devices would be outright banned.
Dangerous chemicals, weapons, and such are not allowed. They can’t just be “off” in a box because accidents do happen.
Think nobody forgets to turn airplane mode on?
At this point, I’m really not sure why we keep up the ruse.
We live in a bizarro world where a small bottle of water is a bigger security threat than an RF transmitter.
Wonder if the goal is as wholesome (tool for rescue) as it seems, or there is some sort of commodization of this sort of tools being done, and so should not be subject to any special restrictions or regulation.
https://www.mathworks.com/company/mathworks-stories/signal-p...