Mobile Phones

[Barquentine]

what's the earliest date you could make a call froma plane with your own mobile?

[Clanad]

Legally, you still can't, at least using a cellular phone. However, built in phones (manufactured by Wulfsburg) were available in the early 1970's and they're still in business yet today (I think).

In all fairness, the equipment was actually classified as a "radio-telephone" and call were quite expensive (around $5 per minute) but one could dial and call any number so, legitimately they were called air to ground "phones"...

[Clanad]

Actually, I see a reference to Northwest Airlines (here in the U.S.) offering service in 1937... (see here: https://books.google.com/books?id=rNoDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA383&;dq=Popular+Science+1935+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&hl=en&ei=r81ETsS3KI3isQLY3dX5BQ&;sa=X&oi=book_result&;ct=result#v=onepage&q&f=true )

[Buenchico]

For flights controlled by the rules of the European Aviation Safety Agency, the blanket ban on using mobile phones (other than in 'aeroplane mode') was lifted with effect from 26 September 2014. Individual airlines must now simply ensure that there are no safety issues related to the types of aircraft they operate.

However that doesn't mean that you can now make mobile phone calls from most aircraft as you simply won't be within range of any mobile phone masts for nearly all of the flight. So calls will only be possible on aircraft that are equipped with their own ground-to-air connections, such as BA's transatlantic executive services - but (even though travellers on those flights have access to wifi) BA still bans voice calls in order to avoid annoyance to other passengers.

See
https://www.easa.europa.eu/easa-and-you/passengers/portable-electronic-devices-ped-board
and
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29381193

[Barquentine]

Thanks. I wasn't clear. I meant - technically. I knew calls were/are restricted. My belief is cell/mobile phones would work from planes in 2001. My conspiracy-credulous friend believes they would not work form planes that long ago. Yet he believes a passenger jet could be remotely controlled in 2001 which I do not in fact believe.