If he did that as a hobbyist and got it to work, he could have made a fortune working at the likes of Nokia. Typically their IrDA modems needed a clear and sustained line of sight, no bright lights, the correct sequence to establish a handshake (granted the plane would be one way traffic) and a waning moon to function.
To pull that off on a moving plane outside in the sunshine? I'm unconvinced...
Biting the hand that feeds IT
