No, generally, you cannot use your phone for cellular communication while the plane is airborne.
Federal regulations explicitly prohibit the use of cellular telephones while an aircraft is in the air. According to federal regulations, “cellular telephones installed in or carried aboard airplanes, balloons, or any other type of aircraft must not be operated while such aircraft are airborne (not touching the ground). When any aircraft leaves the ground, all cellular telephones on board that aircraft must be turned off.”
This means that once the plane leaves the ground, your phone's cellular service must be disabled.
