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Phones in flight

eric/

eric/

Guest
Original poster
Sep 19, 2011
1,681
22
Ohio, United States
Dord anybody actually turn their phone off on airlines? I do, but get the feeling that other people don't. I was wondering because I overheard a conversation between a couple of people while flying today and they were talking about how they never do. I doubt it has an effect, but because I'm not sure I just do it.

Thoughts?
 
eric/ said:
Dord anybody actually turn their phone off on airlines? I do, but get the feeling that other people don't. I was wondering because I overheard a conversation between a couple of people while flying today and they were talking about how they never do. I doubt it has an effect, but because I'm not sure I just do it.

Thoughts?
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I don't think it has any effect on the plane, its more a common curtesy not to talk during a flight.
 
MacNut said:
I don't think it has any effect on the plane, its more a common curtesy not to talk during a flight.
Click to expand...

There have been instances of electronics interfering with the aircraft. It's rare and hard to replicate, but it has happened.

One time on an international flight, someone turned their phone on and the plane on autopilot entered a small bank. The pilots had no idea what was going on until the phone was discovered. They brought the phone into the cockpit and when they turned it off, the plane resumed normal operations. Turned it on, the plane would bank again. Turned it off, normal, on it would bank again. The FAA took the same make and model aircraft and did a test, but could not replicate the issue.

A professor at my university used to fly for the airlines and when a passenger kept an electronic device( forgot if it was a phone or laptop) on during takeoff, her navigation instruments threw up inoperative flags. Device turned off and the equipment came back online again.
 
I keep mine on regular mode for short fights less than an hour but any longer flights I turn it to airplane mode so it won't search for towers through the whole flight and waste battery. Either way, I never turn my electronics fully off.
 
The funny thing is I just bought a Lumia 900, and it interferes with headphones plugged into it, when I'm listening to music sometimes I can hear the buzz of interference through the earphones.
 
If phones could take down an airplane, then Al Qaeda would just arm their people with cell phones, which would then result in the TSA banning cell phones from planes.

But there's no reason to not turn it off or on flight mode. You're not going to get a signal at altitude anyways, so might as well save your battery. Although I have forgotten turn off flight mode a time or two and lived to tell about it.
 
RF is a fickle thing. It may cause issues, and it may not. However, there is no way to tell until it is too late. I turn my electronics off completely, every time. Mostly because, if they ask you to, why should you argue? Your phones not going to do you any good at altitude. Why go against what they're saying? It's even technically illegal. "FAA Regulations require that you follow all crew member instructions and all lighted signs and placards." If anything, its a bonus. Your phone isn't on at all, unless you use it as an iPod or to watch movies. It just don't see the argument.

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heehee said:
I'm pretty sure if you are on edge, it effects electronics. Set your phone to edge mode and bring it close to your landline or TV, it makes a funny sound.
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Yes. Edge will interfere with certain electronics, usually speakers.
 
Interestingly, the pre-flight instructions often tell passengers to turn off their phones, which isn't the same as putting an iPhone in airplane mode and pressing the top button.

I've never tried to make a call during flight, but others have successfully, including on 9/11/01, IIRC. I think that the issue with cell service is not so much the altitude but rather the ground speed, which would cause the call to switch towers more frequently.
 
I just put my smartphone onto Aeroplane mode, which is what the the flight attendants instruct at the start of the flight anyway.
 
I refuse to believe that a piece of equipment as robust and sophisticated as a multimillion dollar aircraft can't operate with a cell phone turned on.

Think about all of the electronics in your home - remote controls, televisions, computers, cameras, microwave ovens, security alarms - all of these function just fine around cell phones. But an aircraft can't? Sorry, I'm not buying it.
 
I always go into airplane mode, but never fully off.

I will rue the day that they ever decide that cell phones on a plane are OK. That's a few hours at a time I don't have to hear someone yakking away on it.
 
samiwas said:
I always go into airplane mode, but never fully off.

I will rue the day that they ever decide that cell phones on a plane are OK. That's a few hours at a time I don't have to hear someone yakking away on it.
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You don't have to worry since at those altitudes, you won't get a signal. Go ahead and try it, keep your cell phone on and see if you get a signal at cruising altitude, you won't. And the plane won't crash either ;)

Even if you could get a signal, at the speeds you're flying at, you'll be switching towers so fast the cellular network infrastructure won't be able to keep up and you won't be able to reliably make a call. Maybe you could send/receive texts since they're short and quick, but no way would you be able to sustain a call for any length of time.

I was worried with WiFi on planes, people would start using VoIP, but I think the airlines do a pretty good job of blocking VoIP services.
 
yg17 said:
You don't have to worry since at those altitudes, you won't get a signal. Go ahead and try it, keep your cell phone on and see if you get a signal at cruising altitude, you won't. And the plane won't crash either ;)

Even if you could get a signal, at the speeds you're flying at, you'll be switching towers so fast the cellular network infrastructure won't be able to keep up and you won't be able to reliably make a call. Maybe you could send/receive texts since they're short and quick, but no way would you be able to sustain a call for any length of time.

I was worried with WiFi on planes, people would start using VoIP, but I think the airlines do a pretty good job of blocking VoIP services.
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Do planes use satellite internet for their WiFi?
 
Sometimes I forget to turn my phone into flight mode. I never turn it completely off though. Anyways, I don't think it has any impact at all. It could be a difference if everyone would forget it...
 
Tomorrow said:
I refuse to believe that a piece of equipment as robust and sophisticated as a multimillion dollar aircraft can't operate with a cell phone turned on.

Think about all of the electronics in your home - remote controls, televisions, computers, cameras, microwave ovens, security alarms - all of these function just fine around cell phones. But an aircraft can't? Sorry, I'm not buying it.
Click to expand...
Your home also doesn't critically operate at 30000 feet on navigational and radio systems and potentially have 450 additional radio personal transmitters active to interfere with it. My phone interfers with my radio in my car when it goes off. I understand what you're trying to convey but I think your analogy is a little off.
 
I only do it to save battery life for long flights otherwise I just leave it on. I use my touch and iPad for music etc.
 
I use Airplane mode despite the attendants saying "completely off". It doesn't make sense to shut down further than Airplane mode.

I've also heard that although the FAA is more or less responsible with enforcing the rule, it is really an FCC issue/concern (perhaps related to the issue mentioned above of frequently switching towers)?
 
No I browse the internet using 3G on my iPad during flights. The connection is a little choppy, but I can get some sort of signal most of the time.
 
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