The digital technology currently in use is much more advanced than some of the older analog technologies we used even 60 years ago. Technology has advanced a great dealĪviation navigation and communication relies on radio services, which has been coordinated to minimize interference since the 1920s. Laptops can become projectiles in an emergency, as the seat back pockets are not strong enough to contain them.Īnd mobile phones need to be set to flight mode so they can’t cause an emergency for the airplane, right? Well, it depends whom you ask. Tray tables need to be stowed and seats upright so we can get out of the row quickly. Now, the first four are reasonable, right? Window shades need to be up so we can see if there’s an emergency, such as fire. So be sensible, and double-check all your devices are on airplane mode before take-off.We all know the routine by heart: “Please ensure your seats are in the upright position, tray tables stowed, window shades are up, laptops are stored in the overhead bins and electronic devices are set to flight mode.” Here’s the thing: one of the reasons why aviation is safer than getting in your car, crossing the street, or even just staying at home (more people are casualties of toilet-related incidents than aviation accidents!) is that airlines and their regulators work with an abundance of caution. Some even blatantly ignore the rules, assuming that their vital email on that BlackBerry isn’t going to make their plane start to plummet. Some forget that they’ve packed one of those devices in the overhead bin. Some folks don’t know that their Kindle even has 3G, or that the Bluetooth on their watch/headphones/other device counts as needing to be in airplane mode. In a way, the fact that planes haven’t fallen out of the sky willy-nilly because someone left their Kindle on is the best demonstration that, for the most part, most devices don’t affect most planes.īut most isn’t good enough for aviation. ©Chun photographer/Shutterstock What happens if I don't put my phone on airplane mode?įor years, safety regulators, airlines, aircraft manufacturers and everyone else in the industry has known that there are dozens of devices left out of airplane mode on every flight. Pretty much every airliner-equipment combo operated by a major international airline has now been tested.Į-readers, tablets and even headphones can all have airplane modes too. Part of that testing process is creating enough electromagnetic interference to represent an entire cabin full of devices of a variety of sizes, including some that are malfunctioning. How’d we find out that specific combination of planes and monitors - and fix it? During the rigorous testing process to enable airlines to offer inflight internet, that’s how. Read more: How to get the most out of your devices while travellingīut that hasn’t always been the case! In fact, back in 2011, some parts within specific models of flight deck screen on certain Boeing 737 aircraft proved to be susceptible to interference. All those devices have been tested extensively to make sure there’s no interference. You’ll see flight attendants using tablets and big phones too, either instead of or in addition to those reams and reams of dot-matrix printed paperwork. These days, you’ll even see iPads and other tablets in the flight deck, which pilots use to store paperwork instead of lugging around big bags with actual paper in. Since some planes were built before these became a thing, it took a while for the industry to make sure it was entirely safe to use them. We’re asked to turn our devices off or to flight mode because of electromagnetic interference from phones, tablets, e-readers, electronic headsets, and more. Now almost all devices have an airplane mode instead but what is airplane mode and what happens if you forget to turn it on? Why do we have to put our phones on flight mode? It’s not that long ago that airlines stopped telling passengers to keep their mobile phones, tablets, e-readers and other devices turned off throughout the flight.
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