Here’s the real reason to turn on airplane mode when you’re flying



CNN

We all know the routine by heart: “Please make sure your seats are upright, tables are cleared, window shades are up, laptops are stored on high shelves, and electronic devices are in flight mode.”

So the first four are reasonable, right? The curtains on the windows must be pulled up so that we can see if there is an emergency, such as a fire. Tray tables should be cleared and seats should be upright so we can get out of the row quickly. Laptops can become projectiles in an emergency, as the seat back pockets aren’t strong enough to hold them.

And cell phones need to be put in flight mode so they can’t cause an emergency on the plane, right? Well, it depends who you ask.

Aeronautical navigation and communications rely on radio communications services that are coordinated to minimize interference. since the 1920s.

The digital technology currently in use is much more advanced than some of the older analog technology we used even 60 years ago. Studies have shown that personal electronic devices can emit a signal in the same frequency band as on-board communication and navigation systems, creating so-called electromagnetic interference.

But in 1992 US Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing, independent learning, investigated the use of electronic devices to combat aircraft interference and found no problems with computers or other personal electronic devices during non-critical phases of flight. (Takes and landings are considered critical.)

The US Federal Communications Commission has also begun creating reserved frequency bands for various purposes such as mobile phones, aviation navigation and communications so that they do not interfere with each other. Governments around the world have developed the same strategies and policies to prevent aircraft interference problems. In the EU, electronic devices have been allowed to stay since 2014.

Why then, when these global standards are in place, does the aviation industry continue to ban the use of mobile phones? One of the problems is that you might not expect – Earth intervention

Wireless networks are connected by a series of towers; networks can be congested if all passengers flying over these terrestrial networks use their phones. number of passengers flying in 2021 amounted to more than 2.2 billion people, and this is half the number of passengers in 2019. The wireless companies may be right here.

Of course, when it comes to mobile networks, the biggest change in recent years is the transition to a new standard. Existing 5G wireless networks, desirable due to higher data rates, are a concern for many in the aviation industry.

RF bandwidth is limited, but we are still trying to add more devices to it. The aviation industry notes that 5G Wireless Bandwidth Spectrum very close to the reserved aeronautical frequency band, which could lead to interference with navigation systems near airports helping to land the plane.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 01: A United Airlines plane passes American Airlines jets at the airfield at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on October 1, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.  United Airlines and American Airlines are set to start laying off 32,000 employees today after talks in Washington over a new coronavirus aid package failed.  (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Airline executives are worried about your cell phone’s 5G network. That’s Why (2021)

Airport operators in Australia And United States There have been concerns about aviation security related to the deployment of 5G, however it appears to have been deployed without such issues. in the European Union. In any case, it is wise to limit the use of mobile phones on airplanes while issues related to 5G are resolved.

Most airlines currently provide pay-as-you-go or free Wi-Fi services to customers. With new Wi-Fi technologies, passengers could theoretically use their mobile phones to make video calls with friends or clients in flight.

On a recent flight, I spoke to a flight attendant and asked her opinion about using your phone while flying. She stated that it would be inconvenient for flight attendants to wait for passengers to finish their conversation to ask them if they would like any drinks or something to eat. On an airliner with more than 200 passengers, in-flight service would take longer if everyone was on the phone.

For me, the issue with using phones on an in-flight has more to do with the social experience of having over 200 people on the plane, all of them potentially talking at the same time. At a time when aggressive passenger behavior, including “air rage”, is becoming more frequent, in-flight phone use could be another trigger that will change the entire flight experience.

Destructive behavior takes many forms, from non-compliance with safety requirements such as not wearing seat belts, verbal altercations with other passengers and flight attendants, to physical altercations with passengers and flight attendants that are commonly defined as air rage.

In conclusion, the use of phones in flight currently does not affect the ability to operate the aircraft. But flight attendants may prefer not to delay serving all the passengers in flight – there are a lot of people to serve.

However, 5G technology is invading the radio frequency band of aviation navigation systems; we need more research to answer 5G issue on interference with aircraft navigation during landing. Remember that when we are discussing the two most important phases of a flight, takeoffs are optional and landings are mandatory.