Why do you have to turn your phone off on an airplane?

Answer 1

"Talking on cellphones or using laptops on an airplane could disrupt cockpit operations, especially global positioning devices that are increasingly being used to help land planes safely, according to a new study.

Researchers monitoring flights in the Northeast found that several cellphone calls are typically made on commercial flights during takeoff or final approach, two critical flight stages when accidents could occur." - USA Today

There are new cell phones that have "air plane mode" that supposedly will not interfere. Most airlines are not allowing them because you can't tell by looking at them that they are safe. Eventually this will probably be standard in all cell phones and will be allowed.

Answer 2

There is a very minor chance you can interfere with our instruments and radios. The cells just don't put out that much power. True reason is, the law does not allow cell phones because of antenna height. A cell phone antenna can only be so high, say 100 feet (you'll have to find out what the real number is), and in an aircraft you are much higher. In an airliner, your effective antenna height is 35,000 feet or so, far beyond what is allowed under law. Beside which, I can't get mine to work from my own airplane. I'm going past the cells too quickly for the phone to lock in.

Answer 3

Because Way Back When, The Phones and the airplane equipment was pretty crappy, and would interfere with the cockpit. But now, airplane equipment is more advanced, and is a lot harder to interfere with, and phones are more hi-tech and wont broadcast on the same frequency. So I think its just the FCC making sure noting bad will happen.

Answer 4

Oh my lord I can not believe those answers. Cell phones operate on a totally different frequency than ATC. ATC and navigation operate at 108 - 151.975 Mhz so even if the harmonics from a cell phone were to be present when the pilot was transmitting it would be next to impossible for it to interfere with communications. Navigations and Comm systems are electrically shielded to prevent such intereference. The probablity of a cell phone actually causing a problem with an aircraft are slim to none.

Answer 5

No reason other than to save the airline money. The cell phone DOES NOT interfere with communications in modern airliners where the wires are protected against electromagnetic interference. The airline
1: Doesn't want to spend the money to update their older fleets and they are afraid of LAWSUITS if there is a crash.
2: They really don't know how a cell-phone will affect flight, but they aren't going to take any chances.
3: Laptops, which CANNOT connect to the internet while in a plane cause absolutely NO INTERFERENCE at all,
4: Airlines don't want to lose their cut of the planephones.

HOWEVER, it is still the policy for most airlines that you not use your cell phone, and while policy, you may not do it. It is a violation of federal law to ignore airline regulations.

Answer 6

It's really very simple, the Federal Aviation Regulations (Title 14) part 91.21 says that it is illegal to use portable electronic devices unless it has been proved to NOT cause interference. This means that a test has to be done for each device to allow it's use.
I've used my cell phone in a helicopter cockpit in flight and it did indeed cause interference on my EFIS. (okay, so it was a 10 year old EFIS 40)

The other answer is "Can you imagine sitting next to a loud mud pump salesman all the way from LA to DC while he works the phone?"

Phones on airplanes - bad plan

Answer 7

Talking on cellphones or using laptops on an airplane could disrupt cockpit operations, especially global positioning devices that are increasingly being used to help land planes safely, according to a new study.

Researchers monitoring flights in the Northeast found that several cellphone calls are typically made on commercial flights during takeoff or final approach, two critical flight stages when accidents could occur.

Answer 8

Interesting question, Cellphone use would be taken away from us instantly if it was proved to be a danger to airline communications. The radio spectrum is different than is used by our Cellphones. Also radio signals can be detected by emitting signals from your cell phone, so just don't use it on the Airplane. Unless it an Air Emergency!

Answer 9

Supposedly it messes with the communication between the pilot and the tower. Some say it screws with the instruments in the cockpit. I believe none of the above has actually been proven. But I can live with my phone being off for a while.

Answer 10

Real reason?

It is so people pat attention during the critical phases of flight.
Take off and landing.
Also if the plane had a bump then the hand held unit would go flying.
Could you imagine an emergency and half the people were on the phone?