what would happen if you really used your cell phone on an airplane (say during takeoff/landing or midflight)?

Answer 1

The snakes would get you!!

Answer 2

The fact is, and I am speaking fact here from experience on test flights that cell phones at best interfere with communication systems, providing an annoying sound in the pilots headsets. I also have first hand knowledge of cell phones activating false fire warning on aircraft when they have been put in checked luggage and they transmit looking for a station but the interference causes a false warning causing the pilot to land immediately. Very expensive and very disruptive and not without risk.

The most critical time in the flight is on landing in low visibility conditions where the pilot is relying only on the navigation system to bring the aircraft to the runway, in some cases depending on the aircraft the pilot won't see the runway before he has actually landed, any interference is a risk.

The main reasons cell phones have not been allowed is that the amount of testing required would be huge, every seat would need to be tested since behind the panels many many wires are running all over the airplane, in addition to that every frequency and type of phone would need to be checked, the cost to the airlines would be huge and the fact is that once you have got to cruising altitude you wont get a signal anyway !!!

So turn them off

Answer 3

Actually the idea the instruments would be effected is remote if any at all.
A hand held calculator can even move a compass if held close enough.
The one other reason is that in an emergency and the plane had to stop, a cell phone or any loose object could become a flying projectile in the cabin. That is why we are suppose to secure all items.
Saying that a lot of people do not pay attention because they are on their cell phones. Banks, theatres, and restaurants to name a few, where people are inconsiderate and pay absolutely no attention to the surroundings. I can go on about driving........
It is critical that we are able to pay attention on take off and landing as this is the most probable time an emergency will occur.

Answer 4

Not a darn thing!

I work for a large company that has a small fleet of corporate jets and fly on them occasionally. The pilots all know that the rumors that cell phones can interfere with aviation are pure bunk and scare tactics perpetuated by the Airphone service to get you to pay $10.00 a minute for in-flight phone calls. We are free to use our cell phones any time we care to and not a dang thing happens!

Cell phones never have interfered with aviation and never could. The frequencies used by cell phones are nowhere near the aviation frequencies.

That said, once you're above about 5,000 feet AGL or so the phones go dead. The cell tower signals are aimed horizontally towards the ground in order to get better signal propogation where most cell phones are used.

The airlines are actually rushing to install equipment that will eventually allow you to use your cell phone in-flight. If there were any real chance of interference they would never dream of such a thing.

Answer 5

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Cell phones don't have enough power to interfere with communication/navigation systems and are on a different frequency. They certainly won't cause an aircraft to crash.

Carrying cell phones on small aircraft is recommended by air traffic control so you can phone the tower if your radio doesn't work. Large aircraft have basically the same electronic systems (VHF comm, GPS, etc) and wouldn't be affected any differently.

I have worked on Boeing 737s and 757s while systems were being tested with people talking on their cell phones in the plane and nothing has happened.

I think it is so people aren't distracted if the aircraft needs to be evacuated after a rejected takeoff or emegency landing.

Answer 6

Probably not anything to the plane, but some airplane systems are sensitive to other signals. The passengers on flight 93 and probably others used their cell phones to tell they were being hijacked. The planes crashed, but not because of cellphone use. The primary reason not to use a cellphone in the air is you will be using bandwidth from every cell tower in range.

Answer 7

Certain cell phone frequencies can have an impact on some aircraft navigation equipment.

The effect is limited, and only caused by a few frequencies. The effort and expense to certify which cell phones are safe, and which ones are not, is significant. So, banning all cell phones in flight is the cheapest, safest way to go.

Answer 8

Generally nothing, except your cell phone would be more likely to interfere with more bandwidth on the ground because it has access to more towers. Most instrumentation in airplanes is safeguarded from cell phone signals.

Mostly it's paranoia propoganda, like they use in hospitals to prevent cell phone use.

Answer 9

It is thought to interfere with the airplane's instruments. I don't think it would immediately cause the plane to crash, but if the pilots are relying on those instruments it might be dangerous.

Answer 10

Probably nothing, more than likely just a scam to use the onboard (expensive) phones on the planes.

Answer 11

Nobody knows. Nothing could happen, or the signals could interfere with the aircrafts avionics and cause the aircraft to crash