why do you REALLY have to turn off iPods on aeroplanes?

Question

I was on a flight from Belfast to London recently, and although a short flight, I do it a lot and like to listen to audiobooks during the flight. I was told to turn it off because it might interfere with the plane's bits! Surely it's not a transmitting device - so what is the real answer?

Answer 1

It is to keep everything consistent, airline's like to keep things simple. The reason, is for your safety, so you can hear the emergency announcements in the unlikely event that there is an emergency. Not all passengers know how an ipod works, and if you tell the guy next to you to turn off his cell phone, but don't tell you to turn off your ipod... then we'll probably have some drama. So in order to keep it consistent everyone must turn off 'all' electronic devises. In you case with it being a short flight, they are not going to anyone use their electronic devises because by the time you get it out, it's time to put it away... because take off and landing are the most likely times that you will have an emergency and need to be able to hear the crew members instructions. Also, the flight attendant most likely knew the real reason , but wanted to keep the answer short and sweet and move one. I doubt she/he did it to be rude, but just to save her/himself from the sake of argument.

Answer 2

No portable electronic devices are allowed to be operating when the aircraft is in flying IFR (instrument flight rules). Airliners are alwas on an IFR flight plan. There are some devices that do interfere with the navigation equipment and some that dont. But to make it easy, the FAA just says ALL. I dont know about you but I'd be happy to turn my ipod off for takeoff of landing in the clouds. Not to happy about the idea of running into a mountain.

One time I accidently left my cell phone on on a personal IFR flight. I kept hearing the weird buzz over the radio. Turned out that happened every time I received a call.

Answer 3

iPods generate very little, if any electromagnetic fields outside and it is almost unconceivable that it will interfere with anything. (the same can not be said with cell-phones and simple radios)

But, remember, the airline is responsible for multi-hundred million dollar piece of equipment and hundreds of lives. In order for them to say, it is safe to be used, they have to certify each model, and each production year for it might change. It is simply too cost prohibitive to do so. It also mean, they have to have an extensive list of approved equipment also.

In addtion, take offs and landings are the most dangerous part of the flight as there is no margin of safety afforded by height. Should something happen, the crew needs every bit of your attention without worrying about you may not hear it for your earphones and music.

Plus, it shouldn't be too much of burden to turn it off for few minutes or few hours for exchange in preventing even a remote possibility of catastrophic problems.

Answer 4

I went to Barcelona from London this year, and had my iPod on for a good hour, and no one told me to turn it off, and a few other people had iPod's as well. I suppose different planes require you to turn off all electronic devices, like Gameboys, and whatnot.

I think there is some kind of magnetic field on the iPod or something like that which interferes with the engines or something, that or the cabin crew are spiteful.

Answer 5

Ok, obviously no one watches the news. There was a recent terror plot that was foiled. They were gonna detonate toothpaste tubes filled with explosives with the electrical shock from a small device such as an iPod. Once this was discovered, no liquids of any form were allowed on planes, and people were told to turn off their electronic devices.

Answer 6

No, you don't have to.

Firstly, your iPod is not a transmitter device of any kind. Its a common misconception that ANY electronic device can cause interference with an aircraft's equipment.

Secondly, you won't be anywhere near the sensitive parts, since they are all adequately shielded from external electro-magnetic interferences.

Generally, to really cause interference with the aircraft's electronics, your handheld devices needs to be operating at a really high frequency or one that is strong enough to override the signal strength of the one in use by the aircraft. That's why most of the cables on an aircraft are all covered in thick and heavy insulation.
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P.S: I have tried using an iPod during a sortie, and nothing happened. It was intentionally left on during my take-off and landing sequence and nothing was amiss.

Hope this will give you a peace of mind and dispel any wrong ideas.

Answer 7

Although studies have been done related to electronics devices on airplanes, airlines still tell the passengers to turn off all electronic devices as a precaution. They do this in order to prevent any sort of dinterference, regardless of the determined risk of such electronic units.

Answer 8

confident you will desire to instruct off your Ipod. Ipods, hand-held video games, and greater would desire to be became off whilst the cabin doorways are close till they inform you it is okay to deliver them lower back out. via fact all digital gadgets provide off radio waves, it could rather intervene with the planes pc, inflicting an blunders. Planes are designed to %. up the smallest, and faintest radio waves and alerts, which incorporate from ipods, even interior the final row. The navigation and flight administration desktops are the desktops that are the clarification why they are banned at takeoff and landing. i understand that could be a stupid rule, even though it is enforced in all airways. if your ipod desires a cellular sign for besides the fact that reason, bypass away it off.

Answer 9

A device with a spinning disk or drive creates a magnetic field maybe a small one but it may throw off ILS or compass. 3 degrees can translate to 100 miles off over 1000 mile trip.

Answer 10

During Take-offs and Landings only... just like any other electrical equipment.

They think it may interfere with instruments on the flight deck