Is it true that the reason we are asked to turn off our cell phones in a plane is because we jump too many?

Question

cell towers for the phone companies to tell how many minutes we use?

Answer 1

Jeez, some of these answers come from people that know little about the wireless industry.

1. It has nothing to do with rudeness.
2. The cell phone does not get "confused" - why would the airline care if your phone got confused?
3. It has nothing to do with paying attention in an emergency.

The reason the airline does this is because of the slight possibility that a phone may interfere with the navigational systems in the airplane. No matter how slight the possibility, is it really worth that chance? This is similar to an answer I gave some time ago - so I'm going to paste that answer below since I have to leave in a couple minutes. Sara's question was a little different, but the same in some ways. As you will see by my response, her question was actually pretty rude, so please excuse my rudeness back to her!

I saw a piece on mythbusters where they attempted with very little success to make a cell phone frequency interfere with the airplane's navigational systems. However, when the frequency was turned up - I have forgotten - but to some ridiculous degree, it did interfere. It is my opinion from seeing that, that there is very little or no chance of a cell phone interfering. However, if there is any chance at all, I don't want to be on a plane with people using cell phones for that reason and for the reason that I don't want to be trapped next to 14 year old Holly jabbering with her girlfriend for the entire flight, or any other number of cell phone abusers. In any other situation I can leave - in that one, I can't.

Sara, I think you'd change your tune if your mother was on a flight that crashed and it was suspected that a cell phone interfered with the airplanes navigational system. There are certain "freedoms" as you put it, that we should never have because some people do not understand the limits of decency towards others. Can you imagine a plane thats full that leaves on Monday AM with 250 businessmen/women all jabbering on their phones? What CHAOS !!!

The airlines have made it this long without cell phones, I think they will survive on without them.

As for your answer about the cell towers, there is really no point to be made. The signal that is eminated from the tower goes out and down, not up. When you're on a plane you're going too fast and are too high up to get any signal that matters. I'm not saying you could never get a signal, but keep in mind that cell towers, generally speaking are only covering a diameter of 4-8 miles. Based on an answer I saw on Southwest Airlines, a plane can fly 530 MPH. So, with best case scenario at 530 MPH you will receive coverage (if you're low enough) and be handed to the next tower coverage from one tower in a matter of less than one minute, or 8.8 miles per minute. When you reach the edges of a "cell" - meaning the coverage given by a cell tower, that's when you drop calls. Since you are going to be a minimum of hundreds if not thousands of feet in the air, you're the furthest caller from the tower, you will be the one to drop your call first. Then you'll be screaming at your cell company that they didn't erect a cell tower in Lake Michigan or in the Atlantic Ocean.

Wireless companies rate their service by how many dropped calls they have - so usage on airplanes would also be a nightmare for them, but the airlines don't care about that, they are covering their rears in the remote possibility that a cell phone interferes with the airplane's navigational system.

The pilot's post below makes no sense - so I say again, the airlines and the cell phone industry do NOT work together. The fact that a private airline may allow cell phone usage is only because they are a small company that has made a business decision that the possibility of interference is very unlikely.

Answer 2

For all the reasons they say it is mostly because of safety.
When someone is on a cell phone they just DO NOT pay attention to anything else. I'm sure you have seen a few drivers like that or bank lines etc.
A poor cell phone may interfere with some radio transmissions or the aircraft may pick them up but that is very slight.
People are just not smart enough to pay attention in an emergency, so tell them it's dangerous for flight take off and landing and most, not all will listen. There still are a few that think they are more privileged or smarter than others and continue to bend the rules.
Besides, the airlines can charge you for using them in flight once you are underway.

Answer 3

Here is the correct answer.
In the airline industry there are a few reasons why Cell Phones are not allowed in flight, non of these reasons are because the phone will affect the navigational equipment or computers on the plane.
First, It would be very annoying if people where talking on there phones the whole flight.
second on takeoff and landing they dont let you use any electronics because of safety. If you are on your phone or listening to your I-Pod your not paying attention and if an emergency happen you might not be aware whats going on.
Cell phone companies dont want people on planes to use their cell phones because when they do get a signal at 36,000ft the signal bounces off of to many towers and the cell companies get confused on how to bill the phone.
In private flying cell phones are allowed to be used. In private jets it is not uncommon to see a passenger using his cell phone at 42,000ft if they get a signal. And it does not do anything to the plane. Only thing is might do sometimes is add a little bit of static on the radios that's it.

Answer 4

No. Phones emit frequencies that are similar to those that the pilot uses to talk to ATC (Air Traffic Control), and also similar to those which the GPS uses. Therefore, it is not because the cellphone companies can't tell how many minutes we use, but because it is a hazard and can mess up a plane's navigation and communications.
I hope I was able to help.
- Malcolm

Answer 5

Like John in the answer above, I fly a Gulfstream and there is no reason to turn your cell off...Above a certain altitude the phone gets confused as to what tower it wants to utilize. The garden variety cell phone is useless after airborne.

Answer 6

It's because you are required by FAA regulation to obey the instructions of the flight crew. Yes, they may work, but if I'm asked by the flight crew to do something, I'm going to comply. Not worth the hassle.
I carry mine with me when flying GA (General Aviation, Non-Commercial) planes, and have inadvertently left it on during a flight, and never run into problems with instruments or electronics. But, I try to remember to turn it off even then.
Hope that helps.

Answer 7

There really is no good reason for turning off cell phones. I fly and executive B727 and if I were to go back and tell the boss to turn off his cell phone I'd need to update my resume. There is absolutely no technical reason for not using cell phones such as interference with aircraft radio and navigation equipment like you hear. My belief is that they would rather you pick up the flight phone, slide your credit card through and add to their profit.

Answer 8

No, it is because sitting there for hours talking on a phone is rude. People don't have brains enough to figure that out so the airlines make you turn them off.

Answer 9

No. Cell phones are radio frequency transmitters and any radio frequency transmitter can affect the plane's instruments and radio communications.

Answer 10

It is because it can interfere with aircraft systems. I thought it was a myth until one charter I did. The guy's Blackberry was ringing and I could hear static on the radio and my instruments started going all wacky.