Howcome when are flying on a airplane that they tell u to turn off your cell phones and other mobile devices?

Question

Why is that?? Please explain.

Answer 1

This is a often misunderstood part of air-travel. This regulation was enacted by the FAA in 1991 in response to pressure from the FCC and the Cellular Phone industry.

Most airlines explain to travelers that cell phones, 2-way pagers and 'other wireless devices' are prohibited due to interference with airplane communications equipment. Though this is a possible scenario, the more important problem is what's happening down below.

In the 1980's, when cellular was in its infancy; it was possible to use your cell phone during a flight. This is because the type of towers used then could inadvertently broadcast straight up into the sky as well as the area it was intended to serve on the ground. Though things may have seemed normal to the in-flight caller, he was actually wreaking havoc on the cellular system and other callers below him. His phone has now become a very powerful, hijacking broadcasting device. He is now essentially overpowering and breaking in on everyone Else's calls on his channel within a 150-300 mile radius below his flight. You could imagine how this would affect callers while he is going over a city like Chicago or New York...

Also, earlier cellular systems weren't designed for this type of situation. Frequently, air callers could shut down entire cellular systems below them before safeguards were implemented.

Even though cell phones from the 1980's are long gone, the FAA has decided to keep this regulation in place as an overall precaution to prevent any accidental interference both in the plane and on the ground.

Hope this answers your question!

Answer 2

Cellphones or other mobile devices use radio frequencies for their communications. There are chances that these frequencies might interfere with other electronic devices in the airplane and cause them to degrade in functionality. (For example, place your cellphone near your PC monitor and make it ring. You can see the PC monitor flickering, that is EMI, Electromagnetic Interference)

Usually all avionics systems are tested for EMI, however, airlines dont want to take any chances, so they try to shut down all possible interference sources. It is mostly for your safety.

Answer 3

Cell phones do not bother aircraft avionics in the least. Like every executive aircraft flying, our passengers rarely hang up their phones. Ever since the boss got his first cell phone a decade ago I've had not one abnormal incident with the avionics and he uses it a ton. I'm convinced that the airlines don't want you using your cell phone so you'll pick up that phone in the back of the seat in front of you and slide in your credit card.

Answer 4

Airplanes are controlled using electronic signals. They don't want mobile devices that transmit other electronic signals from accidentally interfering with the electronic signals used to fly the airplane.