what will exactly happen if i use my mobile phone during flight?

Question

i am just curiouis as to what is the effect of the mobile phones during a flight?

Answer 1

There is a very small chance that the radio frequency emissions from the phone might interfere with various of the aircraft systems, though to my knowledge that has never actually happened. Doesn't mean it hasn't, just that I've never heard a credible report. Other electronic devices have been found to interfere, mostly things that aren't supposed to transmit significant energy.

Then there's the legal side. If you use a cellular phone on a commercial aircraft, when you have been directed not to, you may be deemed, by the crew, to be interfering with the safe operation of the aircraft. At that point they may restrain you, like tie you up, then deliver you into the hands of federal officers who will charge you with federal felonies for both the interference and the illegal operation of an ground to ground radio system. Cell phones aren't licensed for air to ground use. The FCC, if they can be bothered, often look at fines in the $10,000 area for illegal radio operation.

Mostly you'll just get told off and everyone will think you are an arrogant idiot. There's little practical chance of affecting the aircraft or irritating the crew and other passengers to the point where you'll end up in chains.

By the way, there's no reason it shouldn't work if you are next to a window with a suitable phone. 5 miles is nothing much, the limits on TDMA cell coverage are defined by terrain, round trip delay and Doppler shift. The Doppler effect limits the speed directly towards or away from the cell tower to around 100mph for 1800/1900MHz TDMA and around 200mph for 850/900MHz TDMA. GSM has a fixed maximum range of 25 miles, CDMA will do nearer 35-40. 5 miles up isn't a problem, but the antenna arrays have a flat pattern, so not much energy is heading towards aircraft.

Aircraft phones use satellite links, so they don't have the same issues. That's how folks had no trouble calling in on 9/11.

Answer 2

nothing, you will just rob the airline of the opportunity of charging you more for using the on-board phone. When flying at full altitude, you are too far away from the transmitters to use the phone anyway. Airlines claim in their in-plane announcements that this prohibition is due to possible interference with aircraft radio communications.

Shut-off mobile phones do not interfere with aircraft avionics. The nuisance of telephones during take off and landing, is that they disrupt the ground mobile telephone networks as they attempt connection to the ground base stations.

In a similar vein, signs are put up in UK petrol stations prohibiting the use of mobile phones, due to possible safety issues. But static electricity on a shell suit is more dangerous than a phones discharge.

It is illegal to install or use jamming devices that prevent mobile phones from being used, and very few organisations are silly enough to break the law and do so.

It is, however, legal to screen buildings so that mobile phones won't work. In fact, the solar control film used in some building does this very well. Virgin trains have discovered this problem on their latest rolling stock, where combined with interference from the train's motors, it is hard to make or receive a call, even though Virgin provide sockets to plug your phone's charger into!

Answer 3

it will depend on the frequency of the phone. while most cellphone frequencies wont have any affect on the plane, particular phones may interfere with navigational instruments. airlines do not want to take any risks so they say it's best to ban cell phones all together (a decision which i perfectly agree with). having your VOR off by even a few degrees in heavy fog during final approach doesn't sound too appealing 0_0

Answer 4

Theoretically, it can interfere with navigation instruments. They are most concerned with them interfering with the equipment used to make instrument approaches (when you're coming in for a landing, they may be using gauges that tell them where on the glide slope they are and/or if they are aligned with the runway center line)

I to have used my cell phone while flying using VOR navigation. No problems at all. I don't plan on shooting an instrument approach (or any for that matter) as PIC while talking on a cell :)

Answer 5

A friend of mine is a commercial pilot and he uses his all the time at lower altitudes over cities. He says that cell phones won't do anything. They don't want you using them because at 30,000 feet you will be dropping calls all the time if you phone call can't jump to the next cell site("Hello.... can you hear me.... Hello...?"). You get the point.

Answer 6

Here's what happens: Nothing. Literally nothing. You can't get signal coverage at those altitudes and wont be able to make or receive calls. You are also travelling between cells so fast that the system would not even be able to keep up anyway.

In theory the signals your cell phone emits can interfere with navigation instruments, and its DEFINITELY true that they interfere with ATC communications (I've seen that one).

Answer 7

I don't know if it is true or not, but I have heard that the waves required to use your phone can interfere with the plane's electronic systems. I doubt that you will crash, but it might make the pilot think you are at another altitude or something similar to that.

Answer 8

999,999,999 times out of a billion... Nothing.

Once in a billion times, the plane will burst into flames, and fall to earth in a fiery ball, and you and everyone else on board will be burn to a cinder and DIE!

Do you really want to take the chance that yours is that once-in-a-billion flight?

Besides, it's a violation of Federal law to use a cell phone in an aircraft while it is in flight. You could be fined, or even go to jail!

Answer 9

Actually nothing. Unless you have a specific air phone (iinstalled on the plane) above about 4000' it will not work any way as you are ABOVE the towers.
Unless you count the legal trouble you will be in.
Doing so breaks both FAA and FCC rules (LAWS)

Answer 10

People do it all the time, so nothing (bad) happens. However you likely won't get it to work above 3,000 feet. Kind of makes you wonder how they placed all those calls from hijacked airliners on 9-11, doesn't it?