The specialist explained whether this poses a danger to people.
Flying by plane is one of the safest modes of transportation. Although some steps during a flight may seem routine or unnecessary, each of them is important for the safety of passengers and crew. At the same time, a pilot with the nickname PerchPoint explained why it is important to switch your phone to “airplane mode” and what happens if you don’t, according to Express.
“It’s just a friendly warning that the airplane mode button is not a conspiracy. If you forget to put your phone in airplane mode, it’s not the end of the world, the plane won’t fall from the sky, and it won’t even affect the systems on board,” he said.
At the same time, the pilot advises not to ignore this procedure, as there is still a risk of danger.
“This may interfere with your headphones. If there are 70, 80 or 150 people on the plane, and even three or four people start trying to communicate with the radio tower for an incoming call, this causes radio waves to emit. There is a possibility that these radio waves can interfere with the headphones that pilots use, ” the pilot explained.
He also shared his experience of such incidents and noted that the headphones produced an annoying sound that “resembled the buzzing of a mosquito.”
“No, it’s not the end of the world, but it’s quite annoying when you’re trying to write instructions and there’s a buzzing wasp or something like that around you. So if you’ve ever wondered why you need to turn on airplane mode, here’s why,” the expert emphasized.
At the same time, the travel website Travel and Leisure also commented on this issue:
“When smartphones and other devices first appeared, it was discovered that mobile phones that are not in airplane mode can overload landline networks, especially during takeoff and landing, as the phones try to connect to multiple towers simultaneously.”
They noted that it has not been thoroughly researched how much impact phones have on aviation technology, but pilots have reported hearing background noise and interference from phones during flights, especially during landings.
“So, while your phone may occasionally work during a flight, do you really want to distract the pilot as they communicate with air traffic control to ensure a safe landing?”, the website concluded.
In turn, Lovely Planet reported that pilots and flight attendants use devices directly in the cockpit, which gives them access to digital maps and documents.
However, compared to passengers, these devices have been thoroughly tested to ensure that they do not interfere with the aircraft’s systems.
