You’ll be familiar with the process of getting on a plane and being asked to switch off your mobile phone or electronic device or put it on flight mode. And diligently, we do it. Unless you’re the person who doesn’t in which case, I’m the one giving you evils across the aisle.
The thing is, most of us aren’t really sure why we have to do that and what could happen if we don’t. Which is why we spoke to Captain Pete Terry and asked him all about it. But before you start he was keen to say this: ‘I have to emphasise that the risk is highly remote, it’s not something that’s going to happen every single time or something that you should worry about. It’s purely in the interests of safety, in the unlikely event.’
What is flight mode?
‘Flight mode actually stops any signals going out from your mobile device. The idea behind it is that in the earlier days with some aeroplanes which were perhaps vulnerable it was decided that mobile phones, personal electronic devices (PEDs) and so on, would not be used on board aircraft.
‘In more recent times more investigation is being done in this particular area and you’ll find that the majority of carriers, not all, but the majority now permit you to use your mobile phone and obviously you can use it with those companies which have WiFi onboard and they tell you when you can and cannot. Generally as a precaution those companies that permit you to use it ask you to turn them off either completely or in aeroplane mode in takeoff and landing, just in case.’
What’s the danger?
‘In the unlikely event that it does do something, it could upset the navigation facilities of the aircraft. Those things which are worked electronically and in the past there has been some reports – I mean quite some time ago – that this might have happened. As a product of that, even cabin crew when they take your food and drinks order, they use a PED and that has to be certified to be used on board the aircraft.
‘The manufacturers themselves were never satisfied that this was proven but in the interest of safety on the basis that it might have happened, the National Aviation Authority said don’t do it. And now they’ve come around having discussed it with the manufacturers of various aeroplanes and have satisfied themselves that the likelihood of it happening is highly remote. But in the interest of the highly remote occasion, they say on takeoff and landing not to have them on or put them on flight mode.’
‘Nowadays, most of the modern airplanes are well protected; the manufacturers will give advice and it’s up to the airline and the National Aviation Authority to decide whether or not mobile phones, etc can be used on board the aircraft. You will find that each company will have it’s own particular policy.’
Why is it usually during takeoff and landing?
‘Because you’re close to the ground. It’s a maneuver on take off and a maneuver on landing so if something were to interrupt the navigational facilities it could be more dramatic or more risky than if it happened in the cruise.
‘If something inadvertent happened, what you don’t want is confusion to reign supposing there were some flight control input which was not expected by the flight crew, then how do they control it? How do they overcome it? In the very remote situation of it happening at a very critical phase of takeoff and landing, of course it’s best to be on the safe side.’
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.