You are a little anarchist. They tell you to switch to airplane mode and you just…no. Maybe you’re going to send the last slack; maybe you decide not to take over the PTO and you’re in the middle of a Zoom call; maybe you just don’t like being told what to do. Either way, you are not alone. The 2017 Allianz Travel Insurance Survey of more than 1,500 Americans in 2017 found that sometimes 40% of people sometimes skip airplane mode. Nearly 14% say they are already sneaking in on-flight phone calls or text messages.
But is this even important? If the phone is a threat to aviation, won’t the Transport Security Administration seize your smartphone instead of the water bottle you forgot in your backpack? After all, there is no catastrophic event directly caused by someone’s facial period. Is Airplane mode just another outdated travel ritual in the era of flipped the phone, such as applause landing? (Maybe we should restore that…)
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Deep black truth
Your phone is a small thing to do when it’s left to your own device. It keeps sticking to the cell tower, looking for connections. On the ground, this is not a big deal. In the air, these pings can interfere with the cockpit radio, creating a constant buzz in the pilot’s headphones, like mosquitoes in their ears. It’s just a little annoying, not a problem, except you’re bothering those who want to know, I don’t know, Landing plane.
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According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the use of airborne phones is prohibited because it may disrupt the radio altimeter, which helps pilots measure altitude. This is especially important during takeoff and landing. A single phone won’t ruin much, but a cabin full of them is the secret to a pilot’s noise pollution and irritation. In the United States, there is a greater focus, where 5G operates on frequencies close to the use of radio altimeters. In the UK and the EU, some airlines allow 5G to use in-flight aircraft because their network operates differently.
There is also a basic awareness factor. Emergencies most often occur during takeoff and landing. If there is a problem, the pilots are unable to fight for your attention on any face to face.
Will they stop you?
Rejecting the crew’s instructions is a federal offence. Depending on the airline, you may also violate the published signage. But in reality, no one will get frog manufacturing from the plane to forget to switch aircraft mode. If you revolt in particular, you can be removed from the flight or fined. But for most people, the worst consequence is a passive offensive reminder to follow the instructions of all crew members.
jakub porzycki/nurphoto by getty image
If you don’t do it for the collective, do it yourself. Your battery will last longer. Your phone will be up to four times faster. You won’t accidentally connect to an unsafe network. Also, if you perform a limited data plan, Aircraft Mode can control your usage.
So, if you don’t put your phone in airplane mode, are you an asshole? kind of. Not because you are doomed to the plane, but because you have no reason to make someone work harder. This is a flight that refuses to mute in a zoom call. Don’t be that person. No one likes that person.
