Why do they check phones at the airport? We turn off our phones. Is a mobile phone ban really necessary?

13.04.2018, 10:18

During takeoff and landing, flight crew are asked to turn off all their electronic devices. When asked why they do this, Ticketik Aero will answer.

Disabling electronic devices is primarily for your own safety. The reason for the potential security concerns is that, being over 3,000 kilometers in the air, your cell phone signal bounces off multiple cell towers and sends out a stronger signal. And this is exactly what can connect other signals and create navigation interference (GPS).

During takeoff and landing, the pilots and control tower are constantly in touch. Working telephones can interfere with the communication between the pilot and the dispatcher, make it difficult to track the aircraft during the flight, and radio frequency radiation can distort the readings of navigation instruments, which will lead to an emergency.

However, not a single plane crash has been recorded due to the phone being turned on. With the development of modern technology, these risks are reduced to zero, so some airlines will allow you to use phones during the flight.

In Europe, you can use gadgets at any time during the flight. In the USA, restrictions apply to takeoff and landing: during a horizontal flight, no one is prohibited from using communications. However, voice messaging on cell phones is prohibited by FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulations. Still, many airlines ask that electronic devices be turned off.

Russian airlines adhere to the old rules according to the principle “no matter what happens.” Pilots explain this by the fact that during takeoff and landing, both themselves and passengers are required to concentrate. Passengers must hear instructions for their own safety, they must be aware of what is happening and respond in time to an emergency. That's why on the plane they ask you to fasten your seat belt, put your things away,

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Before takeoff and shortly before the start of the descent, flight attendants ask passengers to switch their electronic devices to flight mode. However, not everyone follows the instructions, because many simply do not understand: how can their smartphone worth a couple of hundred dollars interfere with the operation of a high-tech aircraft worth tens of millions of dollars?

website invites you to figure out together why it is so important to follow this rule.

In airplane mode, all data transfer services (Wi-Fi, GSM, Bluetooth, etc.) are disabled in the gadget. Simply put, the phone or tablet stops working as a radio. If your the smartphone has not been switched to airplane mode, the signal emanating from it may cause interference in highly sensitive aircraft electronic devices.

When the smartphone is just “sleeping”(you do not call or send SMS from it), he is still searching the network, and the frequency of its signal may overlap with the frequency of operation of important aircraft devices. Even if it seems to you that a sleeping gadget does not pose a danger, switch it to airplane mode.

If Your device does not have a “switch to airplane mode” function(for example, you don’t have the most modern model), just turn it off.

As is known, takeoff and landing are the most difficult stages of flight, during which pilots need to coordinate their actions with flight control on the ground. All this is done using the aircraft's navigation system. The signal from your device may cause interference to radio communications, and the pilot will not hear important information transmitted by the controller, which will potentially lead to an emergency situation.

• Can be used throughout the flight any electronic devices that do not have GSM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth data exchange functions (electronic watches, cameras, video cameras, voice recorders, hearing aids, pacemakers, etc.).
• Devices that have a data exchange function also can be used at all stages of flight, but in airplane mode(smartphones, tablets, e-readers, digital audio/video players, etc.).
• Turn off airplane mode for the above devices only possible during the flight(usually a few minutes after takeoff) and only after a message from the ship's crew. During takeoff, descent, landing and taxiing, it is not allowed to turn off airplane mode.

Lists and rules may vary depending on the airline, check on the official websites.

A couple of working phones will not affect the aircraft's navigation. But if all, say, 300 people on board began to actively use gadgets, interference from the ground would be noticeable.

Let's appreciate the work of others and not create unnecessary difficulties for pilots. After all, it only takes a couple of seconds to put your smartphone into airplane mode.

“A new stylish phone, we need it everywhere.

Everyone needs him like water: to call back and forth.

Chat about this and that, or just be together.”

A mobile phone is a basic necessity these days. Without it, we don’t leave home, don’t travel, don’t board a train or plane. “Please turn off cell phones and do not turn them on until the plane has completely landed” - these are the words every traveler hears while sitting in a soft armchair on an airplane and preparing to take off.

But why can't you use your phone on a plane? Does this threaten the safety of the flight? Or is there another reason? Let's figure it out.

Expertise says

The airliner is distinguished by the complexity and precision of its electronic systems. For decades, it was believed that working mobile phones create interference signals that negatively affect the operation of the autopilot. They spoil the readings of air navigation equipment and interfere with ground services to monitor the flight and establish communications on aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration has commissioned a study by the Radio Engineering and Aviation Commission (RTCA) into the potential harm caused by telephones. The center's specialists studied the problem for seven years. Hundreds of thousands of flights were involved in the audit.

Laboratory research. All electronics generate radio frequency radiation. To determine the strength of cell phone radio waves, the researchers used a special spectrum analyzer and an insulated brass wire container (Faraday cage).

Inside the cage, the experimenters placed things that travelers take with them on board an airplane: an MP3 player, a game console and a CD player. Their radio emission turned out to be minimal. But when a cell phone was placed in the cage, the analyzer diagnosed a strong jump. Is a cell phone really the cause of malfunctions in the airliner’s systems?

This was the first, preliminary analysis. With the support of aerospace aviation engineer D. Gutau, specialists simulated an accurate model of radio communication between airport ground services and the airliner. Armed with a cellular generator, the researchers attempted to disrupt communications and create dangerous interference.

A radio generator creates radio waves of varying strengths. Thanks to the device, you can find out at what frequency the radio signal operates and what strength it must have in order to disrupt the operation of aircraft systems.

Initially, the tests took place on the GSM 1800 frequency (a common cell phone frequency). But the device did not detect the slightest distortion. All aircraft equipment functioned safely. But when the mobile phone was retuned to a frequency wave of 800-900 MHz, the analyzer showed a significant deviation in the operation of the aircraft navigation analyzer.

The experts' conclusion was as follows: mobile phones (and other devices) operating in the 800-900 MHz frequency interfere with the operation of aircraft equipment and affect the functioning of aircraft orientation systems.

This was the preliminary result. The time has come to check the laboratory test data in the field, in practice.

Airplane tests. The surveyors moved to the take-off site, where they activated the analyzer in the operating airliner. For 12 hours they “bombarded” the air with radio frequency signals (they used both modern smartphones and old models of the PCS standard).

Most of them supported a frequency of 800-900 MHz. But no interference or disruptions in the functioning of the airliner’s equipment were detected. Not a single cell phone interfered with the operation of aircraft systems.

The wires running through the cabin are shielded (protected from extraneous influences). Therefore, no signal from a mobile or other device can disrupt the aircraft’s operating system.

So, talking on the phone while traveling by air is safe? But why, even after verified, official testing, do flight attendants insist on turning off electronic devices during a flight?

Why is it forbidden to use a mobile phone?

In fact, you can use a cell phone. But not on all planes. Some airlines allow, others ask you to turn off your phone while flying. How to justify such a ban?

“It’s easier to ban”

Why turn off your phone? Airline owners are cautious. After all, today new models of gadgets are released every day, protocols and standards change. And aviation equipment does not stand still.

There is a theoretical possibility that a modern mobile phone could negatively affect the operation of navigation systems, create dangerous interference and provoke the crash of an airliner.

Constantly conducting new research is not economically profitable. It is easier to ban than to take moral responsibility for a possible disaster that occurred due to the fault of a working mobile phone.

In addition, airlines are afraid that passengers will learn during the flight about any negative incidents on the ground (aircraft accidents, terrorist attacks, personal tragedies). Such news can cause stress. And a person who is under the influence of factors that destroy the psyche becomes dangerous to others.

Comfort for everyone

I want to sit in the soft, comfortable chair of the airliner and forget about my problems, admiring the magical views of the clouds outside the porthole. Taste a delicious lunch brought by a beautiful flight attendant and relax. But a restless neighbor sits down next to him, chatting on the phone all the time. Or an excited madam loudly discussing the news with a friend.

Airlines are not interested in passenger complaints and their demands for quiet flights. And they are unlikely to want unnecessary conflict situations on board during the flight.

You can divide the cabins into those who like to chat on the phone and those who want to fly in silence, where they cannot turn on the phone (as in a cafe with existing smoking areas). It’s not difficult to organize such a separation, but why go to the extra trouble for the sake of a 2-3 hour flight? It is easier and cheaper to ban telephone conversations.

Conversations are distracting

The most dangerous moments during flight are takeoff and landing. And everything happens in the sky. At critical moments, the most important thing for passenger safety is to comply with the requirements of flight attendants. In dangerous situations, the main thing is well-functioning, organized and joint actions of passengers and crew members.

Imagine a situation where an unusual situation occurs on board. The pilot requires the attention of all passengers. And a good half of them are chatting on the phone or playing an online game. It will take 1-2 minutes to turn off your phones and log off the network. And in critical situations, seconds matter.

Sometimes seconds save a life. The specific arrangement of seats in an airliner is such that just one passenger who hesitates for a couple of seconds causes the entire row to collapse, blocking their movement.

And if dropped into an air pocket, turbulence or an emergency landing, dropped tablets and mobile phones become dangerous objects.

Have you noticed that during takeoff and landing, the lights in the Airbus cabin are turned off? This is not done so that passengers can admire the glow of the lights behind the window. The lighting in the cabin is dimmed so that crew members and passengers get used to the darkness and, in the event of an unusual situation, can better navigate the cabin.

And a traveler, with his eyes fixed on a bright screen, in a dangerous situation where he needs to move freely around the cabin, will turn into a “blind mole” and interfere with other people.

Economic factor

But if necessary, you will be allowed to urgently contact the ground, talk to your family, or make phone calls. True, not on his mobile phone, but by offering to use his own paid mobile connection. Do airlines want to make extra money by profiting from expensive calls?

Proponents of this theory are confident that airlines prohibit calls on personal mobile phones solely for selfish purposes. Additional profit is lost! This opinion is not without foundation. After all, any company or organization is interested in receiving dividends by installing access points in salons.

Everyone in business is looking for sources of additional income. So why not take advantage of this opportunity?

So what happens if you make a call in the salon? Will they be fined, will their cell phone be taken away, will they be kicked off the flight? How do different airlines actually feel about using a phone on board their flights?

Rules on airplanes of different countries

In 2013, the agency responsible for air safety in America and Europe formally allowed the use of mobile phones on airplanes. Mobile phones received an amnesty. But the final word remained with the airline management. They have the right to dictate the rules.

Most airlines have opted for a middle ground, allowing limited use of phones. Passengers are not allowed to use mobile phones only during take-off and landing. During a flight, calls are allowed, but only if you switch your cell phone to “in-flight” mode.

This mode automatically turns off wireless modules during landing/takeoff, and during flight turns on Wi-Fi mode and allows the owner to use all the functionality of the gadget.

Europe. Since 2014, European airlines have allowed the use of digital devices (tablets, phones, cameras) throughout the flight in any mode. But Austrian Airlines decided to play it safe and left a ban on mobile phone calls during the entire flight.

Passengers were only allowed to use tablet devices and laptops (except for takeoff/landing). As representatives of Austrian airlines explained the ban, telephone service makes sense over long distances. And even a businessman who is always in a hurry can withstand a 2-3 hour flight without calls.

Baltic Airlines also joined them. Airbaltic completely prohibits its travelers from using mobile phones. The ban applies to tablets and PDAs during landing and takeoff.

The first European carrier to allow mobile communications on board an aircraft were representatives of the Arab airline Emirates. Arab planes are equipped with a special device that completely eliminates the influence of extraneous signals on navigation systems. The salons are equipped with a miniature station (“Pico-Sota”), which provides satellite communications with land-based mobile operators.

USA. The main evidence that sets out the regulations for the use of electronic devices by travelers in flight: circular document 92.21-1A, issued in the fall of 2000. Most American air carriers obey these instructions. They sound like this:

During the flight, the following devices are allowed to be left on on board aircraft:

• Clock with digital display.
• Devices for the hearing impaired.
• Surgical implants (cardiac and nerve stimulators).

Devices that are allowed to be used before takeoff and upon landing:

• Computers of any type.
• Pagers, mobile phones and other means with the ability to send electronic texts.

During a flight at a given altitude (cruising flight), you can use:

• GPS receivers.
• DVD, CD players.
• Digital cameras.
• Personal computers.
• Devices that allow you to send E-mail messages.
• Mobile phones switched to “game” mode on an airplane.

Russia. There are no such regulations in Russia. And the ban on the use of mobile phones in our country remains in force (but flight attendants do not strictly adhere to this rule and do not always force them to comply with it).

The head of the analytical company Flight Safety in the Sky, Valery Shelkovnikov, explains the ban on the use of mobile phones by the fact that no research has been conducted on this issue in Russia, unlike Western partners. Therefore, the ban remains in force and mobile phones must be turned off on airplanes.

Requirements regarding the rules for using cellular communications on board flights vary. Airline websites will help you get the hang of it to prepare for your flight. And don’t forget to listen carefully to the flight attendant while sitting in a comfortable chair in the airliner’s cabin. Before the flight, she will give all the necessary instructions and tell you the rules of behavior for passengers on board the flight and indicate whether you can use the phone.

I have repeatedly heard people groan in response to the flight attendants’ request to turn off and remove all electronics during takeoff with remarks like “You have nothing to do,” “Yes, this is all stupidity,” and the like, and as an electronics engineer by higher education, an aircraft instrument maintenance technician and aircraft electrical equipment with a military education and a frequent flyer in life, I wanted to formulate and structure the arguments why phones and electronics still need to be turned off and put away.

Usually, the main reason for such requests to passengers is the argument that interference from portable household radio transmitters can interfere with the operation of on-board equipment, to which many not-so-smart passengers answer “yes, I forgot to turn off the phone a hundred times and even talked from the board, and everything was fine.” Fine". There is some truth in these statements, but not entirely.

1. Takeoff and landing are the most important and critical phases of flight, and the likelihood of a critical situation (sharp braking, bumpiness, etc.) occurring in them is maximum. When braking sharply, even a five-inch smartphone, if the owner does not hold it in his hand, turns into a quite good projectile with sufficient mass and speed to very painfully fly into the head of the person sitting in front, not to mention tablets and cameras. This is the first reason why people are asked to put everything in their pockets or carry-on luggage.

2. An ordinary 2G/3G/4G phone or tablet with Wi-Fi really does not pose a danger to the electronic equipment of the aircraft, but with some caveats: as long as they function properly. No one can guess in advance how reliable the circuitry of the radio module in a phone or tablet, carefully made by unknown Chinese, is, and how thoroughly its microcode has been tested. The electronics and signal circuits of modern aircraft are indeed duplicated many times for the purpose of fault tolerance and shielded from external influences, but when people’s lives are at stake, it is better not to check this again.

3. In addition to the direct impact on on-board electronics, it is also worth keeping in mind the effect of interference from telephones on voice radio communications. In aviation, analog voice transmission is used for crew conversations with dispatchers and other aircraft. Interference from transmitting devices, accordingly, can create interference during negotiations, which in itself is no longer good.

4. And now a small example from life.

During the investigation into the crash of Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 Auckland to Palmerston North on June 9, 1995, in which four passengers died, investigators considered that the use of a mobile phone may have caused the onboard radio altimeter to malfunction just before the crash. The plane, during a visual approach to land at Palmerston North International Airport in bad weather conditions, collided with the slope of the Tararua Range 16 kilometers east of the airport. ()

Five years later, the HB-AKK of the Swiss airline Crossair crashed on 01/10/2000 in the vicinity of Dielsdorf (canton of Zurich). All passengers on board were killed. The causes of the accident and the death of the crew and passengers have not yet been fully revealed. However, the results of the “black box” study showed that at a certain point the aircraft’s navigation instruments and control systems began to produce incorrect data. Investigators interviewed cellular operators and found that immediately before the crash, an SMS was sent from the plane, followed by a call. Thus, the version of a failure in the aircraft’s control systems due to exposure to radio waves remains probable. ()

Everyone understands that aviation safety rules are “written in blood.” And, as you know, many aviation incidents do not occur for any one reason, but are caused by the coincidence of many factors, each of which would otherwise not lead to any consequences. If there is even the slightest chance of excluding something from a series of events that, even theoretically, could lead to a critical situation, this must be done to save people’s lives.

5. And lastly. Why are they asked to turn off not only phones, but also, for example, cameras, MP3 players, e-readers and other devices that do not have a radio module? Because many of them still have. Nowadays, no one can be surprised by an e-reader with a 3G modem, an audio player with WiFi (for synchronizing a music library), and a digital camera with Bluetooth (for wireless transfer to a printer). And even if your particular device does not have any of the above, the flight staff should not have to figure out what model someone has and what functionality it has. Not to mention the fact that non-technically savvy people may not even suspect that their gadget has WiFi and a cellular module. Therefore, there is a request to turn off or put absolutely all devices into airplane mode. As I already wrote in the previous paragraph, if there is even the slightest probability of excluding something from a series of events that, even theoretically, could lead to a critical situation, this must be done. In the end, it’s not at all difficult to live for some time without your favorite gadget for the sake of your own safety and the safety of other people.

Have a safe and successful flight!

Experienced travelers who have flown several times know that there may be certain restrictions on the use of mobile phones on an airplane. However, numerous studies on this matter give the most uncertain results. Let's find out if you can use a phone on an airplane?

Etiology of the ban

Why do passengers wonder whether it is possible to use a mobile phone on an airplane? What is the reason for such an unusual ban?

An airplane is an extremely complex system. A whole mass of communication and navigation devices are concentrated on board, operating at different frequencies. When the first mobile phones were put into widespread use, it became necessary to study their impact on aircraft equipment. Since the issue presented was initially poorly studied, airlines decided to play it safe by prohibiting the inclusion of such devices on board.

Cell phones have been present in the modern technology market for several decades. Since their inception, the equipment installed on board aircraft has undergone significant changes. And while previously the radio waves played by the first mobile phones could potentially cause malfunctions in navigation systems, today this is almost impossible.

Despite the above, leading airlines still conduct research regarding the question of whether it is possible to use a telephone and other electronic devices on an airplane. Such tests are aimed at identifying interference that various technologies can produce.

Why do some airlines still continue to impose bans on the use of mobile phones on board? There are several reasons for this, which we will consider later in the material.

Forced reinsurance

Almost every week, new types of mobile devices appear on the market, equipped with additional, previously unknown functionality. All this leads to changes in protocols and operating standards for such devices. Therefore, their impact on aircraft equipment requires additional, thorough research. In the face of regular changes, airlines are resorting to reinsurance in case of interference in the functioning of aircraft equipment under the influence of new microwaves emitted by portable devices used by passengers.

Distraction factor

Guidelines for the use of mobile phones during flight are set by airlines to ensure that users remain alert while on board. This may be required in case of unforeseen circumstances during landing or takeoff. It is extremely difficult to get passengers to understand information about behavior on board when the majority of them are captivated by the images that unfold on the screen of personal devices.

Comfort requirements

Airlines try to provide passengers with complete comfort during the flight. While some people can handle being several thousand kilometers above the ground quite calmly, others behave nervously. Therefore, in order not to panic, they need a calm environment.

It is extremely difficult to provide this when people everywhere are talking on their cell phones. Therefore, in order not to create a nervous environment for certain categories of passengers, owners of electronic devices should once again think about whether it is possible to use a phone on an airplane.

Getting additional income

Some passengers believe that airlines force people to consider whether they can use a phone on a plane because they want to earn extra income. And in fact, placing restrictions on Internet access from mobile devices and on conversations forces people to turn to paid communication services provided by flight attendants. Therefore, this option has the right to life.

Passenger safety

Establishing rules regarding whether a telephone can be used on board an airplane is partly driven by the need to ensure safe travel for each individual passenger. Some airlines not only insist on not having conversations on board, but even force people to hide their portable devices after takeoff. The reason lies in the risk of injury to oneself and others during active body movements while playing games, the device falling out of one’s hands, and nervous behavior during conversations.

The practical side of the issue

So is it possible to use a phone on a plane? Mobile devices are officially permitted for use on board aircraft. Airlines around the world lifted similar bans back in 2014. However, in reality, employees of individual companies that provide flights have the right to independently formulate rules that impose certain restrictions on the actions of passengers on board.

Considering the official permission for the use of mobile devices on airplanes, the majority of airlines decided to find their own middle ground regarding this issue. Therefore, when boarding a flight, you can often hear explanations from flight attendants regarding whether it is possible to use a cell phone on an airplane and what restrictions are imposed on such behavior.

What do pilots think on this issue?

Is it possible to use a telephone on an airplane, according to pilots? According to on-board workers who are at the helm of aviation transport, it is not worth using portable devices during takeoff. In particular, it is not recommended to use built-in cameras with flash while the aircraft is accelerating down the runway. Flashes from windows can raise suspicions about existing breakdowns or become a distraction for pilots who will be forced to perform an emergency brake.

Finally

So we found out whether it is possible to use a mobile phone on an airplane. As you can see, each airline has its own opinion on this matter, forming appropriate rules of conduct for passengers. Be that as it may, if flight attendants ask you to turn off or hide your portable device, in order to avoid trouble, it is better to silently follow the advice.