Why cant you turn your cellphone on while on a jet?

Question

I was trying to text while up in the air but my parents wouldn't let me, wats that about?

Answer 1

There are a few reasons;

First, it's against the law. Second, there is a concern that the signal from your phone will interfere with onboard electronics of the plane, causing them to either malfunction, or report inaccurate data; such as a GPS device showing the plane at one location, when it is actually at another.

Finally third, when on the ground, the signal from your phone is connected to one cell tower at a time, usually the closest. When in the air, it has access to many, many towers. That can tie up those towers and cause problems for the cell service providers.

Answer 2

I understand there are two reasons for turning cellphones completely off while in flight on an aircraft: 1) If turned on, the cellphone has a "view" of many more cell towers than it would ordinarily have when on the ground (This apparently confuses the cellular system) and 2) cellphone emissions may interfere with the aircraft's navigation systems. While the cellphone may use a different frequency than the aircraft's navigation system, it may use a local oscillator, frequency multiplying circuitry, and/or other forms of frequency synthesis in its receiving and transmitting circuitry. These circuits "leak" some of their power into the airwaves and the "leaking" power may be of a frequency that interferes with the aircraft's navigation receivers. There are many navigation receivers on an aircraft. The VOR or Very high frequency Omnidirectional Receivers are used in conjuction with ground located VOR transmitters. The DME or Distance Measuring Equipment receiver is used in conjunction with DME transmitter co-located with the ground-based VOR transmitter. The ILS or Instrument Landing System also uses the VOR receivers. There are also Microwave ILS systems and GPS systems, all of which use receivers. In addition there are communication receivers and transmitters and a transponder (receives ground-based Air Traffic Control radar signals and transmits back ID, altitude, and other information to ATC).

Answer 3

At one time, radios that transmitted RF would have possibly interfered with the electronics in the cockpit. Since then, manufacturers of said electronics have been required to provide protection against interference and you can safely assume that those manufacturers not only meet those requirements--they exceed them. Furthermore, any electronics you bring on board--must also meet requirements regarding interference (though it's anyone's guess if it actually meet requirements or not). Think about this: radio waves are all around us--they are in the sky, they are at ground level--they are everywhere. Satellite signals, microwave radio waves, other aircraft transmitting radio waves, etc...are all over the place--do you really think your cell phone is going to crash the plane? Do you really think EVERY cell phone is turned off on EVERY flight? Have you ever heard of a plane crashing due to "electronic interference due to cell phone usage?" No, you haven't--because the most damage a cell phone will do to a plane will be when you throw it at something. The FAA has no changed the rules because there is no point to. It doesn't have to do with interference--it has more to do with noise pollution (much like a movie theater)--and if you believe the plane will crash because your cell phone will screw everything in the cockpit up--then you are more likely to follow the rules.

Answer 4

Two reasons: #1, in the event of an in flight emergency, the airline crew wants you to hear safety instructions over the PA, and not be distracted by blabbering on your cell phone.

#2, because of the plane's altitude, using a cell phone in the air blanks out several cell towers over a wide area on the ground....not particularly efficient for all the other ground based callers trying to access lines, while one caller at 35,000 ft. is covering the entire State.



By the way....it has been shown many times that cell phones DO NOT interfere with the aircraft navigation or communications systems....if they did, you would not even be allowed to board the aircraft with a cell phone in your possession. The aircraft's navigation and communications systems work on a completely different frequency and band than cell phones.....the two are nowhere even close to each other.

Answer 5

It's really NOT about interfering with avionics. Especially with WI-FI now being deployed in the air. However, without a central cell on the aircraft for the phones to lock onto and transmit via satellite, you will probably have a difficult time trying to get cell service 7 miles up over an ocean or from cell towers screaming past you on the ground at 600mph!

Answer 6

It is against FAA (Federal Aviation Adminstration) rules. These are the guys that control how airplanes operate and how passengers have to behave on board. The argument is that use of cell phones might (and I stress might) affect the avionics and the control of the airplane. Lot's of computers and instruments on board and the cell phone communication might cause electrical interference. This is doubtful because many people forget to turn them off. By the way, you can't get a signal from your cell phone at 30,000 feet, where most jets fly. You can only get reception on the ground or up to a few thousand feet in the air.



Now, that said, your parents are correct to ask you to follow the rules and you were right to pay attention. They sound pretty wise to me :)

Answer 7

Go with Myth Busters.

They tried everything including boosting the signals by 1,000 times. NOTHING. I've had a commercial pilot tell me the same thing.



The same debate was settled at Johns Hopkins a couple of years ago when the determined that cellphones absolutely did not interfere with any equipment in the hospital. The main reason they try to discourage them in hospitals is that they are annoying. My Mother has been in and out of hospitals a lot lately and I have only been asked to set my phone to vibrate.

Answer 8

It was once thought that if EVERYONE turned their phones on and used them then it could interfere with the aircrafts communication systems. They are still currently studying this and some (most now i believe) will let u turn them on as soon as u land. The risks with allowing the albeit slight chance, of allowing u to use them anytime other than this is just not worth it.

Answer 9

It started awhile back with analog phones. During ground operations and take off or landing, it was belived that certain frequencies affected communications and some of the instruments.It is also a courtesy to the flight crew to limit distractions during these times These days it is more of a TSA/security matter.

Answer 10

the short answer is that it is against the FAA regulations. why ? really, that is the big debate. in any modern airliner, you have about as much chance of interferring with the electronics as you do of getting to fly the airplane home. older technology used to have a problem with "cell overload". which is when you are up at altitude, your phone tries to lock onto several cell towers at once, locking up a bunch of capability of the tower. not so much a problem anymore. then there was the "airphone" that you had to swipe your credit card in to make a phone call from the plane. the airline is gonna have a hard time convincing you that you have to pay for a call if anyone can use thier cell phone....

Answer 11

It's mainly because you will not get a signal and your battery will be drained by the phone while trying to find a signal. There's also the slight possibility that the cell phone's signal may cause interference to the avionics/ navigation systems.

Answer 12

Bad for Avionic system:

Avionics system and computers fitted in the aircraft are work with various frequency spectrum, in which not all of those has a good "filter" to protect it self from interferences of "others" frequency such as: frequency of mobile phone, or frequency of other avionic equipment. Also, during flight we are stay together, in one closed room (aircraft cabin) with the avionic & computers, so frequency interference it's always happens, even you're talking.



Bad for your mobile:

As aircraft engineer, I been trying to let my mobile "ON" during take off, but then, at altitude of approximately 3000 feet, signal from mobile network Base Transponder Station (BTS) lost, then my mobile work in searching mode. If mobile always in searching mode, it will consume high energy of battery, and the transmitter - receiver circuit in mobile "working very hard" to find signal from BTS at that moment. So, I switched off my mobile. It won't work at high altitude.



But don't worry, the most modern aircraft, now equipped with "repeater" to "collect" the frequency of your mobile then transmitted to the ground, and the avionic system has a good filter to prevent frequency interference. So, if you want switch ON your mobile during flight, choose this facility and don't talk loudly in the cabin, as courtesy to other passenger.

Answer 13

It has been said that the freq of the phone might cause interferance with the aircraft radios and some sensitive electronics within the aircraft.

Answer 14

Airplane electronics (avionics) MUST operate without interference to safely conduct their flights. The installed electronics are tested to ensure they do not interfere with the avionics.



There is NO test for all of the possible, ever increasing electronic items that could be brought on an airplane, so the smart thing to do for everyone's safety is to prohibit their use for takeoff and landing, the most critical phases of flight.

Answer 15

There is concern that the signal from the cell phone may cause the navigation radios to be in- accurate, especially approaching for landing when it would be most critical

Answer 16

You're not allow to use any electronic devices on a jet,because it may cause some compication with the jet electronic systems.

Answer 17

Because of greed. They want you to use the onboard phones so they can charge you out the bunghole. Cmon, you don't believe the crap about them causing interference. They fly through electrical storms that don't interfere with their navigation equipment. They are all built to be shielded against electrical interference.

Answer 18

Watch Mythbusters, they can answer this......



Basically, they tried 8 ways from sunday and couldnt get a cell phone to disrupt anything.

Answer 19

faa reqires them to be off below 1500ft. so they don't interfere with the radios or electronics. This probable would not happen, but better to be safe.

Answer 20

What kind of jet has room for a pilot and you and your family? Pretty big jet.



I assume you mean a plane. Not a jet.

Answer 21

A)Can't listen to flight crew instructions.

B)Signal interference

C)It distracts sky marshalls.

Answer 22

I can. It's very easy. I just hit the power button and voila! it turns on.

Answer 23

you can use your phone on a jet, no one is making you but if you do please know that it will mess with the wireless components of the plane and probably maybe send you down on a nose dive... period.

Answer 24

signals from cell phones can interfere with aircraft instrumentation and communications

Answer 25

It's the rules...that's why....are you THAT obsessed with texting? Geez....kids these days...

Answer 26

They interfear with the communications in the cockpit

Answer 27

Because it can mess with the plane's computer system. Would you like to possibly crash?