Do Mobile Electronic Devices Really Interfere with Aircraft Communications?

This resembles the "Microwave in Use" signs that were common some years ago, but so far as I know turned out to be a nonissue.

Not to rule it out, but it seems unlikely that milliwatt signals at the radiation point (and probably microwatt by the time they encounter aircraft wiring) would have any notable effect on hard-wired watt or ten-watt control signals.

If there is an issue about cell-phone chatter interfering with aircraft communications, maybe some frequency reassignments would fix that?

I just do not understand how this "switch off your mobile phone" business got started. The only danger that I can think of is that the signal from a mobile might be used to set of a bomb device. (which doesn't make sense as anybody coulkd still do that). So, that reason is a non starter. Perhaps the powers trhat be are just not telling the "oi poloi" (us the general public) the real reason for this procedure. Alternatively, perhaps some ignorant person of a safety committee suggested this and nobody since that event has ever challenged it. Thinking about it, using a mobile phone during take-off and landing can be a very distracting phenomenon for cabin crew personnel. So, the excuse that they give is very convenient for them. Otherwise, how can the cabin staff demand that you shut off your mobile device. Food for thought and how to control those nuisance passengers. Roger Cane

If mobile phone signals could actually interfere with the navigation etc systems, it would be very easy for a terrorist to get a high-power directional antenna and sit 10 miles from a major airport and shoot each plane down as they arrived, with no trace whatsoever of their location.

The electrical interference issue may have been a problem in bygone years, but is a non-issue now. It is more about customer comfort. Have you ever tried to take a call in a crowded room? It's hard to hear yourself think. Now imagine 350 people in a small tin box, and half of them talking on the phone.... The loud guy to your left is making a great business deal with someone, the teenage girl to your right is gossiping with her friends, and like, OMG, like using like, the word like, like waaaay too much! It would be total chaos.

There have been proposals from some airlines (sorry, no reference, just something I remember, possibly and Australian airline) to allow data and SMS capabilities in-flight. As you say, at 13,000ft, you're just a bit out of range of the local towers (don't forget they use directional antennas so they don't waste energy pumping signals into space). The plane itself would need a local base station with a satellite uplink. I've seen a local base station to do a 2000 person building, it's about the size of a small home fridge. One to suit the range required for a plane would be much smaller, and easy to get onto a plane. This shows the electrical interference is a non-issue, but the comfort interference is an issue. You could easily check emails etc, and the teenage girls could SMS their mates, but it would still be a quiet flight.

As also mentioned previously, this would avoid people not paying full attention during safety briefings.

One possibility that apparently you have not considered is that not all commercial passenger planes are the same. Some of them are over 20 years old, and the test standards back then for EMF interference did not necessarily cover the exact signal range that your iPhone uses.

Possible technical issues aside, the most likely communication problem that would occur without this simple requirement would be that some jack-ass who is so consumed with himself that he refuses to take his eyes off of his phone for 2 seconds would fail to listen to instructions from the pilot and create an unnecessary delay for everyone on the plane.

I can easily buy the self-absorbed jackass (isn't that the same one who is carrying on the LOUD obnoxious conversation right next to me in an already over-crowded row of seats while I'm trying to read/sleep/eat lunch quietly), and that especially ties into the argument about just keeping it quiet, enjoying the flight and arriving rested, relaxed, and HAPPY FOR PETE'S SAKE!!

Now sit down, buckle in, shut up, and let me white-knuckle my way through this thing in peace? OK, YOU GOT IT?

And that kind of irritation is another reason the cabin crew would like to avoid the problems caused by the loud, obnoxious conversations of people who don't understand that the rest of us don't WANT to eavesdrop on their conversations, if they'd just have them quietly enough we didn't have to hear their garbage noise.

Besides, we want to listen to our own forms of garbage .. noise ... silence.

Good point ref.. aircraft over 20 years old, however as technology has changed then the upgrades have kept pace with the improving equipment, and it will always be cheaper to upgrade a older plane with new state of the art comms & Nav equipment than the scrap it and buy this years model.. which is what they do.

Aricraft frames can and do fly for many years, and all that does change is the inflight electronics.

The first 747 flight deck I paid a vist to (when you could), over 25 years ago, had a flight engineer in addition to the two pilots.

These days, its all computers, upgrades have done away with that third person... same aricraft, just upgraded.

with that upgrade would come the latest in shielding from interference, and if you have every flown at night, you will see the electric storms illuminating the sky, and sometimes hitting the aircraft..... does that aircraft suffer, does it mal-function, no it doesn't.

All due to the latest technology.

Thinking about it, you're safer flying than crossing the street!

thccontrols