Flightsafe mode

I dunno, the youth of today. :rolleyes:

No respect for authority, that’s what it is…….. :diablo:

Hmm… :rolleyes:

🙂

Paul

I dunno, the youth of today. :rolleyes:

No respect for authority, that’s what it is…….. :diablo:

So, to summarise, either:

a) there really is an issue with the use of mobile phones during flight, or

b) the world’s airlines and regulatory authorities are, in fact, part of a global conspiracy to deny people their God-given right to play with their shiny toys wherever and whenever they see fit?

The member of cabin crew in my example above didn’t seem to believe the plane would drop out of the sky due to a ‘shiny toy’ being left switched on, and her calm demeanour certainly didn’t imply anyones lives were about to end. :rolleyes:

I have no problem whatsoever with turning my phone off on a flight. I have an iPod (and camera) to keep me amused in the air, and not having people contact me for a few hours is no bad thing. I can’t, however, make sense of ridiculous claims that people’s lives are at risk if a phone were left on.

Paul

Someone, for example, accidentally leaving a phone turned on is risking your life? That’s an impressively over-dramatic statement, it has to be said. :rolleyes:

Paul

So, to summarise, either:

a) there really is an issue with the use of mobile phones during flight, or

b) the world’s airlines and regulatory authorities are, in fact, part of a global conspiracy to deny people their God-given right to play with their shiny toys wherever and whenever they see fit?

Hmmm. This looks like a job for Occam’s Razor….. 😎

and thus potentially compromise flight safety and risk my life.

Someone, for example, accidentally leaving a phone turned on is risking your life? That’s an impressively over-dramatic statement, it has to be said. :rolleyes:

Paul

The arrogance of people who use electronic equipment during take off and landing (including obviously some above who admit to doing so) amazes me.

So they know better than the airline, or the regulatory body, do they? Yeah right! :rolleyes:

Whether or not we believe mobile phones, or cameras, or whatever, cause interferance with aircraft systems, until the case is absolutely proven that they don’t it seems entirely reasonable from a flight safety point of view to prohibit their use. How dare anyone make assumptions or operate on the basis of thinking they know better, and thus potentially compromise flight safety and risk my life.

Andy

PS: On one BMI IAD-MAN flight, I did ask if I could use a camera during take off – note I asked, rather than assumed. Purser said “no problem, but put the strap round your neck to reduce the risk of it becoming a projectile if we have to stop in a hurry”

PPS: It is bizarre that in the good old days when I used to ride the flight deck jump seat a lot, no flight deck crew ever had an issue with me taking pics with my “electronic” camera on final approach!

Simple answer:

In the US it’s against fedral law.

I have used my Nokia mobile in OFFLINE mode on many flights.. the worse thing is when you turn it on.. and the nokia wlecome tune plays… you get a few looks…

RickT

Sorry if this has been answered but im off to Japan on saturday with a friend and we both have psp’s are we able to use the wi-fi to have multi-player games in-flight? Ive read the Virgin Atlantic website and the section on using electricals in flight is not that clear!

http://www.qantas.com.au/info/flying/inTheAir/communications

Only once i’ve been told to stow away my camera, and that was on last years flight from LAS to SFO. I was warned that it might fly off my hand, even though the strap was around my hand very tight! So nothing to do with interference!

Once the attendant had taken her seat, it was back out again :diablo:

And on the opposite side of the scale, the attendant on my Valley-Cardiff legs encouraged the use of cameras! :p

I have a sony cybershot and when i flew with ryanair on tuesday i used my camera on mine but was on the flight mode. I can say, the plane did not fall out of the sky!

Hey, Steve, taking advantage of Ryanair’s 2p fares out of LBA were we!? Shame you didn’t fly today or yesterday if true, I would have almost certainly dispatched your flight! (Or maybe it isn’t a shame…..:diablo:)

On an Aer Lingus flight last year i used my camera practically the whole way including taxi, takeoff and landing. The cabin crew seen it, but they were okay with it 😎

Im little bit more scared of the Ryanair cabin crew as they can be quite snappy at times!

:diablo: 😀

I have a sony cybershot and when i flew with ryanair on tuesday i used my camera on mine but was on the flight mode. I can say, the plane did not fall out of the sky!

Mark, I thought you knew better 😉

Fair to say I think Mark is just one of many hundreds of people per day who do this. Yes, at times, including me!

Mobile phones certainly can interfere with the crews headsets in the same way as they can interfere with any other analogue audio device. It must be said though, I’ve never been convinced by those who imply the aircraft will drop out of the sky if you were to use your phone! It simply wouldn’t. In fact, a recent experience on a flight pretty much cemented in my mind the fact that interference with headsets and nothing else is the reason they’re a problem.

Taxi’ing from the stand and a gentleman opposite very honestly informed a member of the cabin crew that he’s left his phone switched on in the overhead locker. The crew member simply said leave it until we’re in the air and the seat belt signs have been switched off. I can’t remember the airline, but it was probably either Air France, KLM or Lufthansa. Mobile phones don’t need to be on an active call to be transmitting and receiving. They’re constantly checking conneections and changing from mast to mast (I’ve had my phone sat on many a mixing desk or bass amp and it’s started making a racket without a call or text coming in).

I need to see a little more proof that phones really are that bad in any way other than annoying people using headsets!

Paul

My own feeling is that it is more a case that it’s never been proven that they don’t interfere rather than proven that they do. However I do know a mobile phone can cause interference on radios, in much the same way that they can cause interference with say a stereo speaker. This is something I’ve heard myself when sitting on the flightdeck, and it can be distracting for the pilots at times of heavy workload, particularly when dealing with ATC.

I had the best example of this on a flight many many years ago on a FlyBe Dash 8 at Belfast City. We were sat at the end of the runway, and the Captain came on to ask everyone to check their mobiles because they were getting interference in their headsets.

As they gave this message over the PA, you could hear the tone that mobiles give when they interfere over electronics. Everyone definitly checked their phones that time!

There is no other answer for her to give, she works to company policy, they work to CAA policy.

1L.

Isn’t that what I said, company policy answer?

Thank you for the answers 1L much appreciated, however I am still not at the point of eating my shorts!

All the best

Si

All i’m going to say is,

If your finger slips and your phone switches on, once your airbone, the aircraft (even those airbus’s) wont fall out of the sky!!

😀

Airlines have to work to the rules laid down by the governing body of the country they are from. Some, eg:BA work just to these rules, others I imagine have their own, sometimes tighter, rules.

In the UK the CAA state that no electronic equipment of any sort may be used during taxi, take-off or landing. In flight certain electronic equipment may be used, generally speaking this would be equipment not capable of transmitting or recieving.

My own feeling is that it is more a case that it’s never been proven that they don’t interfere rather than proven that they do. However I do know a mobile phone can cause interference on radios, in much the same way that they can cause interference with say a stereo speaker. This is something I’ve heard myself when sitting on the flightdeck, and it can be distracting for the pilots at times of heavy workload, particularly when dealing with ATC.

The bottom line is that whether you or I think these rules are unreasonable doesn’t matter. If you break them you are commiting an offence under the ANO.

Just to answer a few specific points:

can you use flightsafe mode while using mobiles on planes

Certainly on BA aircraft you can.

i have clearly heard mobile phones ringing from overhead lockers during flights and the cabin crew seem to ignore them

In my experience crew would NEVER ignore a mobile phone ringing inflight, more likely they didn’t hear it even if you did.

Got the usual “company policy” answer

There is no other answer for her to give, she works to company policy, they work to CAA policy.

wrote to BA Technical Director and Training Manager

You’d have been better writing to the CAA.

the in aircraft mobile phone located between Premium Economy and Business Class is always on receive mode, even during take off, landing and approach.

Such systems are designed specifically for aircraft, furthermore it is in fact switched off completely during taxi, take off and landing.

get the camera out of your bag after the crew have taken their seats

Mark, I thought you knew better 😉

1L.

I dont think that anyone would regard a camera as an electronic hazzard to flight controls, i suspect you might find that it is more to do with not having any loose objects during transitional flight phases – if the captain had to slam on the brakes at 100+mph and your camera flew out of your hand and smashed someones skull / nose / whatever….

Michael

That does form part of it, but the rules are there to prevent interference with flight systems. Its not flight controls that can get affected, but navigation and communication equipment during the more “tricky” stages of flight.

Thankfully my phone has a very well labelled flight safe mode that is easy to explain to crew who think I’m using my phone rather than the mp3 player within it. Obviously only used after we have taken off!