Reducing radio waves on the groundīelieve it or not, it’s not the FAA but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that is the primary driving force behind airplane mode requirements. Let’s look at why airplane mode may or may not be needed. You could cause disruptions for the pilotsĪirplane mode disables wireless transmission features on your mobile devices such as: cellular data, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.Īirplane mode is primarily designed to reduce the interference from cellular radio waves that could potentially interfere with cellular transmission on the ground but some also believe it helps to reduce navigational and communication issues between pilots and air traffic control.Get a slap on the wrist or kicked off the plane….What happens if you don’t put your phone in airplane mode?. These days a number of airlines offer in-flight Wi-Fi, which comes at an added cost (some airlines do offer free Wi-Fi as well) and one can buy it with air tickets or when boarding the aircraft. While you are asked to switch your phone airplane mode on a flight, we do airplanes why Wi-Fi and how does in-flight Wi-Fi work above 36,000 feet in the sky? Good question. Every smartphone has a built-in airplane mode. Although planes fly 40,000 feet above the ground, the signals generated from ground antennas and users’ 5G devices might cause interference during the descent and landing of the flight. No wonder airplane mode has become more important, especially with the rollout of 5G in many parts of the world. Nobody wants that situation to happen even in a nightmare. Imagine when an airplane can’t communicate with air traffic control at your destination airport. This interference, in turn, could potentially block radio frequency for a second and lead to confusion between the pilots and air traffic control. The reason why the airline staff request to turn our electronic devices off completely, or put them on airplane mode is something to do with smartphones and other wireless devices that emit radio waves and electromagnetic interference (EMI) which can potentially interfere with an aircraft’s communication devices. Why do airline staff ask you to turn off your device or put it in airplane mode? The aircraft manufacturer was never able to prove or replicate these allegations in a laboratory test. In fact, in the 90s, Boeing investigated a few cases where it found that some electronic devices lead to instrument display malfunctions and autopilot disconnects. Still, for precaution’s sake, electronic devices are being advised to either turn off or be in airplane mode during landing and takeoff. RTCA found no interference and consequently, FAA recommended airlines allow their passengers to use gaming devices, music players and laptops while on board. In 1992, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requested an independent industry standards organization known as RTCA (Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics) to study the effects of electronic devices on airplanes. On a Windows laptop, meanwhile, select the Network icon on the taskbar, then select Airplane mode.Įlectronic devices emit radio waves and electromagnetic interference (EMI) which can potentially interfere with an aircraft’s communication devices. And if you are a Mac user, you actually need to turn off both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections to use airplane mode. When you activate it, your phone is on airplane mode. Meanwhile, on Android, airplane mode is activated by swiping down from the top of the screen to access the quick settings panel. All you need to swipe down from the top of the screen and access the airplane mode, depending on the age and model of your phone. On an iPhone, the icon for airplane mode is in the Control Center. On a smartphone, activating or deactivating airplane mode is rather simple. Anything stored on your phone that doesn’t require a signal or internet will be accessible, be it music, preloaded videos, games or eBook. Your phone, however, is still functioning as usual. This basically means you can’t make or take calls, send text or WhatsApp messages, or browse the internet. Airplane mode is a setting on your smartphone, tablet and laptop that temporarily suspends radio signals, Wi-Fi and even Bluetooth.
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