CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

Ever wonder why airlines don't allow you to make cell phone calls while in flight? I have…

Ever since the news coverage of 9-11 mentioned last minute phone calls from persons on those ill-fated flights, I have wondered how practical it is to make phone calls from a commercial airliner miles above the clouds. However, that is pretty hard to find out experimentally when such phone calls are not permitted!

The prohibition against cell phone use in flight has never totally made sense to me. I can understand prohibitions during take-off and landing (when virtually all activity is banned), but why is it bad to make phone calls when others are reading books or playing games?

One possible explanation is that cell phones, when not in ‘airplane mode,’ cause interference to the airplane’s avionics equipment (pilot communications). However, there are zillions of phones in use in and around the airport, so that interference threat cannot be all that great. Right?

Well, I bumped into an airplane pilot and decided to ask him about cell phone use. He immediately responded that cell phones drive the pilot crazy because they cause pops and buzzes in their headset. He mentioned that some phones and cell companies are worse than others, but he can tell whenever passengers have their phones on and enabled. He said it is particularly troublesome when they are approaching an airport and lots of phones are searching for service.

I then asked him where the airplane’s antennas were located, assuming that having a cell phone on would only be a problem for those seated near the antenna. He said antennas are located in different places in different planes, but are generally located all throughout the fuselage. I also asked how old the radio equipment was, since newer equipment should not be plagued by IM. He told me most of it is ancient, since the airlines can’t afford to update their equipment frequently.

So I learned something. Airlines basically ban cell phones in flight because, when in close proximity, they raise havoc with their old radios. I have also heard from people that have left their phone turned on that coverage can be pretty sporadic.