If anyone has ever been on an airplane, then they’ve surely had the flight crew member tell or remind the passengers of putting their phones on aeroplane mode.
I remember a time when that mode didn’t even exist, and people had to power down their phones when flying on an aeroplane. However, now, at least, there is the easy feature of aeroplane mode, where you can still keep your phone on and use it without having any connectivity.
Now, there are some very genuine reasons why aeroplane passengers are told to do this, although in recent times, conspiracy theories have evolved to completely dismiss those reasons and claim that it is perfectly fine for people to keep their phones connected even during the flight.
However, a TikTok video that is once again going viral has once again emphasised that this rule is not just for show and is taken to keep the safety of everyone in mind.
What Did The Pilot Say?
Recently, we’ve seen a sudden increase in accidents involving aeroplanes, leading to tragic loss of life and land.
While there are various reasons attached to them beyond simple malfunction, such as outdated parts being used, lack of maintenance, pilot error, and many more, a video made by TikTok user @perchpoint is once again making the rounds on the importance of the aeroplane mode in phones.
The user, a U.S. airline pilot and Army veteran, in his video said, “This is just a friendly PSA, that the aeroplane mode button is not a conspiracy.”
The pilot did clarify that in case one forgets to put their phone on that mode during a flight, it won’t result in something too tragic, probably to calm down any paranoia or panic.
He said, “If you forget to put your phone on airplane mode, no, it’s not the end of the world, the plane will not fall out of the sky, and it won’t even mess with the systems on board.” However, he did explain that choosing to ignore the mode and deliberately not switching it on before the flight can still create issues with the pilots’ headsets, which could lead to serious situations.
The pilot explained, “It does have the potential to mess with the headsets.”
“If you have an aircraft with 70, 80, or 150 people on board and even three or four people’s phones start to try and make a connection to a radio tower for an incoming phone call, it sends out radio waves. There’s a potential that those radio waves can interfere with the headsets that the pilots are using.”
Read More: What Is The Procedure Followed After An Air Crash?
He recounted his own experience of this interference and that the buzz in his headset “sounded like a mosquito,” all while he was trying to land a plane safely.
He added, “No, it’s not the end of the world, but it’s pretty annoying when you’re trying to copy down instructions and it sounds like a wasp or something flying around you. So if you’re ever curious why you need to put on airplane mode, that’s why.”
So while a phone signal might not lead to a plane crash, it can still create disturbance for the pilots and increase stress in the cockpit. People are often like sheep in some aspects, and if they see one person ignoring the aeroplane mode on their phone, then more will follow that lead.
Now, what this could do is, as per the pilot, create that buzzing noise in their headsets, and thus lead to disrupting their communication with on-ground staff.
According to Travel and Leisure, pilots fly under very volatile conditions, and many times their visibility might not be the clearest, thus making them depend on audio instructions sent from on-ground staff.
It is important then that their line to on-ground communication be kept clear so that no instruction or important information is missed by the pilots.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Economic Times, New York Post, NDTV
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Aeroplane Mode, Aeroplane Mode flying, Aeroplane Mode phones, pilot, Airplane mode conspiracy, Airplane mode
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