Are phones on planes really so dangerous?

[coffeerevelsrule]

After flying I am wondering just how dangerous it really is to have phones not on airplane mode during the flight. As an anxious flyer I'm always struck by the fact that this is only mentioned once and not checked on. Surely it often happens that someone one board has a phone fully on? But I've never heard of an accident occurring due to it. I always have an urge to check everyone's phone is sorted and disconcerted by the casual way it is mentioned! I feel if it's not that big a deal they shouldn't mention it as it stresses me out, and if it is a big deal they should say more about it and make more of it, do spot checks with fines etc.

Hmm maybe because you persist in posting repeatedly with your expert knowledge sneering at everyone else. It's just rude and patronising. To be clear they did know and although I downplayed it I've worked in the aviation industry since the 90s, yes me and not my dog. So question it all you like, but maybe just do it in your head rather than insult everyone else who has a differing opinion.

Ok...I was planning to leave this alone but have to respond to that.

I don't think I generally have been persisting in posting whilst "sneering at everybody else," I've been trying my best, but there comes a point where it gets pretty overwhelming to keep getting the same "facts" (in reality often urban myths) repeatedly thrown back in your face with probably no credible reason...

At some point when discussing topics like this there surely there has to be recognition that just knowing a pilot (what licence, what aircraft..because that matters massively) or time spent in the passenger cabin (as a passenger or cabin crew) or at an airport probably doesn't give much insight into the tech side of aircraft or airline flying.

If there's no recognition of the above I guess maybe we just abandon Mumsnet to being a purveyor of unchallenged urban myth, or a place where reality is estabished via popular vote.

And how do we gain proof of your superior credentials?

I'm not about to give you my licence number and TBF I've never claimed my knowledge is superior...

I"ll happily acknowledge of this topic my knowledge will be worse than that of an avionics engineer, some of the current technical/training pilots or similar, but I suspect a bit better than that of the average passenger (even the frequent flyers) and a lot of other people who work in the industry but not on the flight deck.

So no more proof than anyone else on the thread then. You have been very dismissive of everyone else and pretty much called everyone liars. I'm done with this thread but maybe just consider your own credentials are no more proven than anyone else's.

I've been in this situation too, they came round and checked everyone.

But generally, there is no issue.

The extra checks prior to autoland in low vis are pretty standard and often a requirement of standard operating procedures.

For the last few flights I've been on (short haul), the air cabin crew or captain haven't asked for devices to be put on flight mode, so I haven't bothered. I would always do it if they ask.

Back in the old days you could sometimes here the phone trying to register on a network over the speakers. It would make a repeating sound.

Haven't heard it for ages and is probably now much reduced due to EMC requirements and phones working at different (higher) frequencies.

If phones really did pose a serious danger to planes then they would be dropping out of the sky on a regular basis, they would probably stop you using them by using frequency blockers so there would be no point having them and there would probably be some sort of mode built in where the phone could automatically be switched off on a plane via a broadcast signal. They might even get you to hand your phone in at the beginning of the flight.

@GasPanic
FWiW There's been talk if effectively equipping aircraft with their own base station to produce a what's been called a picocell...that would allow phone full functionalty current technology phone use on board.

Last I read I think the regulators were mostly OK with it but the airlines not so sure from a customer POV..

Apols for reviving this zombie thread but riddle me this please informed respondents, today I was on the back row of Club Europe on a European flight. Due to fog at the arrival airport we landed on instruments so everyone in economy was asked to switch their phones off completely. Nobody in Club Europe was asked at all. They came through the cabin collecting glasses and rubbish and checking seatbelts so plenty of opportunity but not a peep about phones, several were using them throughout landing. Meanwhile I could clearly hear/see the crew at the other side of the curtain checking economy phones were off.

What, and I cannot stress this strongly enough, the fuck was going on there?

Unless things have changed I'd suggest the most likely technical explanation is that someone screwed up.🤔

ETA : the fact you landed with some PEDs on kind of demonstrates the point that even with the darn things on it's highly unlikely these days they will cause problems, but the regulator has to think about the 1 in the 10 to the power of whatever event.

Pretty much all flights I've been on in the last few years at least tell you that you can turn your phone back on pretty much immediately after landing and whilst still taxiing back to the gate, so I'm not sure this is true.

Thank you @notimagain. I did wonder if the message just hadn’t got to CE crew. On a previous flight I’ve been on where this happened (EZY) it was tannoyed first and then reinforced by crew. Today was just crew in the Euro Traveller cabin.

I fly Qatar Airwaysband there's WiFi and nobody is told to switch their phones off at all. Its 2025, I dont think there's any longer a massive switch on of analogue phones upon landing, when was the last time you heard a beep beep beep interference? Or maybe you didnt hear it over the racket the Internet dial up was making. I have a work phone which looks like a 1990s Nokia but thats because I visit plate areas where espionage is a concern and also around H2S and dont want to send myself into orbit. But flying to Spain on crappojet? I dont think you need to worry about anything other than a lithium ion battery fire and an absence of ice.

Also, I dont think people sit in silence waiting for the crew to give them instructions anymore. I board, get changed, put in my airpods and go to sleep. Sometimes they leave me asleep until after landing with the seat still flat. I cant remember the last time I heard a pa announcement on a plane, I fly every month long haul.

Most long haul BA flights had WiFi from around 2018, though availability on shortfall was more patchy. Since 2019 most of their planes have had it, and from next year the roll out of free onboard WiFi for all passengers begins.