Have you ever been terrified that if you don’t put your phone in airplane mode before the cabin doors close, you could make disastrous navigational mistakes? You’re not by yourself if so.
As much a part of flying as fastening your seat belt or putting your tray table away is the custom of switching phones into airplane mode. However, the idea that our personal gadgets might bring down an airplane is mostly a fantasy of the modern day. Let’s dispel the myth and examine why the recent European decision to permit data usage and phone conversations on flights is unlikely to bring about the airborne apocalypse that many people dread.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned cell phone use on airplanes in the early 1990s due to possible interference with ground networks, which is when the airplane mode myth first emerged. Today, these worries are moot due to the advent of ‘pico-cells’, or tiny mobile networks inside airplanes, and other technological developments. The myth was further disproved in 2012 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which found almost no evidence of cell phones interfering with aviation systems. However, the regulation remained in place, primarily due to worries about “air rage” rather than technical constraints.
The unpleasant phenomena known as “air rage,” which is aimed against other passengers or the flight crew, has significantly increased in the last few years. Air anger was confirmed as a real problem in the sky when the FAA recorded a 300% spike in rowdy passenger events between 2018 and 2020. Given this background, it is evident why the illusion of aircraft mode’s necessity has persisted: maintaining cabin tranquility is more important than safeguarding against technology disruption.
Notwithstanding these misgivings, the European Union took a bold step in 2022 and allowed data and phone calls during flights, provided that the airlines equipped themselves with pico-cells to regulate the signals. This decision, which is predicated on 20 years of safe mobile phone enhancements, suggests that the real danger presented by phones is not to aircraft navigation but rather to the passengers’ collective sanity.
It’s interesting to note that the constant imposition of airplane mode underscores a bigger social conflict between our innate need for control in a situation where we have little and our shared dread of flight. Even though the science doesn’t justify it, passengers participate in a collective act of faith by adhering to the airplane mode ritual and make a tiny sacrifice at the shrine of air travel safety.
Despite our urge to preserve these traditions, it’s essential to remember that the primary cause airplane mode continues to be observed today is not due to safety reasons but because of civility. In reality, modern aircraft are prepared to deal with the signals regardless of a phone’s cellular function being on or off. Technologies like pico-cells, now more than 20 years old, have allayed concerns regarding ground network interference that originally resulted in the FCC ban.
A curious intersection of technology, human behavior, and governmental action is brought forth by the current debate on airplane mode and using personal gadgets in flight. The question is whether the specter of air rage will continue the myth or whether a new era in-flight connectivity will be ushered in as Europe takes the lead in reconsidering these laws.
Perhaps it’s time to rethink the ritual of going into airplane mode as we fasten our seat belts for our next trip. The skies could get to be a haven of connected peace rather than detached tension once safety concerns are largely resolved and technology solutions put in place. The path to a more connected, less myth-bound sky is already being mapped out. But the transition may not be easy because old habits and phobias are hard to break. Next time you fly, keep in mind that the serenity of the cabin, not the aircraft, is the biggest danger that your phone poses.
Related posts:
You Don’t Need to Use Airplane Mode on Airplanes
You Don’t Need to Use Airplane Mode on Airplanes
Do You Really Need To Put Your Phone In Airplane Mode For A Flight?
