Do you turn your cellphone off while flying or not? This question has tested the discipline (or perhaps the memory) of many over the last decade. But how dangerous is it really to leave your cellphone on during a flight?
Cellphone Survey
In a recent survey conducted by online travel agency Travelstart.co.za, it was established that up to 15 phones are left on during international flights and up to 5 phones are left on during domestic flights. The survey polled 7 600 South Africans, of whom 3% admitted to not switching their phones off during a flight at the request of flight attendants. This was compared with Namibian respondents, all of whom claimed to follow airline protocol and switch off their phones while flying.
Risk factor
According to the Huffington Post, experts’ opinions on this issue differs vastly. The general consensus, however, is that this rule was put in place at an earlier time, before people fully understood cellular technology’s effects and were – understandably – playing it safe. Chris Cook, a commercial pilot and Executive Travel columnist, claimed to have never experienced any technical interference resulting from cellphones while piloting.
However, when the same question was posted onto Quora, some very different answers were given. Chief pilot and flight instructor at The Flight Academy, John Fiscus, responded that cellphones can be responsible for a buzzing noise which interrupts communications between him and the control towers. He’d never experienced something as drastic as a full black-out, but warned that any miscommunication during landing has the potential to be fatal.
Photo from wallpapershop.net
Cellphones and other electronic devices also pose a problem for flight attendants who require customers’ full attention when explaining the safety procedures should an emergency evacuation be necessary.
Popular Consensus
It appears that Getaway Magazine fans on Facebook are evenly divided in their opinions on the topic, with comments ranging from ““Why on earth would they tell us to switch off for the fun of it??? Just switch off as told.” to “Over-exaggerated – I have several pilot friends who told me that they leave their phones on during the entire flight.” Unfortunately, the jury is still out on whether mobile devices really pose a threat to those travelling. We can expect that the civil aviation authorities will continue to play it safe by insisting that these devices remain off during flights for the foreseeable future.
Main image by Fredrik Olastuen
