If you’ve ever flown in a commercial plane, you’ve probably been told to turn off your cell phone during the flight. Now, you have also probably been led to believe that the use of a cell phone could interfere with the operation of the aircraft. Well, I never believed that using a cell phone could have any effect on a commercial plane – and I have asked pilots in the past about it, and they agree (and here is a link to someone else that thinks similarly). So where does this “rule” come from? Could using a cell phone “bring down a plane”? If there really is a threat, wouldn’t it make sense to at least have some way of detecting such devices, for the safety of the passengers?

I think that the only reasons airlines might have for barring the use of cell phones could be

1. They want peoples’ attention during the pre-flight safety thing
2. They’d prefer individuals to make phone calls using the on-board $$$ phones
3. Cell phone companies complained so much in the past about users on aircraft.

What is the real purpose?I have personally used cell phones on aircraft many times, and (if you can get reception) they absolutely do not have any affect whatsoever on the aircraft.

The whole notion that a cell phone could affect an aircraft, and the fact that airlines know nothing about how many phones are actually turned on during a flight, indicates to me that either there is no threat, or the airline simply doesn’t care.

Let’s not even talk about GPS receivers. Incredible what airline workers will tell you…