What happens if your phone's not in airplane mode?

Most travelers perceive the request to put their smartphone in airplane mode as a formality that does not affect safety. But a real pilot explained how not complying with this requirement can create problems for the crew during the most critical stages of the flight.

Express writes about it.

How phone radio signals interfere with pilots' headsets

The pilot emphasized that the airplane mode switch is not a "conspiracy theory". If several passengers leave their mobile phones on at the same time, the devices begin to actively search for cell towers for incoming calls and send pulses that can interfere with headsets.

"The plane won't fall out of the sky in this situation, but it will make a buzzing sound in your headphones that sounds like a mosquito. It's really annoying when you have to write down the controller's instructions during landing," he explained.

During takeoff and landing, pilots rely on ground services, as visibility in the cockpit is limited. Any additional noise from phones can interfere with their ability to concentrate on their conversations with controllers, when safety depends on the accuracy of every command.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires all passengers to switch their devices to airplane mode for the entire flight. In addition to following the rules, this is a basic act of respect for others: background signals from gadgets should not interfere with the crew's ability to provide a comfortable and safe flight.

In the past, phones without airplane mode could even overload cellular networks near airports: during takeoff and landing, dozens of devices would try to connect to multiple towers at the same time.

As for the pilots' tablets and phones, their electronics undergo special tests that guarantee that there is no harmful effect on the onboard systems. So the rules for passengers remain the same: turn off mobile communication and do not distract the crew during critical phases of the flight.

As a reminder, the simple habit of placing your smartphone face down can be an unexpectedly effective trick. It reduces the number of visual distractions, saves battery power, and helps you concentrate better during conversations or work.

We also wrote that a smartphone discharges even in standby mode: up to 20% of the charge can disappear overnight. One of the reasons is activity in the background, in particular, the work of unreliable VPN applications that "suck" the battery while the device is supposedly resting.