pilot

Ever wondered what happens if you accidentally forget to put your phone on airplane mode during a flight? One pilot shared the consequences of skipping this safety precaution

There are many safety precautions that come with travelling on a flight. Not only do you spend ages passing through security, then finding your all-important gate information, there’s quite a procedure on-board the flight too.

You’re sat down waiting for your plane to leave the gate, but first, you must have your armrests down, windows up and phones on airplane mode. Now have you ever wondered why you should always put your device on airplane mode? One pilot explained what actually happens if you forget the safety precaution in a YouTube post shared by WKYC Channel 3.

The cabin crew member claimed it’s simply “not a conspiracy” and that it’s hardly the “end of the world” if you were to forget.

He said in the video which scooped more than 26,000 views: “This is just a friendly PSA the airplane mode button on your phone is not a conspiracy.

“So if you forget to put your phone on airplane mode, no it’s not the end of the world, the plane will not fall out of the sky and it won’t even mess with the systems on board.

“However, it does have the potential to mess with the headsets, if you have an aircraft with 70, 80 or 150 people on board and even three or four people’s phones start to try to make a connection to a radio tower for an incoming phone call, it sends out radio waves, there’s the potential those radio waves can interfere with the headsets the pilots are using.”

The pilot also explained a situation in San Francisco where he experienced an “annoying buzz” with his headset when one traveller forgot their phone during take-off.

Describing it as a “mosquito”, he said: “And as soon as we started to get the directions, we got this really annoying buzz with the headset.

“Not the end of the world but definitely annoying when you’re trying to copy down instructions and it sounds like there’s a wasp or something lying around you. So if you’re ever curious why you get put on airplane mode, that’s why.”

Why should you put phone on airplane mode?

Interferes with aircraft: Your phone sends out radio waves and when there’s a large number of devices involved, it could disrupt sensitive cockpit communications and navigate equipment. This could create a buzzing sound or other noise in a pilot’s headset.

Air traffic control: Having your phone on airplane mode could interfere during take-off and landing when pilots rely on clear communication.

Battery life: Without airplane mode, your phone constantly searches for cell towers which can drain your battery.

A pilot has explained why you feel the unnerving sensation

An airline pilot has shed light on why aircraft seemingly lose power and ‘drop’ moments after take-off – and it is nothing to fret about. Taking to Instagram, flyman_simon – an Airbus A350 pilot who also works as a fear-of-flying coach – offered reassurance to nervous flyers everywhere.

According to figures from the International Air Transport Association, approximately 20 per cent of passengers experience some level of aviation anxiety. With over 4billion people taking to the skies annually, that represents a significant number of anxious travellers.

For those with a fear of flying, take-off and the initial few minutes airborne often prove the most unsettling. An Airbus A350 can tip the scales at over 300 tonnes during take-off, requiring substantial thrust to lift off the tarmac and ascend skyward.

Shortly after becoming airborne, the engines audibly reduce power whilst the aircraft’s nose appears to dip downwards, occasionally creating the illusion that the plane is descending.

“That ‘dropping’ feeling after take-off is just a sensation, not an actual drop,” flyman_simon clarified. “After lift-off we reduce thrust and ease the climb so the aeroplane can accelerate.

“The nose lowers slightly, the engines get quieter, and we start to clean up the wings – flaps and slats retract – to become more efficient. Your inner ear notices the nose lowering a drop on engine tone and can misread it as a dip, even though we are still climbing and accelerating.

“We also do this for a secondary reason: airport noise abatement, so we make less noise for the people living below our flight path, and to look after the engines by not using high power longer than needed.

“Soon after this sensation you will feel the speed build and the steady climb continue.

“So when it feels like a drop, remind yourself: we are climbing, the aircraft is getting sleeker and quieter, and you are on your way.”