A commercial pilot who answers travel questions on his social media platform recently responded to his most controversial question yet: Do you really need to put your phone in airplane mode? The pilot, who posts to Instagram as @pilotpete.fly, didn’t mince words with his answer.
The pilot began with his background, stating that, in his years of aviation experience, he has served as a captain, co-captain, and first officer, and has sat in the jump seat. In other words, he’s spent a lot of hours in the air.
Next, Pilot Pete stated, “I’ve personally never seen anything go wrong with the airplane or its navigation equipment or radio equipment by people not putting their phones on airplane mode.”
The pilot’s revelation aligns with a 2012 FAA study that found no confirmed reports of cell phones disrupting aviation equipment on foreign airlines. However, the situation is more complicated than it might appear.
But there’s more to the story
A waist-up shot of a male passenger taking a picture on their phone out of an aeroplane window. He is wearing comfortable casual clothing.
(SolStock via Getty Images)After he got that basic information out of the way, the pilot stated, “With that being said, it is required.”
Pilot Pete added that passengers have a legal obligation to follow the flight crew’s instructions. This means that if a flight attendant asks you to put your phone in airplane mode, you are legally required to do so.
Why is airplane mode required?
Sunset sky view from the airplane window with man hand with smart phone
(Sasithorn Phuapankasemsuk via Getty Images)The airplane mode requirement has long been a divisive issue. In fact, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler petitioned Congress to drop the ban in 2013. He felt it should be a decision left to the airlines.
Congress famously refused to honor Wheeler’s request. At the time, some members expressed concern that fights would break out if passengers were allowed to make calls on the plane.
Can airlines tell if your phone is on?
Flight crews don’t have access to technology that lets them check whether your phone is in airplane mode. This doesn’t mean an experienced flight crew won’t catch you, though. In 2011, actor Alec Baldwin was kicked off a flight after he refused to stop playing the phone-based Scrabble game, Words with Friends.
More recently, a plane returned to the gate to remove a passenger after he refused to turn off his phone. His refusal and subsequent attitude lost him a seat on the plane. So, regardless of how you feel about the issue, it’s important to follow the rules.
The bottom line
Even though there isn’t a technical reason to turn your phone on airplane mode, there is a legal one.
