The Reason Mobile Phones Must Be In Airplane Mode During Flights, This Is What The Pilot Said

Pilot illustration (Pexels/Kelly)

JAKARTA - When flight attendants remind you to activate flight mode on your phone before the plane takes off, you should do it. Airplane mode is considered safer to activate before flights start.

In a viral video on TikTok that has been watched nearly 900 thousand times, a US Army airline pilot and veteran with the username @perchpoint reveals the real reason why passengers should activate airplane mode.

Reported by VOI from the Fox News page on Friday, December 13, 2024, the pilot explained that activating aircraft mode is not a conspiracy theory.

"If you forget to activate airplane mode, the world will not end, the plane will not fall from the sky, and it will not interfere with the system on board. However, this has the potential to disrupt the headset," said the pilot.

According to him, flights with more than 70 passengers are likely to be affected, if 3-4 people forget to activate aircraft mode.

If this function is not enabled, there is a possibility that phones that are still active can be connected to the radio tower if there is an incoming call, which then emits radio waves.

"There is a potential for radio waves to interfere with radio waves in the headsets used by the pilots," he said.

Active phones can interfere with frequency and limit the pilot's ability to communicate with the parties needed.

In the video, the pilot shares a real experience when an unregulated phone to airplane mode causes interference.

"Last night in San Francisco, we just left the gate, spoke with ground officials, cut connections from the tug, started the engine, and after the plane turned around, we started heading for the taxi line," he said.

However, when he asked for permission to determine the path of the plane to the runway, he began to hear thunderous sounds on his headset.

"When I asked for directions, there was a echoing sound that was very disturbing, like a mosquito in my ear," he explained.

For him, the sound of the buzz can make it difficult for the pilot to hear the instructions clearly.

The video provoked a lot of reactions on social media. Many users admit that they just found out the importance of activating airplane mode while flying.

"I don't understand why anyone doesn't activate airplane mode. I don't want to take the slightest risk to someone else's life, especially in the air," commented a TikTok user.

"You should have announced this directly on the plane to the passengers," wrote another user.

Several other users confirmed the pilot's statement, sharing experiences about similar glitches in their work involving the use of headsets.

"I work in theaters, and our cable communication devices are often disturbed by the sound of dust when there is text messages or incoming calls in the same room. I think that's also what you hear. So I always activate airplane mode," commented one user.

"I have a radio show, and I always ask my guests to activate airplane mode. If they receive a call, it creates a loud buzz on the broadcast," added another user.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prohibits the use of mobile phones actively while flying.

"The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the FAA prohibit the use of mobile phones in the air because the signal can interfere with important instruments on the plane. Devices must be used in aircraft mode or with a mobile connection disabled." wrote the FAA website.