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PA comic: Wednesday Oct. 12, 2011 - The Line

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Posts

  • OptyOpty Registered User regular
    Back when cell phones were first invented and airplanes wanted to hold on to that sweet dollar a minute airphone cash, they probably came up with "hey look, you know how you can sometimes hear your cell phone pinging on your speakers at home? Well that can make planes crash, so don't use your phone, kay?" Nowadays I don't know why they keep up the practice, even though using a cell phone on a commercial flight probably wouldn't have that good of reception due to the towers being below you rather than above you.

  • TeeManTeeMan BrainSpoon Registered User regular
    A few weeks ago I had the awkward conversation of trying to explain to the air hostess that my Kindle actually is off, as off as it could possibly be, even though there was a static e-ink print on the reader. Took a little while to explain because they're not exactly ubiquitous in my part of the world.

    I have since purchased a case.

    steam_sig.png
  • Blake TBlake T Do you have enemies then? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered User regular
    There are currently 75 incidents in the FAA's files that state mobile phones may (MAY) have been a contributing factor.

    The other thing to remember is that airplanes can be up to 30 years old and still putting around in the sky.

    I look at it as a bonus as people aren't talking on their phones.

  • SabreMauSabreMau ネトゲしよう 판다리아Registered User regular
    Are they measuring the interference from one cell phone or from ~100 cell phones being used all at once?

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    Opty wrote:
    Back when cell phones were first invented and airplanes wanted to hold on to that sweet dollar a minute airphone cash, they probably came up with "hey look, you know how you can sometimes hear your cell phone pinging on your speakers at home? Well that can make planes crash, so don't use your phone, kay?" Nowadays I don't know why they keep up the practice, even though using a cell phone on a commercial flight probably wouldn't have that good of reception due to the towers being below you rather than above you.
    Actually, it's been demonstrated that phones can be safely used on planes. The issue is that letting people use their mobiles on planes would make flying even more unbearable than it already is, so they are loathe to allow it.

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • Jam WarriorJam Warrior Registered User regular
    It's quite simple.

    Current devices and technology probably don't have any effect on the running of a plane. There is a non-zero chance that future devices might. Testing and keeping rules up to date is much more effort than a blanket ban.

    That and the social factor that they want you to be concentrating at that point and have a minumum of shit that could fly around out of your hands if things get bumpy.

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  • jackaljackal Fuck Yes. That is an orderly anal warehouse. Registered User regular
    TeeMan wrote:
    A few weeks ago I had the awkward conversation of trying to explain to the air hostess that my Kindle actually is off, as off as it could possibly be, even though there was a static e-ink print on the reader. Took a little while to explain because they're not exactly ubiquitous in my part of the world.

    I have since purchased a case.

    If you hold the power switch for seven seconds it will blank the screen and turn completely off. This probably isn't any more off than sleep is, but since it blanks the screen I assume it is for the satisfaction of flight attendants.

  • Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    and have a minumum of shit that could fly around out of your hands if things get bumpy.

    that reason doesn't make sense. You're still allowed to have, say, books out

    have you ever snuck and tried to use your cellphone during a flight? It doesn't work. It can't reach any of the cell towers on the ground. So, it kind of doesn't matter what the reason is, you couldn't use them even if you were allowed to.

  • Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    jackal wrote:
    TeeMan wrote:
    A few weeks ago I had the awkward conversation of trying to explain to the air hostess that my Kindle actually is off, as off as it could possibly be, even though there was a static e-ink print on the reader. Took a little while to explain because they're not exactly ubiquitous in my part of the world.

    I have since purchased a case.

    If you hold the power switch for seven seconds it will blank the screen and turn completely off. This probably isn't any more off than sleep is, but since it blanks the screen I assume it is for the satisfaction of flight attendants.

    just flip it over. They really don't examine things that closely

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    and have a minumum of shit that could fly around out of your hands if things get bumpy.

    that reason doesn't make sense. You're still allowed to have, say, books out

    have you ever snuck and tried to use your cellphone during a flight? It doesn't work. It can't reach any of the cell towers on the ground. So, it kind of doesn't matter what the reason is, you couldn't use them even if you were allowed to.

    This is lies. I've been on flights where
    a) Somebody has made a call
    b) A phone has started ringing in a bag

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • jackaljackal Fuck Yes. That is an orderly anal warehouse. Registered User regular
    As I understand it cellphones may work on planes if you are over an area with coverage. Unfortunately you will be changing towers far faster than usual so it can make things difficult on the system.

  • jwalkjwalk Registered User regular
    75 "maybe" incidents, in 10 years.

    there are 28,000 flights, every day, in the US alone.

    700 million passengers fly on commercial flights every year in the US.

    7 billion in 10 years, 75 out of 7 billion is .. 0.000001%

    so, the odds are... "low".

  • tezzertezzer 94035Registered User new member
    There are a number of reasons to turn off your devices, any one of which is sufficient. In order of importance:
    1) The most dangerous part of flying is from the ground to 10,000 feet (in both directions). If something happens, you need to be paying attention. You also need to be unencumbered if you need to move quickly.
    2) Old analog cell phones very definitely interfered with air-to-ground radios; digital devices less so, but as someone noted, technology moves faster than the FAA can test things.
    3) When your cell phone can't reach a tower it ups the power and tries again. It may hit a power level and a signal structure that causes coupling with the aircraft's data bus.
    4) Pilots I work with claim there is definitely interference in the navigation and radio systems, even in modern planes. It's minor and annoying, but it's there. If everybody was transmitting, it may get more than annoying.

    Source: I work for NASA researching the next generation of air traffic control systems, and have a lot of contact with pilots and controllers.

  • Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    Posting fromy phone

    On am airplane

  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    Posting fromy phone

    On am airplane

    No, Speed Racer, No!

  • Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    MichaelLC wrote:
    Posting fromy phone

    On am airplane

    No, Speed Racer, No!

    the typos make it especially clear that I was typing it on my iPhone while trying to hide it from the flight attendant

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