Clueless flight attendant to passenger: Turn off that iPhone movie NOW!
Summary: My colleague Tom Krazit notes a Consumerist report that an ATA Airlines flight attendant tried to get a passengerto turn off his iPhone because, well, cell phones are not allowed to be used in flight and he was watching a movie on his iPhone.The passenger, who we know as Casey, tried to explain to the flight attendant that the iPhone was in airplane mode, really truly.
My colleague Tom Krazit notes a Consumerist report that an ATA Airlines flight attendant tried to get a passengerto turn off his iPhone because, well, cell phones are not allowed to be used in flight and he was watching a movie on his iPhone.
The passenger, who we know as Casey, tried to explain to the flight attendant that the iPhone was in airplane mode, 
really truly.
If you've flown at all, you know that as a general rule, airplane mode use is generally allowed above 10,000 feet. And hey guess what, the plane was above the Pacific Ocean.
The passenger was briefly detained in Hawaii but was allowed to go.
There are two aspects of this story that strike me as at least somewhat relevant.
As Tom writes:
First of all, "airplane mode" doesn't appear to be a universally defined state of being by the FCC, FAA, the airlines or the mobile phone industry, and perhaps it should. Apple's Web page on the iPhone's airplane mode clearly states, "If you turn on airplane mode, the wireless features of iPhone are disabled, and if allowed by the aircraft operator and applicable laws and regulations (emphasis mine), you can continue to use the non-wireless features after takeoff.
Probably this is a good juncture to note how Apple explains iPhone's airplane mode:
Turn on airplane mode to disable the wireless features of iPhone on a plane.
- Tap Settings and turn airplane mode on.
When airplane mode is on, 
appears in the status bar at the top of the screen, and no cell phone, radio, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth signals are emitted from iPhone. When airplane mode is on, you can still do things like:
- Listen to music
- Watch video (bold face is mine)
- Check your calendar
- Take or view pictures
- Hear alarms
- Use the stopwatch or timer
- Use the calculator
- Take notes
- Read text messages and email messages stored on iPhone
When airplane mode is on, you can’t make calls, send text messages, surf the web, or check for new email.
OH, yes, my second point.
I'd also say a degree of knowledge about cell phones isn't a common attribute among flight crews. I mean, on two of the last five flights I have been on, the OK-in-airplane-mode announcement cited "Palm Pilots."
Palm Pilots haven't been made in several years and are now rarely used. So would you expect a flight attendant who still refers to some handsets as "Palm Pilots" to know what is, or isn't airplane mode on an iPhone?
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Talkback
Wireless In the Air
RIght on.
OK, they don't quite say it like that but you know what I mean.
fees don't replace education
In the corporate world, they apparently do
Thus the issue reduces to one in which, as soon as the airlines figure out how to provide an on-board cellular hub and charge for it, the alleged hazard of cell phone use will magically be declared solved.
Mind you, considering the selfish lack of consideration for others displayed by many cell phone users, that is not a day to which I look forward.
MythBusters - Confirmed
[i]It was found that cell phone signals, specifically those in the 800-900 MHz range, did intefere with unshielded cockpit instrumentation. Because older aircraft with unshielded wiring can be affected, and because of the possible problems that may arise by having many airborne cell phones "seeing" multiple cell phone towers, the FCC (via enforcement through the FAA) still deems it best to err on the safe side and prohibit the use of cell phones while airborne.[/i]
I remembered the basics of episode's conclusions, but had to look it up for the details.
It is better to be foolishly cautious than the alternative
Back to the point, wireless phones absolutely get picked up by the radio gear in an aircraft, and other electrical systems. In a fly by wire aircraft, it is NOT inconceivable that this radio traffic could affect the flight systems. They concede the odds of it being more than a temporary blip is about a billion to one, odds of bringing down an aircraft a trillion to one, but tell me, the terrible "what if" some how, some way, it ever did?
As already noted, the odds of all wireless being off on any given flight is about zero, and given enough time, and de-facto in flight testing, these restrictions will eventually go away, but I think making fun of a non tech savvy flight attendant who's job it is to keep you save and comfortable, not be up to date on Apple iPhone firware update beta 6 3.1.2.4.5xpw3.a is not the way to go.
Lobby, or start a movement to standardize "Airplane Mode".
TripleII
Wrong idiot
Mythbusters tested an A320, cool.
http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=23
[B]The A320 is perhaps best known as the first airliner to introduce a fly-by-wire flight control system - where control inputs from the pilot are transmitted to the flying surfaces by electronic signals rather than mechanical means.[/B]
As well, what part of this was unclear?
[B]They concede the odds of it being more than a temporary blip is about a billion to one, odds of bringing down an aircraft a trillion to one, but tell me, the terrible "what if" some how, some way, it ever did?[/B]
Did you try this, tell me what you hear.
[B]Now, for anyone who wants to, if you have Cingular or T-Mobile, place your phone close to your receiver or speaker and send yourself a text.[/B]
Now, for my final point, the idea that
[I]The reason that you can't use your cellphone on an airplane is not because it will interfere with the in-flight instruments but because it forces you to use the in-flight phone on the back of your seat.[/I]
Doesn't really make any sense since American doesn't have any of those phones anymore (granted, I fly domestic mostly, so can't state on international flights)
Speaking of idiot knee jerk posts. I'd hate to use products you system test, one failure to cause any trouble in a mock up does not mean EVERYTHING is OK. As I said, once enough de-facto testing happens, they will eventually realize cell phones are not going to bring one down, however, during takeoff and landing, I would not expect to see 200 people happily sending texts and talking.
Maybe, if you took 2 1/.5 year common core and had a minor in aeronautics, you would know just how close to the margins of safety a takeoff and landing is.
TripleII
not to mention...
Anyone can watch tv and quote the show, but...it doesn't make them an expert on the material. (Besides I also know someone who busted a Mythbuster bust anyway...over jamming a police radar - he used another radar and jammed ...a little more than just the cops, heh)
Myth Busters
Not quite.
One further complication...
there is the phenomenon called intermodulation. Simply put, any two (or more)
radio frequencies combine and put out signals at other, non-harmonic frequencies.
For example, a 100MHz signal and a 150MHz signal can combine to send out
signals at 250MHz and 50MHz (A+B, A-B).
It's more complex than that, especially when more than two frequencies are
involved, but that's the general idea.
So, while your cell phone may not cause problems, what about your cellphone, plus
the next guy's phone, and the other guy's computer?
By the way, it's not just an RF effect. Play a tone at 1000Hz, and another at
1010Hz. They'll cause a beat frequency of 10Hz. Very obvious to the ear.
For more information, Google "intermodulation" and "beat frequency."
Additional Complications - external
SuperHeterodyne radios...
Yes, I see that I listed 3 numbers when I said there were two distinct frequencies. That's because the IF stage was a result, not a distinct frequency.
(I gotta be honest. I don't know if digital AM radios still utilize the IF stage, but I doubt it. Anybody who knows, let me know as well. Thanks.)
Anyway, a great number of frequencies all bouncing around in a fusalage might be a problem.
In case you missed it...
Think about it, though, planes withstand direct hits with bolts of lightning. I never believed the interference story.
Sean Gum
"Interference" or a ploy to gouge passengers?
Not likely
The fact is that, to BE SURE that no problems can result requires testing (and you haven't SEEN rigorous testing until you've tried to certify something for airplane use!) and there is no-one interested enough to pay for the testing for EACH and EVERY model of phone they make, on EACH and EVERY FAA certified airplane, in EACH and EVERY configuration that has been approved.
Especially for a model of phone that will likely have a sales 'window' of 6 months or so.
Not a conspiracy, not stupid, not 'off the wall', and not necessary to change. As Triplell points out - why take a chance for no net benefit? There are tough standards for 'interference resistance' for the plane manufacturers to meet - so the chances of problems are small - but surely we can go a few hours without the flipping phone??
Perhaps you should stay inside your house
Anyone w/ a "EE"
2. The frequencies emitted by "legal" wireless devices are on completely different frequencies than Aircraft.
3. Having repaired and tested Avionics I know that the insensitivity to frequencies out of band is tested and certified.
The bottom line is, is that the Aviation Community is extremely cautious, beyond what can be supported by Technological Means.
Now, if I were to take a CB Radio and a 1KW "Foot-Warmer" and lit it off... I would expect a good bit of feed-through and "interesting: results.
I would expect the systems to fully recover as soon a the key was released, though.
Probably not a good thing to do during take-off or landing.
BTW... We used to have a whole back-end of comm-gear 1KW and higher... Never saw a problem. Ever.
EE? Not some I've known...
I would far prefer to have a Amateur Extra class Ham operator who has played around with RF and RFI issues for 20 years or more, or someone who is military trained in avionics design and implementation--preferably MSGT or less (those of higher rank are usually too eggheaded to think in practical terms)--to speak to the issues.
As one of the former (>25 years, plus approx. 40 years when first FCC licensed for broadcast, w/radar endorsement), I suspect that madrucke's BTW comment is dead-on: "Never saw a problem. Ever."
On the other hand, I'm not surprised to hear a flight attendant speak of Palm Pilots, as a friend recently asked me if my Windows Mobile 6 was "a good Palm Pilot to buy" <sigh>.