Most of us are familiar with the flight operations and rules of passenger aircraft, such as raising the blinds to see if it’s an emergency.
In order for us to get out of the queue quickly, the chairs must be upright and the tables in front of us must be closed.
And cell phones should be set to flight mode to avoid an onboard emergency, right?
Air navigation and communications depend on radio services and have been coordinated since the 1920s to minimize interference between them.
The digital technology used today is more advanced than some of the older analog technologies we used 60 years ago. Research has shown that personal electronic devices can transmit a signal in the same frequency range to communication and air navigation systems, creating so-called electromagnetic interference.
But in 1992, the US Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing investigated the use of electronic devices and interference with aircraft flight systems in an independent study and found no problems with computers or other personal electronic equipment during of non-critical flight phases (takeoff and takeoff). landings are considered critical stages).
The US Federal Communications Commission has also begun creating dedicated frequency bands for various uses such as cell phones, aircraft navigation, and communications so that they do not interfere with each other.
Governments around the world have implemented similar strategies and policies to prevent interference in aviation. Electronic devices have been allowed to remain switched on while flying in the European Union since 2014.
So why does the airline industry continue to ban cell phone use when such international standards are in place? One problem with something you might not expect is land encroachment.
Wireless networks are connected through a series of towers; Networks can become overloaded if passengers flying on these ground networks are all using their phones.
The number of passengers traveling in 2021 will be more than 2.2 billion, which is half of 2019. Wireless companies may have a special opinion here.
And of course, when it comes to mobile networks, the biggest change in recent years is the transition to a new standard. Current 5G wireless networks, which are preferred for faster data transmission, have worried many in the aviation industry.
RF bandwidth is limited, but we are still trying to add more new devices to it. The aviation industry reports that 5G wireless network bandwidth is relatively close to reserved aviation bandwidth, which could cause interference with navigation systems that help planes land near airports.
Airport operators in Australia and the United States have expressed aviation safety concerns regarding the rollout of 5G networks, but appear to be isolated from such issues in the European Union. Either way, it’s wise to limit cell phone use on board while resolving issues related to the 5G network.
Most airlines now offer paid or free Wi-Fi services to their customers. Using new Wi-Fi technologies, passengers can use their mobile phones to make video calls with friends or customers on board.
On a recent flight, Doug Drury, Professor/Head of Aviation at CQUniversity Australia, spoke to a flight attendant and asked him what he thought about phone use on flights.
It is said that it is annoying for the cabin crew to wait for the passengers to finish their call to ask if they want something to drink or something to eat. On a plane with more than 200 passengers, the service will take longer to complete if everyone is on the phone.
For the researcher, the problem with airplane phone use is more related to the social experience of more than 200 people talking on the plane at the same time.
As disruptive passenger behaviors increase, including “air rage,” in-flight phone use may be another motivator that changes the entire flight experience.
Disruptive behavior takes many forms, from not wearing seat belts and following safety requirements to verbal arguments with other passengers and cabin crew, to physical arguments, commonly known as “air rage.”
In conclusion – the use of telephones in aircraft does not currently impair the operation of the aircraft. However, the cabin crew may choose not to delay providing flight service to all passengers due to this use.
However, 5G technology infringes on the radio frequency domain of air navigation systems; We will need more research to answer the 5G question about interfering with aircraft navigation during landing.
Source: Science Alert
Source: Arabic RT
