Why do you have to turn off electrical devices on planes?

Question

What is the significance of 10,000 feet for the devices? You can turn them on above this altitude. Ipods, computers, they say anything with a battery. Why??

Answer 1

The airlines claim it is to prevent electrical problems with the navigation/control equipment of the plane.

Answer 2

All electrical devices produce an electro-magnetic field to a greater or lesser degree. As nearly all modern aircraft (passenger) are designed and built to be fly-by-wire this could be problematic.

Fly-by-wire means that the controls of the plane are not mechanically attached to what they are controlling but are attached by electrical wires that run throughout the aircraft.

Other electrical devices COULD cause the control to give a wrong signal or actually interrupt it altogether.

Would you want to risk that at 35,000 feet?

I sure as h**l wouldn't!

Answer 3

boo is right

Answer 4

Becuase the Airline told u to!

Since new electronic devices come out like every month, it would be impossible to test all of them so they simply tell you to turn them off during takeoff and landing (the most critical phases of flight). Even though it’s not an FAA rule, you can get charged with interfering with a flight crew and go to jail if you refuse to comply.

Answer 5

Have you ever left your cell phone near your alarm clock? You will hear this annoying clicking sound through the speakers even if the radio is turned off just before your phone rings this is due to the electromagnetic interference caused by the phone. Also if you have an older style CRT computer monitor place your cell phone on top with the computer turned on and have someone call you watch how the screen becomes all distorted.

Now consider that most aircraft are flow via autopilot with the pilots monitoring the aircrafts systems. Autopilots are simply put computers attached to sensors. The autopilot computer controls electric motors that manipulate the flight controls.

Now here is how we could get into trouble, electronic devises of all types emit some form of electromagnetic interference of some type. Just as your cell phone caused your compter monitor and your alarm clock to malfuntion they could cause an autopilot navigation or attitude sensor to send a false signal to the autopilot or cause one of the flight control motors to inadvertantly move the flight controls both of witch would not be good when flying down low with limited time for the pilots to react and save the day should the autopilot malfuntion. This becomes all the more critical when flying in low visability and clouds as the pilots cant look out the window and easily determine if the flight instruments are lying to them.

I will readily admit that 999,999 out million times nothing will happen but why incur the risk when it would be just as simple to have everyone turn off their electronic devices. Would you  want to be on that one in a millon flight? Are you willing to bet your life and the lives of everyone on the plane and those on the ground just so you could get an e-mail on your blackberry?

Answer 6

Mess with aircraft transponders

Answer 7

You should not have to. There is no evidence suggesting that signals from electrical devices interfere with planes

Answer 8

Actually you don't have to according to this new study. Check it out.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-2226...

Answer 9

because some electronic devices have been known to mess with the navagation systems. some electronic devices are allowed. its all right here:

§ 91.21   Portable electronic devices.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person may operate, nor may any operator or pilot in command of an aircraft allow the operation of, any portable electronic device on any of the following U.S.-registered civil aircraft:

(1) Aircraft operated by a holder of an air carrier operating certificate or an operating certificate; or

(2) Any other aircraft while it is operated under IFR.

(b) Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to—

(1) Portable voice recorders;

(2) Hearing aids;

(3) Heart pacemakers;

(4) Electric shavers; or

(5) Any other portable electronic device that the operator of the aircraft has determined will not cause interference with the navigation or communication system of the aircraft on which it is to be used.

(c) In the case of an aircraft operated by a holder of an air carrier operating certificate or an operating certificate, the determination required by paragraph (b)(5) of this section shall be made by that operator of the aircraft on which the particular device is to be used. In the case of other aircraft, the determination may be made by the pilot in command or other operator of the aircraft.