Anyone who has been on an airplane knows the standard rules that are announced by the pilot or flight attendants: Putting your phone on airplane mode and opening the blinds before landing are a few of the rules announced on any commercial flight, but what are the reasons for these?
Airplane Mode
The standard answer for this rule is that the cell phone signal interferes with the airplane radio signals. For those of us who have forgotten to change to airplane mode, we know that this hasn’t caused any plane malfunctions, so what is the real reason?
Cell phones really do interfere with radio signals. When the plane is moving fast, the phone is constantly trying to connect to a radio tower and this interferes with the airwaves. While it won’t cause too much interference if there are only a couple of phones doing this, if there are, say 40 or 50 phones, it can cause a big hindrance. Some pilots have reported hearing beeping sounds and static caused by passenger’s phones, and while it is not particularly dangerous, it can make their jobs harder and more annoying!
Opening Window Blinds
This rule has 2 reasons, both a safety aspect and a comfort aspect. To begin with, opening the blinds helps your eyes adjust to the natural light (or darkness) outside after a sleepy flight.
In addition, it helps the cabin crew have an overall view of what is going on outside. They are trained to evacuate everyone in 90 seconds, so if they are able to see and have a head start, those few seconds can be helpful in the case of an emergency. Lastly, it helps the next flight crew check the wings and ice in the winter, so why not help the next passengers get out on time!
