by Every now and then you learn something that makes you question all of your life decisions.
For me, this meant realizing that you don’t really need to wait for food to cool before putting leftovers in the fridge – most modern fridges are smart enough to handle the extra heat.
And now it seems that my previous attitude towards airplane mode (basically I thought it was a wrong rule that no longer applies) was also wrong.
In a recent TikTok, a pilot with the username @perchpoint said, “This is just a friendly PSA reminder that the airplane button on your phone is not a conspiracy.”
So what does it do?
“If you forget to put your phone on airplane mode, it’s not the end of the world – the plane won’t fall out of the sky,” the pro informed us (phew).
It also won’t mess up any of the onboard systems that help pilots navigate.
But the pilot added: “There is definitely the potential to interfere with the headsets.” – I wonder if this is similar to the hum of my 2000s stereo when I get a call.
When “three or four people’s phones try to connect to a cell tower for an incoming call, it emits radio waves,” the TikTok user shared.
And there is a possibility that these radio waves could interfere with pilots’ headset information since they use the same channels to communicate.
He says the phone calls can create a “really annoying buzz” through the headset, which he himself experienced on a recent flight.
“It kind of sounds like I have a mosquito in my ear.”
Is it just phones?
Skyscanner travel expert Laura Lindsay told Conde Nast Traveler that the list doesn’t end there.
“While most cell phones do not emit strong radio waves, devices such as Kindles, iPods, laptops and even handheld game consoles also emit radio waves, especially in compact spaces,” she told the publication.
If there’s one person I don’t want to be distracted, it’s the pilot – so I think I can forego the addictive Kindle reading while I’m on board.
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