A lot of comments are saying flights in the EU are still asking passengers to put their cell phones in airplane mode. That may be true but as of over a year ago the airlines are no longer required to say that. In 2022 they ruled that all member nations must make 5G available to airplanes by June 30, 2023. More and more flights in the EU are now allowing 5G cell phones to be used during flights meaning they’re not in airplane mode. More info at the article below. www.bbc.com/news/technology-63786591.amp
Mark, as an airline pilot, if I thought for a moment that the safety of the flight depends on trusting that every one of the multitude of passengers in the back actually complied and had their phone in airplane mode, I’d do something else for a living.
Airline pilot here, the amount of times I've seen a message mid flight saying "welcome to X country" as you get random signal when you've forgotten to use flight mode. I'm still alive so far. The frequency thing is real though, Boeing had a notice out for a long time about 5G and rad alt interference, but it's now fixed.
Not putting your cell phone on airplane mode drains your battery because it’s constantly searching for a connection. But also people talking on the phone during the safety demo distracts you and the people around you when you should be paying attention
I'm just glad that they've moved on from saying that any radio frequency has the potential to interfere. I remember when Airplane Mode turned off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth too. I think I remember when you couldn't turn them back on without disabling Airplane Mode.
@@_apsis maybe it's an Android/iPhone thing, but it's been some years since my phone has turned off all radio when switching on Airplane Mode, which makes sense since you're allowed to use Bluetooth and they provide WiFi on the plane.
Samsung A32 airplane mode will turn off BT and Wifi as well as cell signal. However, now they can be turned back on individually while remaining in Airplane mode.
One of the many problems in life where the answer is "just move to Europe"... In all seriousness, I don't think this is accurate. The FAA doesn't restrict cell phone usage due to disruption of the planes, but its the FCC who originally passed restrictions to prevent disruption to the cell towers on the ground. 200 cell phones connecting to dozens of towers could be a problem
Yup. This video is also not accurate, phones can go onto different channels on the same frequency to now collide with each other, they also have technology to make sure no other signal is disturbed. That’s why we have FCC Regulations and testing.
As a German, yes they do say on every flight to put all devices in airplane mode but I always wondered why exactly that was a rule so thanks for explaining ❤
It's radio altimeter. And generally, planes don't need precise AGL readings when heading into runways. There are also barometric altimeters for MSL readings
The main problem is that the phones end up communicating with cell networks over much longer distances than normal and that can cause issues with the cell phone networks. The aircraft are mostly not bothered. But many planes these days have microcell service which puts the phones in very low power transmitter mode which means the signal doesn't go nearly so far.
I heard an interview with a senior authority in a europian airline. They still want your devices in flight safe mode because they dont want people yapping away on their phones during take off and landing
Why don't they just tell us information in a nice graphic like Mark has done here? I think it'd be much more effective in compelling compliance than just dropping the info without any context.
When I studied telecommunications I learned that the biggest problem is, if your device manages to connect to a tower. The handover between towers cannot handle the speed of which you are traveling. It's almost as if you're in multiple zones at once. That confuses the network. Planes themselves are fine.
They are also producing inteference for the still analogue radio communication and can cause pilots to misunderstand tower orders. This has caused ground collisions.
The rule originally came from a time when aircraft technology and cell phone signals weren't as advanced. The concern was that older devices emitting certain frequencies might interfere with unprotected electronics, but today's planes are designed to handle such signals without issue.
I’m glad Mark is making a video on this because I’m 100% sure the people who needed to hear this message is going to listen to Mark over the flight attendants. 😂🤣
The real reason you should use airplane mode is because cell towers point their signal down, so its a lot harder to get a signal. On top of that, if youre flying at 4-500mph, youre going to be going in and out of range of towers very quickly. So your phone is going to strengthen its radio signal to try harder to connect to a tower. Its just going to drain your battery super fast.
Imagine being on a full flight with everyone chatting away about BS. Its bad enough in a doctors office. Being trapped in an airplane with a lot of people on their phones sounds like a nightmare.
Today's Fact: In 2021, astronomers detected the highest-energy photons ever seen from a gamma-ray burst, providing new clues about the most extreme events in the universe.
So THAT'S why you can turn Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on while your phone is in Plane Mode. Wi-Fi works on 2.4 or 5 GHz, Bluetooth works on 2.4 GHz as well, so they don't interfere with plane navigation systems
Bah moi je suis allé au Maroc en avion et ils ne nous ont rien dis. Pourtant, toute les personnes à cotés de moi mettaient le mode avion. Moi aussi, par réflexe...
I saw a video explaining this. cellphone signals can only travel out sideways from the windows while plane signals can transmit directly downwards to towers
I'm from Europe. They say to put to airplane mode in all countries I visited. And this includes Italy, Albania, Spain, UK, Ireland, Germany, Belgium. All these told us to put phone to airplane mode.
Are we forgetting that planes are basically faraday cages and the only exit is the windows... so phone signals dont even reach the towers after take off
I've read it's mostly because phones on the plane would try to hook all the towers in range (something possible during takeoff and landing) messing up the communication network underground.
Im from Portugal and here in Europe they always ask to put the devices in the airplane mode. At least on the low cost airlines like Ryanair, Wizzair and Easyjet.
airline pilot here, planes now days are fitted with better technology than the airliners had in the 1960s meaning absolutely nothing would happen if your phone was not in flight mode!
They also STILL put non smoking stickers everywhere in airplanes. I always wonder if people really still have to be reminded, everyone should know by now.
I'm a pilot. Bottom line. There is NO interference your (unmodified) cellphone can make to disrupt aircraft sensors or radios. That is a carry over from decades ago but the FAA and airlines like the control so they won't stop the announcement anytime soon.
I'm telecommunication engineering and it's true this band with maybe make interference that lead to noise the airplane radar but in all it's really rare
Now they don't ask you this. The phone automatically gets disconnected from everything after you get on the flight or the flight has started to roll. They just simply say 'now you can use your smartphone'
As someone who had a phone that doesn't have an Airplane mode before (as far as I know), turning off the phone completely feels more safer for me than turning on the Airplane mode 😂
There was another video talking about how the FAA actually doesn’t say what happens with cell phones and that the FCC is who says whether or not you keep your phone on airplane mode or not. They also did this because they thought hundreds of phones trying to connect to cell towers constantly could mess with the infrastructure.
The airplane-mode instructions are a service to the FCC not FAA. A cell phone flying through sky, switching towers fast, is taxing for the telecom systems
A lot of comments are saying flights in the EU are still asking passengers to put their cell phones in airplane mode. That may be true but as of over a year ago the airlines are no longer required to say that. In 2022 they ruled that all member nations must make 5G available to airplanes by June 30, 2023. More and more flights in the EU are now allowing 5G cell phones to be used during flights meaning they’re not in airplane mode. More info at the article below.
www.bbc.com/news/technology-63786591.amp
potato
potato
You learn something new every day!
First!! Can I please get a ❤ because we have been watching you for 5 years and have the build box and hack pack. We love your videos so much!
@@Silly_Bingus potato
Mark, as an airline pilot, if I thought for a moment that the safety of the flight depends on trusting that every one of the multitude of passengers in the back actually complied and had their phone in airplane mode, I’d do something else for a living.
That’s a very fair point
Lmao
@@thatsalamebro-et8hb In an investigation
а что если бы пилот говорил- мы почти подлетели к аэропорту, пожалуйста поставьте режим полёта, что бы избежать авиакатастрофы из-за помех, спасибо
@@QwertyQwerty-tj5jk Unless you go and physically inspect every person’s phone, there is no guarantee they have actually complied.
Guess I’m safe then, I tune my phone with a tuning fork every morning.
I can't tell if Ur serious or not 💀💀
@@Freddiewheeler-x5pthanks, that's my intention.
Some mornings I tuna fish with a tuna fork.
I tune mine at A23, around 3.7 GHz. What’s yours?
What if you tune your phone to interfere with airplane communications in Europe?
Nothing happens, except your battery drops faster while searching for signal.
In airplane mode your device isn't searching for anything.
@@2ManyGoats thats what they're saying
And your phone collects 3 times the metadata about you.
@@TH-cam_user3333sorry didn’t get you
This is bullshit. The radar antenna is outside of the plane, and the device is at the tail or front shielded.
Looked like you went against all your instincts to speak that quietly.
😂😂
Airline pilot here, the amount of times I've seen a message mid flight saying "welcome to X country" as you get random signal when you've forgotten to use flight mode. I'm still alive so far.
The frequency thing is real though, Boeing had a notice out for a long time about 5G and rad alt interference, but it's now fixed.
I'm assuming that's not at cruising altitude and you have descended a fair bit?
Always been curious how far up a cell signal could go.
@@volvo09 cell phone tower antennae are directed towards the ground not up at the sky.
If Boeing says it’s fixed I’m sold!
The 5G notice was for precaution, they did not fix anything, they just took a long time to run tests to ensure there was no real interference.
@@imnotbenavery9220 LOL… well played. 😀
"Or alternatively, just move to paris" I think I'd rather risk the plane coming down, thanks.
As a french i can confirm, you do not want to live in paris
Literally any other part of France other than Paris is fine
based
@@-wizard-4184literally any other part in europe works as well
@@-wizard-4184what marcon did to France and restricting freedom
Nope it’s Atheist country only any religions family are not welcomed anymore
Not putting your cell phone on airplane mode drains your battery because it’s constantly searching for a connection. But also people talking on the phone during the safety demo distracts you and the people around you when you should be paying attention
I see your point, but let's be real, no one's paying attention to the safety demos anyways 😔
@@capsey_ then those people are dying 🤷♀
I'm just glad that they've moved on from saying that any radio frequency has the potential to interfere. I remember when Airplane Mode turned off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth too. I think I remember when you couldn't turn them back on without disabling Airplane Mode.
does airplane mode not disable everything anymore?
@@_apsis maybe it's an Android/iPhone thing, but it's been some years since my phone has turned off all radio when switching on Airplane Mode, which makes sense since you're allowed to use Bluetooth and they provide WiFi on the plane.
Samsung A32 airplane mode will turn off BT and Wifi as well as cell signal. However, now they can be turned back on individually while remaining in Airplane mode.
I totally remember this. My current phone doesn't even shut them off anymore, just cell signal.
The thing is, wifi uses 3-5G. The same frequency that cell towers and planes use. Allowing wifi but not other radio signals makes no sense to me.
One of the many problems in life where the answer is "just move to Europe"...
In all seriousness, I don't think this is accurate. The FAA doesn't restrict cell phone usage due to disruption of the planes, but its the FCC who originally passed restrictions to prevent disruption to the cell towers on the ground. 200 cell phones connecting to dozens of towers could be a problem
true!
This.
This should be pinned as the video is factually wrong
They always say this on flights in Europe
Can confirm.
yep they do (in France i can definetely confirm).
Yup. This video is also not accurate, phones can go onto different channels on the same frequency to now collide with each other, they also have technology to make sure no other signal is disturbed. That’s why we have FCC Regulations and testing.
Exactly!
As a German, yes they do say on every flight to put all devices in airplane mode but I always wondered why exactly that was a rule so thanks for explaining ❤
So he was wrong about europe
@@retrospacenetwdym?? Germany is in Europe
@@deepfry89
I think, and also many times heard, its because of the battery of the devices... the could overheat etc
That flight attendant was a 10/10
Bro
Ngl tho lol
It's radio altimeter.
And generally, planes don't need precise AGL readings when heading into runways. There are also barometric altimeters for MSL readings
Need them for auto land.
The main problem is that the phones end up communicating with cell networks over much longer distances than normal and that can cause issues with the cell phone networks. The aircraft are mostly not bothered. But many planes these days have microcell service which puts the phones in very low power transmitter mode which means the signal doesn't go nearly so far.
I heard an interview with a senior authority in a europian airline. They still want your devices in flight safe mode because they dont want people yapping away on their phones during take off and landing
Why not
@@MF_JONESAs a passenger, I don't want to hear the person next to me yapping.
@@Ambigulous it's called headphones
@@MF_JONESno it’s called yapping
@@dirhi kenM moment
Why don't they just tell us information in a nice graphic like Mark has done here? I think it'd be much more effective in compelling compliance than just dropping the info without any context.
Instructions unclear: my phone became a plane
Same, mine turned into a Finnair plane
Unfunny joke.
Disagree, very funny joke
When I studied telecommunications I learned that the biggest problem is, if your device manages to connect to a tower. The handover between towers cannot handle the speed of which you are traveling.
It's almost as if you're in multiple zones at once. That confuses the network.
Planes themselves are fine.
My phone still worked fine and they say you can use them while in air just not during landing and take off
I’m from Norway, never not heard them tell me to turn my phone into airplane mode…
This video should be played in every plane on the planet at the start of the flight!
I was on a flight in europe last week. We were told to turn all electronic devices on airplane mode.
literally every vid ive see about this gives a different reason.
Same. I have no idea what's actually true or not
Veritisium provided another explanation
They also say that in Europe!
"Buts up" is the important thing. There's no overlap and there is no risk. It's a decision made by people that don't understand RF
Every single flight I’ve been the last decade has told me to use airplane mode… /swede
They are also producing inteference for the still analogue radio communication and can cause pilots to misunderstand tower orders. This has caused ground collisions.
did mark just wake up
There was actually a study done proving that you don’t need airplane mode
They do say this in europe too.
From the UK and I’ve never heard them say that
@@raflk6947 at least in ryanair planes they say this
@@ro_diaz yeah, same with vueling.
And I was thinking that I could connect my phone to the plane to play my music.😂
They tell you to put your phone in airplane mode on every flight in Europe. And anywhere in the world really.
I was taught as an engineer that originally, the network couldn't handle the handover of hundreds or thousands of devices at once
In Europe you also need to use airplane mode
In germany they also said this to me... i have to put my phone on flight mode
The same goes for Europe
Noone wants the Radio Altimeter to go haywire especially at a CAT III Lamding
which has never happened.
Pilot: please set all phones to airplane mode during takeoff and landing.
Internet: the engines are gonna stop if the phone isn’t in airplane mode.
As a french they ask to put our phone in airplane mode
But do you live in paris?
you gotta stay near the Eiffel tower
I too ask every French to go into airplane mode.
@@dancris7573 No
Finally, a proper answer!! Thanks Mark!
Even without interference, the equipment still didn’t help Ryanair land…
Captain Sully would definitely be appreciative.
The rule originally came from a time when aircraft technology and cell phone signals weren't as advanced. The concern was that older devices emitting certain frequencies might interfere with unprotected electronics, but today's planes are designed to handle such signals without issue.
I’m glad Mark is making a video on this because I’m 100% sure the people who needed to hear this message is going to listen to Mark over the flight attendants. 😂🤣
They do say this on European flights
I like how every EduTuber that makes a short/video on this topic has a completely different answer..
What will win? A Chinese phone for 100 dollars or a plane for several million
a 1cent screwdriver bro XD
In short, the best advice is to put your phone in airplane mode whenever you go on the plane, that's all.
The real reason you should use airplane mode is because cell towers point their signal down, so its a lot harder to get a signal. On top of that, if youre flying at 4-500mph, youre going to be going in and out of range of towers very quickly. So your phone is going to strengthen its radio signal to try harder to connect to a tower.
Its just going to drain your battery super fast.
すごくわかりやすい解説でした!Thank you!
Imagine being on a full flight with everyone chatting away about BS. Its bad enough in a doctors office. Being trapped in an airplane with a lot of people on their phones sounds like a nightmare.
The government regulates which spectrum bands can be used for which commercial purpose
FAA could mandate the lower frequency. They could ensure that new technology be implemented that reduces the need for radio wave use on planes.
This is exactly why i make sure to always bring a 4.3GHz transmitter with me.
Today's Fact: In 2021, astronomers detected the highest-energy photons ever seen from a gamma-ray burst, providing new clues about the most extreme events in the universe.
Bro do that somewhere else
@@BudgetCat164why are you so mad?
It’s off topic
Hi
@@BudgetCat164 hi
So THAT'S why you can turn Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on while your phone is in Plane Mode. Wi-Fi works on 2.4 or 5 GHz, Bluetooth works on 2.4 GHz as well, so they don't interfere with plane navigation systems
Mark rover never fails to entertain us
Hello
You also have to worry about cell phones constantly looking for the nearest cell tower. As you're flying, the closest tower is constantly changing
Fun fact: I’ve never set my phone to airplane mode. 😐
The real reason is the flight attendants union doesn't want people talking on their phones being disruptive
Would my american cell phone still transmit in this range in europe?
Yes
NO
Mark don't threaten me with living in Paris
Bas si en Europe on nous le demande quand même…
Bah moi je suis allé au Maroc en avion et ils ne nous ont rien dis. Pourtant, toute les personnes à cotés de moi mettaient le mode avion. Moi aussi, par réflexe...
As a ramp Agent and control tower communicator I agree with this.
Dang the flight attendant was beautiful
At least in Australia, phones 100% don't use those frequencies.
Based on that, Im surprised every passenger isnt grilled on making sure they do this before flight lands.
I always wondered why passengers are trusted to turn off their electronic devices such as this, but things like nail clippers need to be confiscated.
I saw a video a while ago explaining that the airplane mode was introduced by the FCC to prevent cell towers to be overloaded by a plane passing by.
I saw a video explaining this. cellphone signals can only travel out sideways from the windows while plane signals can transmit directly downwards to towers
That is so wrong, Mark, sorry. If that was true, they'd be taking our phones.
I'm from Poland and they literally told me that it's just for safety and our attention. Our school said nothing about this frequency
I'm from Europe. They say to put to airplane mode in all countries I visited. And this includes Italy, Albania, Spain, UK, Ireland, Germany, Belgium. All these told us to put phone to airplane mode.
Are we forgetting that planes are basically faraday cages and the only exit is the windows... so phone signals dont even reach the towers after take off
Also cell towers do NOT transmit UPWARDS.
I've read it's mostly because phones on the plane would try to hook all the towers in range (something possible during takeoff and landing) messing up the communication network underground.
A sentence that sounds like a joke, but isn't. My cabin is in Airplane mode.
In Europe they ask you to disconnect all your Bluetooth devices and sometimes tell you to turn off airplane mode but only when taking off and landing.
Even without airplane mode, I usually don’t have reception anyway.
Im from Portugal and here in Europe they always ask to put the devices in the airplane mode. At least on the low cost airlines like Ryanair, Wizzair and Easyjet.
It’s just being considerate. Simple as that
airline pilot here, planes now days are fitted with better technology than the airliners had in the 1960s meaning absolutely nothing would happen if your phone was not in flight mode!
I've definitely noticed the change from saying must to no longer saying must on the 7 planes I've taken this year.
"Why did you move to France?"
"I'm petty."
It's strange, but in Russia they say to either turn off gadgets or switch to airplane mode, although Russia is part of Europe
If the crew tells me to turn airplane mode on I'm not about to argue with them.
Also using airplane mode saves a ton on battery usage since the phone isn't looking for a network throughout the flight.
Move to Paris is the worst advice mark has ever given us.
They also STILL put non smoking stickers everywhere in airplanes. I always wonder if people really still have to be reminded, everyone should know by now.
Moving to Europe just sounds better regardless
Huh 😮
That's actually REALLY intriguing. Thanks for the education
I'm a pilot. Bottom line. There is NO interference your (unmodified) cellphone can make to disrupt aircraft sensors or radios. That is a carry over from decades ago but the FAA and airlines like the control so they won't stop the announcement anytime soon.
Thank you, Mark. Hopefully they will listen to you.
I won't
I'm from Spain and, as far as I know, in Europe they do ask passengers to use airplane mode
I'm telecommunication engineering and it's true this band with maybe make interference that lead to noise the airplane radar but in all it's really rare
Thank you, this is a question I’ve genuinely had.
Now they don't ask you this. The phone automatically gets disconnected from everything after you get on the flight or the flight has started to roll. They just simply say 'now you can use your smartphone'
As someone who had a phone that doesn't have an Airplane mode before (as far as I know), turning off the phone completely feels more safer for me than turning on the Airplane mode 😂
I think it’s silly that I can’t microwave my burritos in my portable microwave on an airplane. We gotta fight for what’s important to us!
There was another video talking about how the FAA actually doesn’t say what happens with cell phones and that the FCC is who says whether or not you keep your phone on airplane mode or not.
They also did this because they thought hundreds of phones trying to connect to cell towers constantly could mess with the infrastructure.
Hello from Europe.
Get your phone next to a speaker, get someone to call you. You found the answer.
The airplane-mode instructions are a service to the FCC not FAA. A cell phone flying through sky, switching towers fast, is taxing for the telecom systems