Mobile Phones - Flight Mode

I've never had a problem using my PSP on a plane, but on my first flight to China I was a little worried the thought police would throw me in prison for reading a book with the theme of a democratic overthrow of Hong Kong!

Books are dangerous things [V]

Yes Books can be deadly, viscious paper cuts abound!

Putting on my Ex-Motorola hat .....Re Milehigh's comments about knowing whether every type of phone/etc equipment was turned off; For a PC, you can very clearly show the Wifi bit is fully disabled, to the Flight Attendant in about 2 mouse clicks. I wouldn't have a problem with being asked to show it. If you can't show it you shouldn't be using it on a plane in the first place. The other thing of course is, if you have the wifi turned on, your laptop (to no good use) all you're doing is dramatically reducing the battery life - not very clever on a long flight.

As for phones, well, that's another matter entirely.

Overall, I can see the hand of the corportate lawyers behind this [:o)] - any hint of a chance of a possibility of a hint of allowing a problem to occur by permitting pax to leave their mob devices turned on, is best sledgehammered by an across the board ban in case a plane falls out of the sky under odd circumstances.[:0]

Clearly other more enlightened airlines, who understand the reality of the physics are happy to do the right thing, unlike VA who are scurrying around implementing crude measures where a much lighter touch would be more appropriate.[8D]

Originally posted by vizbiz
Putting on my Ex-Motorola hat .....Re Milehigh's comments about knowing whether every type of phone/etc equipment was turned off; For a PC, you can very clearly show the Wifi bit is fully disabled, to the Flight Attendant in about 2 mouse clicks. I wouldn't have a problem with being asked to show it.[8D]

I Quite agree and on a personal note I would know how to check but with out offending anyone some of our young technophobic young staff would not have a Clue regardless what you show them!! So if someone wanted to they could say whatever !!!

I think it is the CAA who are a fault not VAA or any airline whether they allow use or not.

Get a universal logo on the screen on all makes of phone. endorsed by IATA and then all crew could be trained to look for a certain symbol !! Thats too simple.

The main problem with telephones is not the navigation but seats around the flight deck eg.. J you can get the clicking noise like when a phone is near a radio at home and if the flight crew are using the radios to ATC then this could in theory mean that they dont register the instructions properly..