Mobile Phone Blowing up Planes?!

Dandle · 28 Nov 2006 at 19:15

Mobiles dont affect any aircraft electronic systems, All the wiring is sheilded and the mythbusters episode they only caused very slight readings on the rig they set up with an old instrument panel, their unsheilded wiring and much more power than any mobile phone can give out.

Energize · 28 Nov 2006 at 19:34

Longbow said:
The mythbusters tried this out and got nothing from it.

They tried the ariel, battery shortage etc. The power was just too low to create any kind of spark.

Well even a 1.5v battery creates a spark if shorted.

Scam · 28 Nov 2006 at 19:41

Everyone has failed to point out how bloody annoying it would be if the person next to you was allowed to make phonecalls for the entirety of your 12hr long-haul flight!

Energize · 28 Nov 2006 at 19:44

Wouldn't be any different from someone talking to the person sat next to them. My advice get an mp3 player.

Dandle · 28 Nov 2006 at 19:48

Scam said:
Everyone has failed to point out how bloody annoying it would be if the person next to you was allowed to make phonecalls for the entirety of your 12hr long-haul flight!

I dont think long phone calls would be a problem knowing roughly what the charges would be. BA make roughly £54K a month im told from the phone system they already have installed on longhaul aircraft and that only outgoing calls($10 a minute). I don't know how any airline would deal with the incoming ringtones though as that would be really annoying.

iCraig · 29 Nov 2006 at 14:11

Baker said:
Using a mobile phone as a bomb, or at least to set off a bomb is a real possibility and has been tried by Terrorist groups at least once in this country.

If a terrorist wants to blow up a petrol station, I'm pretty sure he/she will do regardless of what signs about mobile phones are displayed.

They're simply banned at petrol stations due to the distracting element of having your concentration on the phone call rather than the pumps. I'm aware some people are good at multi-tasking, but not everyone is, and reducing the chances of fuel spillage can only be a good thing.

Phones are banned on planes because;

a.) Although they only interfer with the planes systems very very slightly on rare occasions, at 500mph and 30,000ft, they probably don't want to take any chances with the planes system's.

b.) As you zoom through the sky at 500+mph you travel through a huge number of mobile signal cells, registering and unregistering with loads of them as your phone comes into range and then out of range again. Which I guess causes problems with how the cells work.

Baker · 29 Nov 2006 at 16:35

It doesnt have to be the Terrorist's mobile that is used to set off a bomb..

iCraig · 29 Nov 2006 at 16:39

Baker said:
It doesnt have to be the Terrorist's mobile that is used to set off a bomb..

Well enlighten us then, as I was under the impression that the bomb is triggered by wiring the phone up to a device which is set off, either by electrical signal from the phone as it lights up/makes noise/vibrates as the bomber calls the phone/sends it an SMS from another location.

Dandle · 29 Nov 2006 at 17:43

iCraig said:
Phones are banned on planes because;

a.) Although they only interfer with the planes systems very very slightly on rare occasions, at 500mph and 30,000ft, they probably don't want to take any chances with the planes system's.

b.) As you zoom through the sky at 500+mph you travel through a huge number of mobile signal cells, registering and unregistering with loads of them as your phone comes into range and then out of range again. Which I guess causes problems with how the cells work.

They are not banned on planes for that reason. Boeing have been testing mobile communication systems for some time and the CAA did comprehensive testing of phones on aircraft sometime ago and found no problems caused by them. In fact emirates are about to fit a system to their aircraft so people can use their mobile phones. The systems are similar to those used on under ground trains were the phone system will have the recieving antenna installed on the aircraft and all phones on the aircraft will connect to that. Then via satcom the plane will connect your call with the ground. It will be expensive and I wouldnt think they will allow in coming calls on it. It would be very annoying sitting in the same area as 100 odd people with mobile phones going off.

tang0 · 29 Nov 2006 at 22:43

Sp00n said:
Mythbusters > Brainiac

^^^

Vonhelmet · 29 Nov 2006 at 22:46

In vaguely related news, I once saw some people trying to jump start a car on the forecourt of a petrol station. The staff went mental.

RetiredGreyFox · 29 Nov 2006 at 23:01

AJUK said:
The whole phones on planes is a load of crap as well. You can't get as signal anyway. In fact one airline is about to launch a service where they relay mobile phones calls for you in mid flight.

Back in 2000 I made phone calls from an airplane when going to and coming back from Menorca with a Philips D12.
In 2001 I was over France and needed to make a very important call and made one from the bog.
The 'new' service is so that you can keep the signal steady.

Jokester · 29 Nov 2006 at 23:35

There's been a couple of incidents on choppers in the North Sea where a ringing phone has interfered with the navigation systems, but nothing as far as actually downing a chopper.

Jokester

VeNT · 30 Nov 2006 at 00:03

this stupid woman at sainsburys petrol station in truro (if your reading this then you should die in the face) started screaming at me when I was filling up my car and my phone rang. I didn't answer it I just pressed the hang button but she stood there and yelled about me trying to blow up everyone and putting her kids (who where looking so embarrassed) in mortal danger.

then she managed to spill petrol over her shoes when replacing the pump.

some people really need to get a life.

VeNT · 30 Nov 2006 at 00:04

Sp00n said:
Mythbusters > Brainiac

also there's been loads of times where brainiac just faked things (that whole alkali metals thing anyone?).
whats the point?

benjo plz. · 30 Nov 2006 at 00:08

/remembers using phone in Buncefield about a year ago

.

pyro · 30 Nov 2006 at 06:43

I'v switched on my mobile phone a few times in various flights but the plane didn't go down, there was no signal either.

Jacob334 · 30 Nov 2006 at 09:49

Baker said:
Using a mobile phone as a bomb, or at least to set off a bomb is a real possibility and has been tried by Terrorist groups at least once in this country.

While what you say might be true, the fact is they have been going on about phones blowing up planes/petrol stations for years now, Before all this terrorist stuff. So i highly doubt its because of that fact that you could make a bomb with a phone is why you cant use them at a petrol station, Its just easy to put those two things together (Terrorist/Bomb) and make it sound like it could be true..

alexthecheese · 30 Nov 2006 at 09:51

When we went on holiday to Germany last year a mate left his phone on throughout the whole flight. He didn't realise he did it until he got a text message whilst we were circling in the air just before landing welcoming him to the new mobile network.

I must say I was impressed with the coverage he got!

chimaera · 30 Nov 2006 at 10:48

Personally I'll happily have a go at anyone near me in a plane who turns on a phone because they've 'read/heard' its fine, it just means they're a smart arse and displays a certain mindset that i find annoying, if the pilot says no phones, then don't turn one on its pretty simple.

There may have been studies to prove its not a problem but until the pilot says i can use my phone anyone who breaks that rule is potentially risking my life purely because they are a know it all.

Seriously just listen to the rules and don't think you know more than the people who own/run the plane, rules are there for a reason, not to be broken when it comes to safety.