The date was Halloween, 2013 when we all finally got some good news about flying. According to my article from back then, that’s when the FAA issued new rules about using portable electronic devices on planes. Before that date, you might remember that it was flat out illegal to use anything electronic on a plane. This included e-readers with no radios, phones in airplane mode, walkie-talkies, Tamagotchis (look it up if you’re too young), and more or less anything with a plug or an indicator light.
It was a silly ban anyway
Of course we all agreed during that time that the ban was silly and I am sure that if it were actually true that phone signals disrupted plane navigation no one would have gotten anywhere. Why? Because more or less everyone who could possibly get away with it actually ignored the rule anyway. Now that the 7-year statute of limitations is up, I’ll admit that I did, once or twice anyway.
And it’s funny how everything old is new again. It wasn’t that long ago that major airlines were threatening to ground all flights because they claimed 5G signals would interfere with their signals. That turned out not to be true either, of course.
You can’t make phone calls on planes anyway
If you were around back in the early ’00s you might remember how passengers on doomed flights called home on September 11, 2001. Today, though, technology doesn’t allow you to make calls on planes. What’s changed? Back then mobile phone calls were analog. The signals traveled further, but the sound was worse. Cell phones have been digital since the mid-’00s. Digital signals, especially LTE and 5G, don’t travel as far. Between the metal skin of the plane and today’s tech, you can only make calls about 1.5 miles from a tower. Keep in mind that planes fly about six miles off the ground.
Now, I’m glad you can’t make actual calls on planes, but I’m certainly glad I can use my electronic stuff while I’m traveling. I still remember a trip where the door-to-door time was about 20.5 hours, I was able to carry enough stuff to keep myself entertained on my tablet and my only worry was keeping it charged. I remember similar flights in my youth where I spent long stretches counting the threads on the seat cover in front of me. Trust me, even bad movies are an upgrade after that.
How the tables have turned, though
In recent years, airlines haven’t just allowed electronic devices. They’ve begun to encourage them. Phone makers let you put the devices in airplane mode and still use Wi-Fi. That’s a big jump in usability. It means that instead of pricey headrest entertainment systems, people can use their own devices to stream movies while in flights. They can use those same devices to pay for things, not the least of which are… more flights. Several airlines practically demand the use of mobile devices to enjoy in-flight meals and entertainment at this point. Why not? It’s not like everyone doesn’t have their phone with them anyway.
