Pilot Weighs in on Airplane Mode 'Conspiracy' and Explains Why It's Important to Use the Feature When Flying
The pilot detailed how avoiding the use of airplane mode has the potential of interfering with the pilot's headsets
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Stock image of a phone being put on airplane modeAs the holiday travel season continues, a pilot is stressing the importance of a smartphone's airplane mode feature.
In a TikTok video that has gone viral and accumulated over one million views, a pilot that goes by the username PerchPoint issued a "friendly PSA" for air travelers.
"The airplane mode button on your phone is not a conspiracy," the pilot said. "So if you forget to put your phone on airplane mode, no, it's not the end of the world. The plane will not fall out of the sky, and it won't even mess with the systems onboard. However, it does have the potential to mess with the headsets."
Related: Plane Passenger Says They 'Never' Put Their Phone on Airplane Mode — and Commenters Are Outraged
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Stock image of two pilots in the cockpit of a modern passenger jet aircraft.The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
The pilot explained that, regardless of the number of passengers onboard, if a phone tries to connect to a radio tower, the radio waves can interfere with the radio waves of the pilots' headsets.
He used an example from a recent flying experience in which he said that there was a "really annoying buzz going through the headset" while he was trying to communicate with ground control to get clearance and be told which direction to go.
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Stock image of empty seats in an airplane"It kind of sounds like there's a mosquito in my ear. Like I said, it's not [the] end of the world, but it's definitely pretty annoying when you're trying to copy down instructions, and it sounds like there's just, like, a wasp or something flying around you," the pilot said.
His captioned the video, "The more ya know, yanno? #fyp #aviation."
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Stock image of a person holding a phone in an airplaneHis sentiments are echoed on the Federal Aviation Administration's website, which notes that cell phones are banned for airborne use "because its signals could interfere with critical aircraft instruments."
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"Devices must be used in airplane mode or with the cellular connection disabled. You may use the WiFi connection on your device if the plane has an installed WiFi system and the airline allows its use," the website adds.
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