Well yeah. Maybe the plane will crash if I dont log off. Definitely hundreds of people's day will be ruined if they are denied my wit and wisdom.

Now I'm going to go to the lavatory and bless it.

I f nd it ha d to belie e that signals from my cellphone cou d cause a y sort of electromag etic inter erence, and I ha e it crank d up to 11.

How about some studies showing that there is any validity to the nonsense that using my cell phone 2/3 of the way back into the fuselage will disrupt communications in the cockpit one iota. Or is that hidden in a vault with the studies showing that my cell phone will cause a fire at the gas pump?

kronicfeld: How about some studies showing that there is any validity to the nonsense that using my cell phone 2/3 of the way back into the fuselage will disrupt communications in the cockpit one iota. Or is that hidden in a vault with the studies showing that my cell phone will cause a fire at the gas pump?

At least partially this. The gas pump vs cell phone thing has been beaten into the ground. The ratio of gas vapor to air is so ridiculously precise, and the likelihood of a spark big enough to start a fire from a cell phone so ridiculously small, it's a wonder anyone still believes it.

As for the cell phone studies, as the FAA steadfastly refuses to let it even be studied, I doubt you'd ever find the study.

I always obey. But the last time I flew the flight attendant told me it wasn't sufficient to put it in airplane mode during takeoff and landing -- you have to turn it all the way off. So I, too, would like to see kronicfeld's study.

Last flight I was on out of Denver, a dude behind me hid his active iPhone as the flight attendant was checking for such as we began to leave the gate. He wanted to catch the last few minutes of the Broncos game. I hit the call button and narced him out to the attendant who told him directly to turn it off.

So the dude starts giving me lip for telling on him, claiming I was no engineer to question why he couldn't leave it on. I told him I was an engineer and worked on aircraft, then told him to shut the fark off literally (I suspected he was familiar with the term "heterodyning." He kept at it, so I hit the call button again. I advised the attendant he was hassling me about narcing on him. So she lectured us both we could go back to the gate and we could both deplane. I was cool with that lecture myself. The dude behind me didn't speak to me again.

When we got to Salt Lake City, I waited until nearly everyone was off the plane before exiting myself. I apologized to the flight attendants about being too "verbal" with the dude and explained I was very much aware of flight safety from my past career. They had no worries. The pilot even shook my hand.

/Dude was probably a software engineer.

kronicfeld: How about some studies showing that there is any validity to the nonsense that using my cell phone 2/3 of the way back into the fuselage will disrupt communications in the cockpit one iota. Or is that hidden in a vault with the studies showing that my cell phone will cause a fire at the gas pump?

How about just shutting it down because it's not worth the risk, however unlikely, the item will interfere with communications and control systems of an aircraft full of people and fuel?

/Don't be such a baby over having your toys put away for travel time.

GAT_00: That's an absolute load of bullshiat.

I beg to differ. While the airplane mode disables the wireless features, the internal systems are still emitting RF. Of course, these emissions are at a very low level, But, see my second post.

I consider flight safety paramount. You can live very well having the toys put away for a short bit.

If I were al Qaeda, I would congregate at the end of runways with cellphones until I downed a plane.

AirForceVet: Last flight I was on out of Denver, a dude behind me hid his active iPhone as the flight attendant was checking for such as we began to leave the gate. He wanted to catch the last few minutes of the Broncos game. I hit the call button and narced him out to the attendant who told him directly to turn it off.

So the dude starts giving me lip for telling on him, claiming I was no engineer to question why he couldn't leave it on. I told him I was an engineer and worked on aircraft, then told him to shut the fark off literally (I suspected he was familiar with the term "heterodyning." He kept at it, so I hit the call button again. I advised the attendant he was hassling me about narcing on him. So she lectured us both we could go back to the gate and we could both deplane. I was cool with that lecture myself. The dude behind me didn't speak to me again.

When we got to Salt Lake City, I waited until nearly everyone was off the plane before exiting myself. I apologized to the flight attendants about being too "verbal" with the dude and explained I was very much aware of flight safety from my past career. They had no worries. The pilot even shook my hand.

/Dude was probably a software engineer.

Congratulations. You're everything we've come to expect from years of government training.

Seriously? You're a vet, not active service. It's ok to question authority now.

Diogenes: I always obey. But the last time I flew the flight attendant told me it wasn't sufficient to put it in airplane mode during takeoff and landing -- you have to turn it all the way off. So I, too, would like to see kronicfeld's study.

I think the reasoning is that the flight attendants can't take the time to verify if everyone's device is actually in airplane mode, so they make it a blanket rule.

I'm mostly skeptical since security people who are convinced I can bring down a plane with just 5 ounces of mouthwash let me board with my cellphone and laptop.

GAT_00 and dartben, lighten up as your priorities are skewed here.

If any risks exist by operating electronic gadgets during flights, what's the big deal about shutting them down and complying with the rules? You're not going to die or kill/harm anyone by turning them off. But, you may, if you keep them on.

The problem isn't me not questioning authority or not knowing enough about electronics. The problem is your attitude, something akin to believing vaccines cause autism.

I pick my battles. This issue is trivial to argue over; the rule is no big thing to follow. You all are whining like little kids about not getting your way without substance to defend your assertions, like kronicfeld's previous "studies" claim. Besides, I don't want to get a $15,000 fine or so from the FAA.

/Obviously, you've never seen flight safety films showing fiery crashes.
//Or had the fun of recovering body parts after an air crash.

AirForceVet: GAT_00 and dartben, lighten up as your priorities are skewed here.

If any risks exist by operating electronic gadgets during flights, what's the big deal about shutting them down and complying with the rules? You're not going to die or kill/harm anyone by turning them off. But, you may, if you keep them on.

The problem isn't me not questioning authority or not knowing enough about electronics. The problem is your attitude, something akin to believing vaccines cause autism.

I pick my battles. This issue is trivial to argue over; the rule is no big thing to follow. You all are whining like little kids about not getting your way without substance to defend your assertions, like kronicfeld's previous "studies" claim. Besides, I don't want to get a $15,000 fine or so from the FAA.

/Obviously, you've never seen flight safety films showing fiery crashes.
//Or had the fun of recovering body parts after an air crash.

Or a little common sense tells you that if the pilots can use ipads in the farking cockpit, there's no real reason to keep passengers from doing so.

The issue isn't so much obeying the flight attendant (you're right, pointless to delay the flight or risk getting booted off the flight), but NARCing on a fellow passenger for the equivalent of going 1 mph over the speed limit and being proud of it? Let me guess, you were also the resident tattletale in school.

Thank you for your service, but you really are a dick.

AirForceVet: The problem isn't me not questioning authority or not knowing enough about electronics. The problem is your attitude, something akin to believing vaccines cause autism.

I think the greater issue here is people's inability to go without constant contact. I would love to have an excuse to turn off my phone for a few hours. There is something very wrong with someone that feels the need to never disconnect.

dartben: Thank you for your service, but you really are a dick.

Thank you for demonstrating your bravery, living in another state while hiding behind the anonymity of a Fark user name.

Turning off your phone during takeoff/landing stops plane crashes like not allowing vaguely gun-shaped chicken-fingers in elementary schools stops school shootings.

ITT: People who, since they don't believe an issue exists, debate the validity of such a mind numbingly simple request that one turn off a cell phone, wireless PDA or iPad for even 20-30 minutes. I believe that subby may have come up with that headline all too accurately.

AirForceVet: dartben: Thank you for your service, but you really are a dick.

Thank you for demonstrating your bravery, living in another state while hiding behind the anonymity of a Fark user name.

So are you purposely modeling yourself after Frank Burns? or does it just come naturally?

/you tell 'em, Ferret Face.
//oblig
///slashies

Hair Salad: AirForceVet:
/Dude was probably a software engineer.

Well that was uncalled for.

Most of the software engineers I know are belligerent drunks, who would have hurled curses and probably thrown up on anyone who narcs on them, so I don't think the guy he dicked over can be counted among our sordid group.

Admittedly I do software engineering in game dev, so my experiences may be a bit skewed.

eh, on a recent flight I witnessed a flight attendant put her iPhone into airplane mode and then put it in her pocket. Everyone should know by now it has nothing to with safety. It's about passenger sanity (or lack thereof if everyone was yammering into their phones for 5 hours).

Burning fuel is coming out