Yes they did.

"Despite no direct evidence that the use of mobile phones or other electronic devices would interfere with the plane’s systems, the ban continued — even after the FAA hired an outside safety agency to find if anything could go wrong. They didn’t." - wired magazine

Cell Phones Interfere with Plane Instruments... Myth busted! (From the website... When you make a call at 10,000 feet, the signal bounces off multiple available cell towers, rather than one at a time. That means too many phone-happy jetsetters might clog up the networks on the ground, which is why the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) — not the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) — banned cell use on planes.) - MythBusters

But you believe what you want!

And to quote every airline, "you are now free to use your cellphone."


Be nice! I have well over 2 million miles and counting. (I am also a private pilot who does a safety briefing before every flight with passengers. Shocking, I know!)

Not to my satisfaction, just a question that wanted an answer. But, I do believe in challenging people to defend their position, even if their defense is "experts say to do it this way and so that is what I choose to do". (Which is good enough for me as an answer.) However, when someone says 'look at Manchester, it is the same', I did look at the facts, and offered my counter position. And good for the poster to provide a counter position, even if I disagree. It improves the knowledge base.

Established procedures are a good thing... until they are not. American Airlines Flight 587 crashed because the pilot followed the 'established procedure' at the time. Had someone questioned the 'established procedure' before that, maybe the rules would have changed or another better procedure developed.

Why push this or be 'argumentative'? For the comment above yours! People believe the lies they are told without demanding proof. Fiction becomes fact. Why are more people not questioning the unsubstantiated statements made here or by politicians or teachers or anyone who steps up and says it is a fact!

You want evacuations to be safer? Push for what I proposed above - independent testing based on real world loads and passenger types.

You want to make planes safer? Question everything you think you know about safety and rules. Challenge the 'experts' to defend their position.

Could you accept - with testing and study - it is shown that people grabbing bags at their feet does not slow the exiting of the plane? (And don't be surprised that with testing, other long held beliefs and procedures are discarded and new better ones are created.)

We have discussed this at length and pushed people to think. That cannot be a bad thing. Truthfully, I tend to be a rule follower. But, I do not believe it is black and white. What would people grab...

Asiana in SFO - massive cartwheel and split plane
JetBlue at LAX - plane is fine, just some sparks.
Southwest at Denver - slide off in the snow
USAIR on the hudson - in the water
BA in LAS - engine failure

What would you (anyone here) do in these situations? Are you sure?

I know it is PC to say "Of course I would leave everything", but, I tend to be honest about these things. (And I accept the heat for it.)