Originally Posted by
xyzzy
We've been through this before. Almost every flight has a few phones that are left on. What problems have they caused? To state that this "Will cause problems" is a complete exaggeration. Aircraft travel through radio interference of all kinds all the time with no ill effect.
Please read my message fully. "if all passengers on a 747 use their phone together, the radio interference can and will cause problems for the aircrafts vital systems". I did not state that a few of phones left switched on will cause problems.
I was involved in flight test on a commercial aircraft testing all manner of electronoic devices, including mobile phones. The aviation authorities always assume the worst case i.e. that all passengers can and possibly will at some time try to use their phones at the same time.
Now you and I know that this is very unlikely if not impossible. But the FAA, JAA, CAA and other regulatory authorities make the rules to prevent such things happening.
There are currently two companies that have systems to be installed into aircraft that will act as transmitter/receivers for mobile phones. This will mean that the mobile phones will then only transmit the minimum signal level within the cabin and then send this signal, via satelite to the ground. However, although this system has been tested and shown to be safe the authorities are still insisting on the no phone rule.