We're using auto-land today, please turn off all electronics
Jul 2, 19, 5:56 am
#1
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We're using auto-land today, please turn off all electronics
Landing into ICN this morning it was a bit foggy, not super foggy (I've landed in JFK in far worse) but foggy nonetheless. On approach the captain announced that they were going to be using auto-land and accordingly everyone had to turn off all electronic devices no matter the size. Of course I complied but it got me thinking about why such a request might be made? Do such devices really disrupt auto-landing systems substantially more the "normal" ones or is something along the lines of the mobile phone at the petrol station forecourt, i.e. no real evidence just a surfeit of caution?
Jul 2, 19, 6:38 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Originally Posted by Joely
Landing into ICN this morning it was a bit foggy, not super foggy (I've landed in JFK in far worse) but foggy nonetheless. On approach the captain announced that they were going to be using auto-land and accordingly everyone had to turn off all electronic devices no matter the size. Of course I complied but it got me thinking about why such a request might be made? Do such devices really disrupt auto-landing systems substantially more the "normal" ones or is something along the lines of the mobile phone at the petrol station forecourt, i.e. no real evidence just a surfeit of caution?
Fog is also very misunderstood by the public, what seems to be not particularly bad at the surface may well be dreadful at 50 feet, or vice versa. also the pilots are looking down through the fog layers to try to see the runway, and this is not the same as looking horizontally over the land. There is so little margin for error and your perception of how bad the fog is, is not really relevant. So for safety reasons ( we take no chance) we ask, when we do an autoland in poor visibility for you to turn off your devices completely.
There are many who will tell you that this is not necessary, even give technical explanation as to why they think they are right. The CAA thinks differently to them, and really, why is it important to have your devices on at that time, are we as a society so obsessed that we might miss out that we cannot turn off our devices for 10 minutes?
Last edited by Waterhorse; Jul 2, 19 at 6:59 am
Jul 2, 19, 6:48 am
#3
Join Date: May 2000
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The ground-based radio transmitters used for ILS systems are not very sophisticated and not that difficult to disrupt. (This is why it's not just an onboard thing: taxiing aircraft also hold position some distance from the active runway during ILS operations, so that their radios don't cause interference either). How much disruption, and how much deviation from course, could be caused? Who knows--but do you really want to find out when conditions are down to minimums and the ground is not that far away?!
Jul 2, 19, 6:55 am
#4
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Here are some recent threads on the same topic:
Phones and tablets off —‘it’s really foggy’
Instrument Landing - turn all electronic items off
All devices to be turned off ....
There are more.
Phones and tablets off —‘it’s really foggy’
Instrument Landing - turn all electronic items off
All devices to be turned off ....
There are more.
Jul 2, 19, 7:28 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Originally Posted by flyslow
On intra Asia CX flight couple of months ago FA asked me not to use Bluetooth headphones as it interferes with navigation system. First time that has ever happened to me, any evidence to support it?
Jul 2, 19, 7:30 am
#7
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Originally Posted by Waterhorse
Why? Are you going to use internet forum responses to argue with the instructions of the cabin crew?
Jul 2, 19, 7:39 am
#8
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Originally Posted by Waterhorse
Why? Are you going to use internet forum responses to argue with the instructions of the cabin crew?
Jul 2, 19, 8:10 am
#9
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Originally Posted by flyslow
On intra Asia CX flight couple of months ago FA asked me not to use Bluetooth headphones as it interferes with navigation system. First time that has ever happened to me, any evidence to support it?
Jul 2, 19, 8:43 am
#10
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Originally Posted by prof
taxiing aircraft also hold position some distance from the active runway during ILS operations, so that their radios don't cause interference either
Jul 2, 19, 9:41 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Originally Posted by flyslow
Did I say that I argued with FA? I was just interested, having used BT headphones for years on different carriers and has never been an issue.
Jul 2, 19, 9:54 am
#13
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Originally Posted by Waterhorse
I'm not suggesting that you did argue with the FA, I am questioning why something posted on an internet forum, not a reliable source of info, can really help you. Even IF the FA is wrong and you know it, where do you go from there? Disobeying the legal order of the flight crew is sub optimal, an interesting part of the ANO is that the legal order does not need to be correct, merely that the person giving it believes that is in the best interests of the safety of the flight. So other than for interest how does this help?
Jul 2, 19, 10:02 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Originally Posted by golfmad
There, you said it yourself at the end. I would also be interested but would not - of course - ignore an instruction from flight crew. Intelligent people question things but it doesn't mean they will act on an individual piece of information especially when garnered from an internet forum.
