8 ms·

You can turn on airplane mode, then turn Bluetooth on specifically.

by beojan 8y ago

gaspoweredcat 8y ago
is that an iphone specific feature? (im an android user so not that familiar with ios) if not ive just not noticed it before i guess it highlights how stupid the ban on wireless connectivity on planes is (not like it wasnt blatantly obvious that theyd never let a vehicle carrying hundreds of lives into the sky with unsheilded components that could be brought down by anyone with a ten quid nokia)
- Symbiote 8y ago
  It works on my Android phone, and the last few flights I've taken have specifically said "we don't have WiFi, but you can activate airplane mode then turn on Bluetooth". (Your writing would be much easier to read with capital letters and apostrophes.)
  - gaspoweredcat 8y ago
    probably and were i not jobless, homeless and using a knackered old laptop with several non working keys including the at/apostrophe key and incredibly intermittent shift keys id likely use them more often but such is life
- Johnny555 8y ago
  One argument I've heard is that it's not a single person who leaves their phone turned on that's an issue, it's when 300 people have their phone turned on. I don't believe that one either, but it's a little more believable than thinking that a single phone can cause enough interference to affect the plane.
  - dannypgh 8y ago
    I certainly have had PC speakers that picked up interference from a GSM cellphone. Cell phones are wireless transmitters that can transmit in the 3 watt range. A typical CB radio is 4 watts. The radio in the airplane is in the 2-25 watt range, and it's trying to communicate with a ground station that might be a fair distance away. I don't think the real concern was ever that cellphones would cause planes to fall out of the sky, however, there's real reason to be concerned that they could interrupt the pilot's ability to communicate with ATC, which I'm sure could get dangerous. There's probably no faster way to get everyone to shut their phones off than a "this is your Captain speaking; a cellphone on board is preventing me from talking to the ATC" however.
    - gaspoweredcat 8y ago
      if im not wrong the interference affects the sending/receiving equipment not the actual signal itself, the reason those cheapo pc speakers picked up the tell tale pips of an incoming mobile call is because they likely werent shielded (back in the days of cathode ray tvs/monitors this could be an issue as putting unshielded speakers too close to the tv caused issues) but mission critical equipment like life support systems, airplanes and other such tech would never be allowed to be produced and used without at least basic shielding all round
- kalleboo 8y ago
  Some planes are approved for Bluetooth (generally the ones with WiFi), others are not. Fewer are approved for cell signals (only the ones with inflight cell service)
  - VonGallifrey 8y ago
    > Some planes are approved for Bluetooth (generally the ones with WiFi), others are not. I would be very surprised if that is how it works, given that some Inflight WiFi solutions do not need any approval at all. (Keyword: Portable IFE)
    - kalleboo 8y ago
      I'm only going by the stuff I've read in the informational section of in-flight magazines [0]. I'm sure it depends on the regulatory environment of different countries, airlines and flights. It used to be that running any uncertified electronic equipment at all was disallowed on takeoff/landing, no matter what the radio status. In the top hits on Google for "Portable IFE" I'm seeing WiFi devices on pages with 2012 copyright dates that claim no certification is required. Sounds like BS to me. [0] https://i.imgur.com/P1REKZR.jpg https://i.imgur.com/P1REKZR.jpg
      - VonGallifrey 8y ago
        Well, I am going by the DO-178C/ED-12C (Software) and DO-254/ED-80 (Hardware) from the RTCA and EUROCAE which I have conveniently next to me since I am currently planning a Software Assurance Level D system for use in the A320. Also I am going by the 2 Portable IFE systems from our hardware partners that I have in my Lab to play around with. Portable IFE systems are completely battery powered and have no connection to the Aircraft. The only "certification" that you need is that you would need to demonstrate that this device does not need certification. Which in the case of the 2 devices I have right here is fairly simple thing.
- beojan 8y ago
  I use it on Android.
pjmlp 8y ago
Bluetooth is not allowed in EU flights, at least I am yet to board on a plane where it was explicitly allowed.
- Swenrekcah 8y ago
  I’ve used my bluetooth headphones on all flights I’ve taken for the past few years, all of them in the EU. I don’t hide it and I never had any trouble with it.
  - pjmlp 8y ago
    Interesting to know, as mentioned I never saw them being allowed.
  - rjsw 8y ago
    The original Ericsson Bluetooth development boards came with a CD full of documentation that included papers describing the effects of personal electronic equipment on avionics systems. They could have just asked you instead.
    - Swenrekcah 8y ago
      Sure, always happy to help. It’s possible to turn bluetooth on while in flight mode. People use bluetooth headphones a lot in flight. One of the premier use case of Bose’s noise cancelling bluetooth headphones is to use on planes. No announcement is made to ask people to not use bluetooth. No flight attendant asks people to not use bluetooth headphones. Planes are not crashing. It’s probably safe to use bluetooth headphones on a plane.
- Faaak 8y ago
  It was not disallowed too

You can turn on airplane mode, then turn Bluetooth on specifically.

by beojan 8y ago

You can turn on airplane mode, then turn Bluetooth on specifically.

is that an iphone specific feature? (im an android user so not that familiar with ios) if not ive just not noticed it before i guess it highlights how stupid the ban on wireless connectivity on planes is (not like it wasnt blatantly obvious that theyd never let a vehicle carrying hundreds of lives into the sky with unsheilded components that could be brought down by anyone with a ten quid nokia)

Symbiote 8y ago
It works on my Android phone, and the last few flights I've taken have specifically said "we don't have WiFi, but you can activate airplane mode then turn on Bluetooth". (Your writing would be much easier to read with capital letters and apostrophes.)
- gaspoweredcat 8y ago
  probably and were i not jobless, homeless and using a knackered old laptop with several non working keys including the at/apostrophe key and incredibly intermittent shift keys id likely use them more often but such is life
Johnny555 8y ago
One argument I've heard is that it's not a single person who leaves their phone turned on that's an issue, it's when 300 people have their phone turned on. I don't believe that one either, but it's a little more believable than thinking that a single phone can cause enough interference to affect the plane.
- dannypgh 8y ago
  I certainly have had PC speakers that picked up interference from a GSM cellphone. Cell phones are wireless transmitters that can transmit in the 3 watt range. A typical CB radio is 4 watts. The radio in the airplane is in the 2-25 watt range, and it's trying to communicate with a ground station that might be a fair distance away. I don't think the real concern was ever that cellphones would cause planes to fall out of the sky, however, there's real reason to be concerned that they could interrupt the pilot's ability to communicate with ATC, which I'm sure could get dangerous. There's probably no faster way to get everyone to shut their phones off than a "this is your Captain speaking; a cellphone on board is preventing me from talking to the ATC" however.
  - gaspoweredcat 8y ago
    if im not wrong the interference affects the sending/receiving equipment not the actual signal itself, the reason those cheapo pc speakers picked up the tell tale pips of an incoming mobile call is because they likely werent shielded (back in the days of cathode ray tvs/monitors this could be an issue as putting unshielded speakers too close to the tv caused issues) but mission critical equipment like life support systems, airplanes and other such tech would never be allowed to be produced and used without at least basic shielding all round
kalleboo 8y ago
Some planes are approved for Bluetooth (generally the ones with WiFi), others are not. Fewer are approved for cell signals (only the ones with inflight cell service)
- VonGallifrey 8y ago
  > Some planes are approved for Bluetooth (generally the ones with WiFi), others are not. I would be very surprised if that is how it works, given that some Inflight WiFi solutions do not need any approval at all. (Keyword: Portable IFE)
  - kalleboo 8y ago
    I'm only going by the stuff I've read in the informational section of in-flight magazines [0]. I'm sure it depends on the regulatory environment of different countries, airlines and flights. It used to be that running any uncertified electronic equipment at all was disallowed on takeoff/landing, no matter what the radio status. In the top hits on Google for "Portable IFE" I'm seeing WiFi devices on pages with 2012 copyright dates that claim no certification is required. Sounds like BS to me. [0] https://i.imgur.com/P1REKZR.jpg https://i.imgur.com/P1REKZR.jpg
    - VonGallifrey 8y ago
      Well, I am going by the DO-178C/ED-12C (Software) and DO-254/ED-80 (Hardware) from the RTCA and EUROCAE which I have conveniently next to me since I am currently planning a Software Assurance Level D system for use in the A320. Also I am going by the 2 Portable IFE systems from our hardware partners that I have in my Lab to play around with. Portable IFE systems are completely battery powered and have no connection to the Aircraft. The only "certification" that you need is that you would need to demonstrate that this device does not need certification. Which in the case of the 2 devices I have right here is fairly simple thing.
beojan 8y ago
I use it on Android.

pjmlp 8y ago

Bluetooth is not allowed in EU flights, at least I am yet to board on a plane where it was explicitly allowed.

Swenrekcah 8y ago
I’ve used my bluetooth headphones on all flights I’ve taken for the past few years, all of them in the EU. I don’t hide it and I never had any trouble with it.
- pjmlp 8y ago
  Interesting to know, as mentioned I never saw them being allowed.
- rjsw 8y ago
  The original Ericsson Bluetooth development boards came with a CD full of documentation that included papers describing the effects of personal electronic equipment on avionics systems. They could have just asked you instead.
  - Swenrekcah 8y ago
    Sure, always happy to help. It’s possible to turn bluetooth on while in flight mode. People use bluetooth headphones a lot in flight. One of the premier use case of Bose’s noise cancelling bluetooth headphones is to use on planes. No announcement is made to ask people to not use bluetooth. No flight attendant asks people to not use bluetooth headphones. Planes are not crashing. It’s probably safe to use bluetooth headphones on a plane.
Faaak 8y ago
It was not disallowed too