Why you shouldn't use your cell phone while flying, according to an experienced airplane pilot.

Once seated and ready for takeoff after the delay, the passengers listen attentively to the pilot's instructions, who politely asks them to put their phones in "airplane mode" or turn them off if that option isn't available.

If you've traveled on this type of transport, the scene is probably familiar to you. You may also be surprised by the fact that, despite the passage of time, this rule remains in effect.

Airplane mode is a feature that disables all wireless and cellular signals on your phone. Users still have the option to manually enable certain signals, such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, if they wish. However , please note that enabling it in certain environments can have significant implications.

Due to the potential for interference with critical aircraft navigation systems, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration prohibits the use of cell phones during flight.

Therefore, while on board, it's crucial to activate airplane mode or disable your device's cellular connection. If the aircraft has Wi-Fi installed and its use is permitted, you can securely connect to the internet through that network.

According to Colombian professional pilot Jaimes García, who appears as @captainjaimesgarcia on TikTok, the flight could be affected if his passengers do not activate this function on their mobile devices: " The electromagnetic waves from cell phones affect the indications that we pilots have inside the cockpit. Which could cause low pressure in the cabin ."

"In addition to this, we can receive false positions of where we are," the pilot concluded.

Wireless networks connected by a series of towers could become overloaded if passengers on a flight (which can carry more than 80 people) use their cell phone networks simultaneously.

But that's not all. Despite the shielding of commercial aircraft, the signals can also interfere with aircraft communications.

On the other hand, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the concern is that a phone's radio transmissions could interfere with aircraft systems during flight, as "there are reports of suspected interference with communications and navigation systems in NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System and the FAA's Service Difficulty Reporting System."

LATEST NEWS EDITORIAL