in the air tonight
for whatever reason, flight attendants are under the impression that having any electronics on during takeoff or landing (including non-transmitting devices) will make the plane explode. i’ve been woken up (or otherwise annoyed incessantly) just to make sure there was no music playing through my headphones - but countless times, i’ve gotten away with it unnoticed (earbuds / long hair), or have otherwise forgotten to turn off my cell phone at all during flight. i’m still alive, and to this day, not a single plane accident worldwide has been attributed to passengers’ consumer devices.
i’ve read several reports and tests regarding radio interference, and apparently it is only an issue on old aircraft (which use ‘vor’ instead of gps). it’s not likely that any large consumer airline is using that technology now. all rules regarding non-interfering devices (gameboys, dvd players etc) are arbitrary, have no legal basis, and are decided by the airlines alone. as such, if you fly on a private plane, as sports teams and rockstars do, you can use whatever damn device you want, at any time during the trip.
since 9/11, airplane staff are legally permitted to remove anyone that they feel is violating conduct they deem reasonable. but even if you make a big fuss about it, they’re not going to have an emergency landing just because you’re listening to music.
