A couple of days ago, a group of people I know were talking about, how certain airlines allow, the use of mobile phones, in flight and others are not so kind. These were well educated folk ( technical ) & I was tad taken aback at the flippancy of the discussion.
We all know we're supposed to turn off our phones before boarding . The concern is that the phone's emission could interfere with the aircraft's vital systems, which is a safety hazard and can render the planes navigational aids, non ops.
Studies in the US, whereby equipment capable of detecting phone emissions has been hidden in overhead lockers, have revealed that a disturbing number of passengers leave their phones on throughout the flight. Most of us have probably heard the characteristic jingle of a mobile being switched on during the eerie silence just before the plane touches down. Presumably the plane is low enough by that time that it would just bounce if anything serious went wrong.
The risk is real. Mobile phones have the potential to interfere with the operation of sensitive electronic equipment. That much is known. Modern aircraft are jammed full of sensitive electronic equipment, much of which is 'safety-critical' including navigation, aircraft control and communications equipment. In fact, most commercial airliners are now flown almost exclusively by computer. There is an extensive list of laboratory studies showing that mobile phones can and do interfere with the operation of this equipment.
Now consider the crash, a few days ago in Mangalore!
- The commander of the craft had flown in & out of Mangalore at least nineteen times.
- The co-pilot had made sixty six trips to Mangalore.
- Capt.Glusica, the pilot, had over ten thousand hours of flying time.
- The aircraft was relatively new.
- Visibility was adequate.
- The Captain did not indicate a malfunction to the ATC.
Why did the plane crash? Could it possibly have been, many mobile phones, being switched on at the same time?
All electrical and electronic devices emit electromagnetic radiation to a degree. This radiation is capable of being picked up by any other device within range.( GPS/Radar/Communication Equipment/Navigation Aids/Compass) Whether the radiation is capable of actually interfering with the operation of the second device is dependant on the frequency and amplitude (strength) of the signal.
So, is putting the lives of hundreds of people at risk for the sake of a phone call the absolute pinnacle of human arrogance? Are some passengers capable of predicting the complex interplay of electromagnetic interference in real time and mitigating against it? Or do they have a point; is the risk really a chimera?
1 comment:
Yes, the mobiles frequency of operations is any of the quad bands and likely to get anew operating band which all can interfere with onboard navigation as well as Ground Communication equipment. Mobiles operatedepending on the servive provider frequency in any of 800, 900, 1800 & 1900 mhz bands. There is plan to introduce 2100 mhz as well.
The Intra aircraft and Aircraft to ground communication are digital or Analog. Digital transmission will request retransmission if tghere si interference and analog transmission means loss of information such as in Voice. Both seriously hinder communication. The result is either delay in communication or missed communication. Both are fatal.
I am sorry say, that by nature our countrymen are indisciplined. Even the communication engineer who travels by Aircraft ignores safety standards when not on the job. Culturally we people are highly indisciplined and frivolous. We do not care until we are hit. I am for jailing these people and shoort them if jails are full. I stop people in Aircrafts when I fly. I tell them myself even without waiting for crew members to stop them. We all need to participate in the strictness needed for implementation. Safety cannt be left to jusr a few crew members.
Some of people are so irresponsible that I wonder how they are placed in positions of responsibility at all.
I can cite many examples from queue jumping to many otehrs. The best thing to do is act tough when you have opportunity else we will all go down the tunnel to hell.
Shankar
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