As flippant as that is - you're right. If there was a remote risk that some idiot switching his phone on could cause serious problems, then people would be reminded, double reminded, and checked for said devices.

That's not to say though that just because the probability is low that the airline is doing any wrong by further reducing the risk.

I can recite it backwards

My brother in law is a commercial pilot, the reason why airlines want the things off and put away during take off and landings is that is the most dangerous time for a plane as most accidents happen then and they want people ready to recieve instructions if an emergency happens.

The whole interfere with electronics is just an excuse rather than a reason.

OFF means OFF, completely off, not standby. On a PC, hibernate is fine as that is off with the last state stored, whereas standby turns off the screen and drives, reduces teh CPU speed but keeps the memory active.

Any electronic device has the potential to disrupt aircraft systems, be it an ebook, PC, phone, portable radio ... There are RF emissions from every devices - normally quite low but still have the potential and if a component has failed the device may still operate but cause even greater problems.

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

My brother in law is a commercial pilot, the reason why airlines want the things off and put away during take off and landings is that is the most dangerous time for a plane as most accidents happen then and they want people ready to recieve instructions if an emergency happens.

The whole interfere with electronics is just an excuse rather than a reason.

No, the interference with key systems at a critical time IS a reason not an excuse.

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

My brother in law is a commercial pilot, the reason why airlines want the things off and put away during take off and landings is that is the most dangerous time for a plane as most accidents happen then and they want people ready to recieve instructions if an emergency happens.

The whole interfere with electronics is just an excuse rather than a reason.

A friend who is in the top ten most senior British Airways pilots says that mobile phones seeking cells can interfere with the cabin pressurization valves on certain Boeing 747s and he had experienced this first hand. It's not the case that there is no interference with avionics from consumer electronic devices.

In reply to a post by MHC:

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

My brother in law is a commercial pilot, the reason why airlines want the things off and put away during take off and landings is that is the most dangerous time for a plane as most accidents happen then and they want people ready to recieve instructions if an emergency happens.

The whole interfere with electronics is just an excuse rather than a reason.

No, the interference with key systems at a critical time IS a reason not an excuse.

So why do almost all consumer electronic devices these days only operate with sofware opearted off modes, which in most cases only put them into a light hibernation.

Large amounts of these devices can't even have their batteries removed as they are all sealed in.

Also if a kindle or mp4 player has the potential to affect a plane whay hasn't the CAA/FAA etc demanded that Boeing and Airbus do something about it. rather than just put a "do not use during take off and landing"

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

Also if a kindle or mp4 player has the potential to affect a plane whay hasn't the CAA/FAA etc demanded that Boeing and Airbus do something about it. rather than just put a "do not use during take off and landing"

Turning an electronic item off during takeoff and landing costs nothing. Changing avionics costs......?

Additionally, the electronics on airliners are much older and take far longer to upgrade and clear testing and approval hurdles.

The answer is that you should follow the crew's instructions regarding use of electronic items on board, Mr/Mrs/Ms Anonymous.

If you don't like the rules, don't fly.

Simples.

What about my digital watch? It's an electronic device and doesn't have an off button.

Do tablets, phones etc with Wifi etc actually interfere with flight electronics nowadays, or is it just another an excuse for airlines to get people to use their own internal systems (and hence have to pay) - much like the commonly-held belief that turning on a mobile phone in a petrol station can cause an explosion could be a myth, researchers have said.