How can I help a friend with a fear of flying?

[coolian2]

Two points:

The cell phone is not going to interfere with the flight deck...most of them will be far away from any signal, so, it will most likely just drain the power from your battery looking for a signal. I know quite a few pilots that leave their phones on.

Now, if you have a Blackberry....THAT could cause some issues. Blackberrys cause issues radios and phones at home...imagine what it does to a pilot trying to get instructions from Air Traffic Control.

I flew up to Minneapolis today for lunch with a friend. On the way back, one of the flight attendants sat in the back row for a few minutes (right behind me) and listened to her iPod...this was AFTER she went through the cabin making sure everyone else had their electronics off.

Any half decent plane is shielded enough that it's electronics don't die a horrible death after a lightening strike. My phone sitting in the overhead locker looking for a signal isn't going to do jack.

My phone also interferes with radios and my computer screen (at least, it did before i got a laptop) but i given the distance of your phone or blackberry from the planes antennas/etc mean they won't do anything.

Frankly i'm confident to use any electrical equipment at any stage of flight, even before my personal unintentional mobile phone test

 

[Zoomerang96]

Two points:

The cell phone is not going to interfere with the flight deck...most of them will be far away from any signal, so, it will most likely just drain the power from your battery looking for a signal. I know quite a few pilots that leave their phones on.

Now, if you have a Blackberry....THAT could cause some issues. Blackberrys cause issues radios and phones at home...imagine what it does to a pilot trying to get instructions from Air Traffic Control.

I flew up to Minneapolis today for lunch with a friend. On the way back, one of the flight attendants sat in the back row for a few minutes (right behind me) and listened to her iPod...this was AFTER she went through the cabin making sure everyone else had their electronics off.

i know you know a great deal about this sort of thing, but my uncle uses his blackberry on his jet all the time. at least, when he can find service that is.

his pilots have told him it doesn't have any effect on their equipment whatsoever.

perhaps it depends on the plane... i really don't know.

 

[zonelistener]

i know you know a great deal about this sort of thing, but my uncle uses his blackberry on his jet all the time. at least, when he can find service that is.

his pilots have told him it doesn't have any effect on their equipment whatsoever.

perhaps it depends on the plane... i really don't know.

Indeed.

It doesn't "interfere" with the signals or anything...if you are near the flight deck in the smaller jets, the reverb like crap makes the radio communication a bit unclear. Put a blackberry next to a phone...you will see what I am saying.

 

[RedRocksU2]

Get to the airport earlier than usual....go to the bar....get drunk.
Don't talk about bombs though.

 

[VintagePunk]

That was going to be my answer...

Great minds.