Airplane Mode On or Off?

[xdankex]

To download books, do I need Airplane Mode on or off? Thanks in Advance!

[kes601]

Off.

Airplane mode disables any wireless settings so that you can "safely" (not interfere w/electronic controls) use the product while flying.

[orb9220]

Yep as stated Airplane mode is just another way of turning off wireless. As also desired to turn it On when reading and not needing internet to save battery power. As having off and wifi On when not needed gives you a 4-6hr device. Having wifi off Airplane mode On gives you a 8+ hr device.

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[DeanGibson Distinguished Bibliophile]

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orb9220 wrote:

Yep as stated Airplane mode is just another way of turning off wireless.

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Remember that some of the products that B&N sold, have 3G as well as WiFi, and "airplane mode" turns both off.

[BearMountainBo…]

I've never figured out where to set the thing.  For that matter, I always put it to sleep because I don't even really know how to turn it off-off.

Don't tell anyone, but the last time I flew, I didn't turn my cell phone off. I know HOW to do that, I'm just not used to even having a cell phone.  Luckily no one calls me since I only carry it for emergencies, but geez.  How does anyone keep track of all these gadgets!!!

[bobstro]

Re: Phones on planes -- Mute your phone ringer and you're probably safe. Putting it in airplane mode is usually only a keypress as well, so no more effort. Try holding the power down and see if a menu pops up that offers it.

If it rings mid-flight, you may get some nasty looks from the Flight Attendants. We were rolling for takeoff one flight, and someone's phone in the overhead started ringing. Nobody owned up to it, and the FA dismantled the bags until she found it and made the guy own up.

Less risk of embarassment with a NOOK, of course, though unless you're actually using wifi in-flight, having it off will save battery. Unless you're actually connected to a wifi network, having wifi on will consume even more battery as the device searches for a valid network.

[DeanGibson Distinguished Bibliophile]

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bobstro wrote:

Re: Phones on planes -- Mute your phone ringer and you're probably safe ...

If it rings mid-flight, you may get some nasty looks from the Flight Attendants. We were rolling for takeoff one flight, and someone's phone in the overhead started ringing. Nobody owned up to it, and the FA dismantled the bags until she found it and made the guy own up.

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#1 above:  By "safe", you obviously meant from being caught.  From a safety of flight, you are dead wrong (pun intented).

#2 above:  I hope his stupid arrogant ass was kicked off the flight.

This is serious stuff.

Having owned my own airplane and seen FAA-approved electronic equipment interfere with other FAA-approved essential navigation equipment, these morons who think that the rule doesn't apply to them, are risking your lives.

Every piece of electronic equipment these days radiates RF signals.  Granted, most of them radiate very little RF energy, but every piece of equipment manufactured has to be FCC-approved for limited RF output.  Even then, the rule for decades (FCC, not FAA) is that if any "incidental radiator" (like your TV or computer), even if FCC-approved, interferes with any FCC-approved communications equipment (including an amateur radio hobbyist), then you are required to shut it off.  Period.

If an amateur radio operator interferes with everyone's TV reception in an area, and he can prove (it's usually easy with modern equipment) that he is transmitting on frequency, guess who loses:  all the TV owners.  Furthermore, the FCC rules are preemptive, as a number of local cities have found out when they try to regulate RF interference ("RFI") issues.  To cap it all off, the person being interfered with doesn't have to pay a dime of legal fees;  the FCC takes up the cause.

You;d be surprised at how many farmers get cited by the FCC because their electric fence interferes with a nearby amateur radio operator.  Even big power companies who think that they can ignore RFI from their transformers because it interferes with a hobbist, are chagrined to find themselves facing fines from the FCC.

Ever wonder what happened to "broadband over powerlines"???  This was an idea by the power companies to provide broadband Internet connectivity to millions of homes via power lines.  Power lines are unshielded.  Digital signals over unshielded wires (including power lines) radiate RFI.  The power companies invested a considerable sum of money plus lobbying.  They lost.

The above is about RFI from an "incidental radiator".  When it comes to a device that is intended to transmit (like a cell phone's cellular, WiFI, and Bluetooth signals), the problem of interfering with FAA navigation equipment is greatly increased.  Don't say, "the frequencies are different", that shows you don't understand RF intermodulation issues:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermodulation  There are unexplained airline accidents that are being examined for passenter equipment interference with navigation systems.

While modern aircraft are designed very well to resist RFI, and have multiple navigation systems, that does not mean that every moron on the airplane can operate his/her equipment with impunity.  Cell phones occasionally transmit to the cellular network (or try to) even when no conversation is going on.  So, muting your phone just makes it more difficult for the flight attendents to try to proactively prevent the interference (and thus perhaps save your life).  By the time the phone rings, there's been a lot of data transmitted by the phone.

[bobstro]

All true, but I can tell you that the number of people texting and compulsively checking their crackberries tells me that the rules are largely ignored. Fortunately, no planes are careening into the dirt just yet. I've gotten used to the idea that my safety will be jeapordized by those around me, though I'm a lot more fearful of the commute into Boston's Logan airport.

I shut mine down simply to save battery. I like flights to be quiet-time.

[DeanGibson Distinguished Bibliophile]

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bobstro wrote:

All true, but I can tell you that the number of people texting and compulsively checking their crackberries tells me that the rules are largely ignored. Fortunately, no planes are careening into the dirt just yet. I've gotten used to the idea that my safety will be jeapordized by those around me, though I'm a lot more fearful of the commute into Boston's Logan airport.

I shut mine down simply to save battery. I like flights to be quiet-time.

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Another reason I have not flown as a passenger for more than a decade (the primary reason is that don't appreciate being treated like a criminal).  The three "C"s of airline history:

• Before 1977 (deregulation), passengers were treated as customers.
• Before 2001 (9/11) passengers were treated like cattle.
• Now, passengers are treated like criminals.

Airline deregulation and the associated airline travel nonsense sparked a huge revival in business travel by small aircraft:

• No deadline to be at the airport.
• The departure airport is usually nearer.
• No parking hassles or huge fees.
• No showing up an hour early for a security check.
• No security check (and no risk of mad bombers).
• No baggage charges.
• Plenty of room for baggage.
• Pets fly free.
• No obnoxious passengers.  No crying children.
• You always get a window seat.  Or three.
• It used to be that the food wasn't as good as the airline food, but that's changing.
• You can play loud music (I don't).
• The scenery is better (often spectacular), and usually changes more often.
• The destination airport is nearer to your final destination.
• There is no delay in getting your baggage.
• Rental cars are usually available.
• You can return home at your convenience.
• Surprisingly, once you get an instrument pilot rating, weather is almost never a factor.

It's only the price of aviation fuel ($6/gallon for aviation gasoline) that is keeping it from happening on a large scale again.

Still, it's better here than in the rest of the world.  There is a steady stream of pilot candidates coming from all over the world, to train here (for both employment or personal flying).  It's cheaper to come here and bear the travel/boarding expenses, than it is to train in their native land.

My aviation autobiography

[bobstro]

Ah, Dean. The TSA. One of my favorite topics, second only the toll roads in MA. I could (and often do) go on forever! A bit off-topic here, I'm afraid, so I'll refrain.

The hassles of modern air travel are one of the reasons I bought the NOOKcolor. Using even a netbook on US Air's crammed-together seating is impossible. It's simple enough to pull the NC out of my bag for screaming... er, screening, by TSA.

I thought about using my NC to bust the kneecap of the jerk that kept it planted firmly in my spine for a 4 1/2 hour red-eye a few months ago.

Unfortunately, most of my hauls are cross-country, so there aren't many options.