Passengers questioning directives to turn phones to aeroplane mode mid-flight are on the rise, but it turns out there really is a very good reason for it.
We all know someone who’s forgotten to put their phone on aeroplane mode while flying, and they proclaim nothing happened. In fact, claims there is no need for aeroplane mode on flights have been on the rise for years.
But now, a slightly fed-up U.S. pilot has taken to social media to explain why switching your phones to aeroplane mode is actually extremely important for the crew flying your plane.
Pilots really need you to turn on aeroplane mode. (Image: Getty/ Maravic)
“This is just a friendly PSA that the aeroplane mode button on your phone is not a conspiracy," began the pilot, known online as PerchPoint.
“If you have an aircraft with 70, 80, 150 people on board and even three or four people’s phones start to try making a connection to a radio tower or for an incoming phone call, it sends out radio waves," he explained.
“There’s a potential that those radio waves can interfere with the radio waves of the headset that the pilots are using."
Take photos, don’t send messages. (Image: Getty/ Hakinmhan)
He then gave a very real example, for anyone who wants to brush off the problem.
“Last night in San Francisco, we had pushed off the gate," he recalled. “We were talking to the rappers, we disconnected from the tug, started the engines and then once we got the plane turned around we started to head towards the taxiways."
“I called up ground to get our clearance as to which direction we had to go. And as soon as we start getting directions, there’s this really annoying buzz going through the headset and it kind of sounds like there’s a mosquito in my ear."
So no, the result won’t necessarily be disastrous. The pilot even said, “The plane won’t fall out of the sky, and it won’t even mess with the systems on board." But how would you like to do your work with a bug in your ear?
“It’s not the end of the world, but it’s definitely pretty annoying when you’re trying to copy down instructions and it sounds like there’s a wasp or something flying around you."
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather the pilot of my next flight be able to concentrate fully on the task at hand. So let’s keep the phones in aeroplane mode.
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Kassia Byrnes is the Native Content Editor for Australian Traveller and International Traveller. She's come a long way since writing in her diary about family trips to Grandma's. After graduating a BA of Communication from University of Technology Sydney, she has been writing about her travels (and more) professionally for over 10 years for titles like AWOL, News.com.au, Pedestrian.TV, Body + Soul and Punkee. She's addicted to travel but has a terrible sense of direction, so you can usually find her getting lost somewhere new around the world. Luckily, she loves to explore and have new adventures – whether that’s exploring the backstreets, bungee jumping off a bridge or hiking for days. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @probably_kassia.
Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.
While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.
Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.
Getting there
Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)
You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.
Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.
Best accommodation in Clermont
Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)
All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.
Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.
One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters, Four Mile, Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings. To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting. They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.
Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum. Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.
The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.
See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)
For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.
Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services. Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.
Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs. The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.
Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont
Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.
Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.
Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.
For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.
Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.
