Commercial airplanes and SKS

The most important aspect of "turning off all electronic equipment" is making sure it's invisible to the flight attendants, e.g., in your pocket or in the seat back compartment. Until a recent software update, the Droid X cellphone and maybe other Android models had an interesting bug: You could turn it completely OFF (not just "airplane mode") and it would turn itself back on! This happened to me on a flight (out of Phoenix, by coincidence,) and, other than finding the battery somewhat depleted when I removed it from my pocket after landing, there were no ill effects and almost all the flight controls and navigation gear appeared to remain with the aircraft and be operational. A recent news article indicated that the FAA is revisiting the electronics-OFF rule with a view toward liberalizing it.

If you're still concerned, note that the fob operates on a different frequency from avionics equipment, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't transmit unless it receives a signal from the car or you push a button. Otherwise that tiny battery wouldn't last for years.

Richard

 

They typically state that a device needs to be off if it is electronic and has an on/off switch. I wouldn't worry about they key. I travel with mine in my pocket all the time, and I would never think about putting it in my checked luggage.

 

The SKS part of the fob is a transponder: when pinged by the car, it responds. The button part is a standard transmitter, so each time you press a button the fob sends out a burst.

SKS fobs can erroneously respond to other signals. Keeping your fob and cell phone in close proximity can cause the fob to respond repeatedly, causing premature battery failure.

So the two worries about an SKS fob in an aircraft are button presses and accidental transponder responses. Both are unlikely, and both are unlikely to cause interference with avionics.

Tom

 

And if it really comes to fly, no-fly, you can always remove the battery

 

How likely is this to happen? I keep my phone and key fob in my pocket all the time.

 

I've kept my fob in my purse for coming on 3 years now. I also keep my cell phone in my purse when I'm out of the house. So far the fob's batteries are just fine. So, I'm thinking if it IS likely, the drain on the battery is minimal.

 

Toyota specifically cautions against this in the manual. How likely? Who knows. It depends on a number of factors, all out of the user's control.

Worse case you have to buy a new fob battery; it's not like the world is going to end.

It is possible for a cell phone to interfere with the operation of the SKS. File this away in the back of your brain, just in case your fob stops working. If that happens, try moving the cell phone.

Tom

 

Great to know. Thanks!

 

When I fly, I put my keys in a particular pocket of my briefcase or carry-on and never touch them until I re-enter the parking structure when I return. I used to travel 3x per month back in the '90s and developed a bit of OCPD in my travel prep & procedures. The good thing is that it saved my bacon a number of times ensuring that I always had what I needed on the road.

 

I have traveled with my key fob and never had a problem. I am certain that if the FAA had concerns about these the TSA would let you know about it.

 

I imagine that most commercial flights have at least a few cell phones onboard, in carry-on bags, pockets, etc, that people have forgotten to turn off. They surely produce more and higher energy emissions than a smartkey FOB, although I doubt that they have any impact on avionics operation or aviation safety either. Is there any evidence that low-level EMF emissions have ever caused an aviation safety problem, or just lack of sufficient evidence that they don't? I've heard claims that a cell phone caused an air crash in Peru, but have never seen any evidence.