So airlines do have a rational reason for banning cell-phones in flight

I’ve often wondered about this but according to this report, the U.K.’s air safety regulator has released research about cell phone use on planes, warning of the serious effects that it can have on a plane’s navigational equipment.

” The Civil Aviation Authority research found that standard cell phone use can cause a compass to freeze or to overshoot its actual magnetic bearing. Also, flight deck and navigation equipment indicators can be rendered unstable and inaccurate, and transmissions can interfere with critical audio outputs.”