"
"
Do cellphones really need to be in airplane mode on planes? Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Mobile phones have become an integral part of modern existence, making it possible for us to call or text other people from anywhere. Or rather, from almost anywhere. One of the places where federal regulations bar you from using your phone — or rather, its capability to connect to a phone company's cellular network for voice and data — is while you're flying on a U.S. airliner.
Using a phone on to connect to a cellular network while on an airline flight actually is prohibited by not just one but two different parts of the U.S. government.