FAA Advisory Committee Recommends Relaxation of Electronic Device Restrictions on Commercial Aircraft

[kmark55]

Rumor is that the assume the crash position is to make sure that your dental records are more likely to be near your body in the wreckage.

Who flies with their dental records? Also, I'm pretty sure they know who is on the flight already.

 

[donutbagel]

I dunno, how about the fact that they are nonsense?

Not worth all the fuss (and probably money) over it. Besides, they probably just tell you to turn it off so some idiot doesn't try to put it in airplane mode but fail to do it right and cause interference.

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I'm not sure how nonsense they are, I can't speak for the air side, but I routinely work in the Air Traffic Control room for an Air Force base here in the UK, and nearby mobile phones will routinely cause the consoles to transmit that static "dun dun dun... dun dun dun... dun dun dun.." noise to the pilots if they're actively transmitting at the time.

Right, cellular signals (not wifi) interfere with speakers and microphones. I have that problem often with my computer speakers. Airplane mode phones are fine. I'm pretty sure wifi is not a problem either, especially since there's onboard wifi usually.

 

[spicynujac]

This was discussed several months ago and there were a few member here who vociferously defended the ban, saying it was absolutely necessary. Yay science!

 

[jw2002]

It is the same thing in the air. Pilots can here it in the headset when cell phones are transmitting.

But that doesn't mean that digital cell phones are interfering with critical aircraft systems. A bit of AM static on a primitive radio channel is nothing. Even a dimmer switch connected to a light bulb can cause such static. Keep in mind that the cell phone towers out there transmit at power levels millions of times higher than any cell phone, and last I checked airplanes are not crashing during take off or landing due to transmitting cell phone towers. Aside from sticking a cell phone right in the middle of the avionics, other external energy sources will far outweigh the signal generated by a cell phone. And finally -- No -- cell phones do not transmit with more power today than previously. There are extremely stringent FCC rules governing the maximum transmit power of such a device.

 

[PittAir]

This is why we need better math and science education in the US.

 

[mdelvecchio]

caption: "Hey, Bob, check out this game on my iPad. It's called Air Traffic Controller..."

 

[donutbagel]

Keep in mind that the cell phone towers out there transmit at power levels millions of times higher than any cell phone, and last I checked airplanes are not crashing during take off or landing due to transmitting cell phone towers.

The cell towers produce more powerful EMR, but it's much weaker by the time it reaches the aircraft! The phone is transmitting right inside of it (keep in mind, transmitting all the way BACK to the towers).

As evidence, my speakers don't get interference from those, but they go nuts when there's an iPhone receiving a call next to them. I wouldn't trust aircraft equipment at the mercy of about 80 phones sending these rays out.

 

[rochford]

Personally I like to use the speed app on my phone to see what the ground speed is and position on a map - you have to hold it to the plane window to get the GPS signals, but it works. Just need to keep an eye out for the hostie.

 

[Tronic]

Bash me all you want, but I've never turned off my iPhone/iPad/Mac and have never used airplane mode.

 

[Eric5h5]

Rumor is that the assume the crash position is to make sure that your dental records are more likely to be near your body in the wreckage.

Yeah, that's utter BS. The crash position is so you are more likely to survive. Like that crash where the passengers were asleep, and they all died, except for the guy who woke up, realized what was going on, and assumed the crash position.

--Eric

 

[JAT]

Downloading data, browsing the web, and talking on the phone would remain prohibited, though reading e-books, listening to music, watching movies, and playing games would be permitted during all phases of flight.

Completely unenforceable. I think they need to relax the rules, their own (FAA and plane mfgr) research proves there's no threat, but that rule is impossible. Stupid.

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Bash me all you want, but I've never turned off my iPhone/iPad/Mac and have never used airplane mode.

You might get more battery time in airplane mode.

 

[Pyrrhic Victory]

How are flight attendants going to enforce these rules? Check every single person's phone to see whether they're really on airplane mode? I guarantee you people are going to browse the web or do whatever else they want if they're allowed to have their phones turned on.

 

[Blau]

I remember flying from LA to Kansas once without dramamine for my motion sickness. I couldn't even look down at my ipod without wanting to be sick everywhere! Anyway hope the rules are relaxed, you see people on their devices all the time regardless of the current rules. I never understood why I couldn't use a Kindle to read on the runway.

 

[lk400]

I'm OK with this as long as people text, play games, or listen to their headphones. I'm not Ok with this if people are talking loudly on their phone.

This is a question of manners, rather than rules like the ones this article is about. In some countries, its considered bad manners to talk on phones in communal spaces like trains and so on, so people keep their phone on silent and dont take voice calls. I would hope that the airline passengers would also have manners like this!

 

[JAT]

The cell towers produce more powerful EMR, but it's much weaker by the time it reaches the aircraft! The phone is transmitting right inside of it (keep in mind, transmitting all the way BACK to the towers).

As evidence, my speakers don't get interference from those, but they go nuts when there's an iPhone receiving a call next to them. I wouldn't trust aircraft equipment at the mercy of about 80 phones sending these rays out.

Speakers are not electronics with EM blocking capability, they are a receiver/engine designed to react to electronic signals. Not a great example.

 

[inscrewtable]

There needs to be an AngryBirds Pilot's edition where flocks of angry birds try to bring down a 747 by flying into the turbine blades or splatting into the cockpit during an emergency landing.

 

[flat five]

I'm a bit surprised they are allowing people to wear headphones during takeoff/landing. Most incidents occur during takeoff/landing and for safety reasons you'd think they would want passengers to be able to hear any announcements.

yeah, they shouldn't let people sleep either
i'll go out on a limb and assume if you smell smoke or notice the plane is shaking violently, you'll go ahead and take the headphones off.. (or, maybe just make the choice to leave them on and turn up the jams)

 

[CFreymarc]

Under today's recommendation, passengers would be able to use most devices, though some, like Apple's iPhone, would need to be switched to airplane mode. Downloading data, browsing the web, and talking on the phone would remain prohibited, though reading e-books, listening to music, watching movies, and playing games would be permitted during all phases of flight.

How in the hell can a flight attendant discern the difference between someone watching a movie that is locally stored or streamed just by glancing at the device? This will be very difficult to enforce let alone discern to an already occupied flight crew.

I can see it now. Someone fights and FAA leveled fine for not shutting down an electronic device with these new regulations. Defense challenges if the airline attendant was trained properly to differentiate between the allowed and not allowed devices.

 

[flat five]

So long "Air Plane Mode".

more like- you'll finally be allowed to use airplane mode on an airplane (as is now, you're supposed to completely shut off phones etc during takeoff/landing)

 

[artificemm]

From Hot Shots

In words from Owatonna 'The Old One'

it's about effing time...

 

[flat five]

I'm OK with this as long as people text, play games, or listen to their headphones. I'm not Ok with this if people are talking loudly on their phone.

huh? people can currently talk on their phones while taxiing in and boarding/unboarding.. is it really that big of a problem? (or a problem at all?)

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Hah. Good luck trying to enforce that.

they'll probably have better luck enforcing that than currently trying to get everyone to power down their phones. (i'm willing to guess maybe 1/2 the people do it)

 

[quagmire]

While it's nonsense from the reason why it existed( interfering with the planes equipment), I like it simply because it makes it easier for the flight attendants to prepare the cabin for an emergency. 10,000 ft. may sound like a lot of altitude, but that can go by quickly when trying to get 100's of passengers under control, etc.

 

[donutbagel]

Speakers are not electronics with EM blocking capability, they are a receiver/engine designed to react to electronic signals. Not a great example.

Yeah, speakers and CRTs are horribly vulnerable, but the point was to show that there is much more power involved when the phones are transmitting nearby than when cell towers are transmitting far away, as evidenced by my speaker system's reaction.

The truth is that I don't know what kind of equipment they have and how susceptible they are to phone interference. They might have some radios that use similar frequencies or CRTs. Even if the frequencies don't totally match up, they can mix a little and cause problems. There would be a lot of phones, not just one. I know someone who is a pilot, so I'll ask him.

 

[JAT]

I know someone who is a pilot, so I'll ask him.

Perhaps an airplane designer would be a better source.
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_10/interfere_textonly.html

Oh, um...read past the first paragraph where they "recommend" not to allow phones for the actual research that says they have no proof for that decision.

 

[flat five]

I wouldn't trust aircraft equipment at the mercy of about 80 phones sending these rays out.

well, thousands of phones on a daily basis are sending these rays out while in flight.

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How are flight attendants going to enforce these rules? Check every single person's phone to see whether they're really on airplane mode? I guarantee you people are going to browse the web or do whatever else they want if they're allowed to have their phones turned on.

i think you're being a little [something] if you think people arent already doing this.. the flight crew makes the electronics announcement then walks through the aisle to see if anyone has a phone on then tells them to turn it off..
then-- they go strap themselves into a chair..
you really think nobody is texting/browsing/whatever during that time?

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There needs to be an AngryBirds Pilot's edition where flocks of angry birds try to bring down a 747 by flying into the turbine blades or splatting into the cockpit during an emergency landing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Airways_Flight_1549




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While it's nonsense from the reason why it existed( interfering with the planes equipment), I like it simply because it makes it easier for the flight attendants to prepare the cabin for an emergency. 10,000 ft. may sound like a lot of altitude, but that can go by quickly when trying to get 100's of passengers under control, etc.

putting that type of monitoring on the flight attendants is stupid (imo) in the first place.. if they (you know, them) really felt phones/electronics were dangerous and couldn't be powered on or used during certain segments of the flights, the TSA would be the people providing the security and phones wouldn't be allowed on planes at all.

[not to mention the fact that if you have 250 people at 10000ft going 500mph and the plane is out of control.. phones are probably the least of your worries if trying to get passengers under control.. but this is obvious, right?]