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[Spotted via GigaOM]

Dwight Silverman | Techblogger, social media manager

35 Responses

  1. Justin Kugler says:

    As long as the operation of the vehicle is not impaired or disrupted, I think personal electronics should be allowed.

    Reading my Kindle is functionally no different than reading a hard-copy book or the magazines in the seat pouch. When I was a kid, I could listen to my Walkman cassette player without incident, but I can’t listen to my iPod/iPhone now? You still have to leave your seat tray up during ascent and descent, so there should be little concern about path obstruction.

    • BarksintheCountry says:

      Why do the airlines still include seat trays on the planes? They could cut more weight from the aircraft by eliminating them. And, cut another 1/4″ from the pitch.

  2. Bozo the clown says:

    Big freaken deal if you have to keep it off……

  3. Peter says:

    I want to see the rules completely reversed so that there are no electronic devices allowed on while the cabin door is open. At the moment, we have way too many idiots who can’t figure out how to get seated or how to exit the aircraft. Few things are more irritating to me when traveling than the moron who is talking or texting on his phone why simultaneously trying to figure out what row he’s in while trying to get his luggage in the wrong overhead bin. Maybe, just maybe, if you have to wait until the door is closed, they’ll be a little quicker boarding the plane.

  4. g-money says:


    Does anybody really pay attention to this anymore anyway? Is it still necessary in this day and age to explain to people how to work a seat belt? Most people have flown in their lifetime, probably multiple times at least, and know the drill. Many of us who are frequent fliers can probably stand up and give the speech ourselves. I tend to look around during the safety lecture and see that maybe a handful of people are looking up and attentive to the flight attendants in the first place. Most people are reading something, talking to their neighbor, or getting a jump on their in flight nap.

    • Charles says:

      Safety is not aimed at most people, it is for all.

    • Me says:

      It’s all about protection from legal liability.

    • henry says:

      They could just as easily say, “If you can’t figure out your seatbelt, or don’t know where the exit doors with the big EXIT sign on them are located, hang your head in shame and press the call button now.”

  5. JohnD says:

    Given that the FAA already allows pilots to use iPads in the cockpit, there is no reason not to allow the passengers to use their tablets and cameras during takeoff and landing.

    Personally, it is the blanket ban on cameras that most annoys me. I can almost understand not allowing devices that have built-in wifi capability. But why ban digital cameras? It simply makes no sense.

  6. Mike says:

    “..and when crew members have to get the attention of passengers quickly in an emergency.”

    I don’t think that’ll be a problem. If a gaping hole appears in the airframe, or something catches fire, or the thing starts plummeting towards the ground, I’m pretty sure Words with Friends will not be contending for anyone’s attention anymore.

  7. Justin Kugler says:

    If the phones are in AIRPLANE mode, I’m good with that. But in such a mode, you cannot text or call or stream music. You can still play single player games and listen to songs on your machine, though.

    But how is the crew going to be able to tell if Granny Liverspot has set her ancient Moto Razr to Airplane mode or not? She may not even have that setting on her phone, never mind know how to activate it. So you’ll have to say all cellphones must be turned off and all smartphones must be in Airplane mode. And even then, some wiseacre is going to think the rules don’t apply to him and text during takeoff, with potential disastrous results if the RF jams the planes ARINC network and the engines shut down (safe mode) just before the gear leave the ground.

    • Larry says:

      I couldn’t agree more. There are always people on the plane that have to be forced to move their seats upright and turn off their phones. I’m not even sure why they have the carry on measuring device anymore, because no one uses it and the airlines rarely call these idiots on the size of their luggage. I’m always in a state of disbelief as someone tries to hammer their suitcase in an overhead bin and the flight attendants help them. They should be telling them you have to check that bag you idiot.

  8. lil ol me says:

    The issue has been technically moot for a very, very long time. Modern devices do not emit, nor are modern electronics in the airplanes themselves all that suseptible to EMI/RFI as much as they used to be. And since they are now allowing battery chargers that tells a lot since usually chargers and other power-related devices are the worst EMI/RFI offenders. Look for some sort of requirement for each device to have a regulatory mark relating to emissions, but most already have it.

  9. Mike Lantz says:

    I have several commercial pilot friends, they use their electronics in the cockpit once they have set auto pilot. The signal from personal eletronic devices does not interfere with any airplane electronics or avionics.

  10. sam says:

    Careful now, the airline will surely charge you.

  11. John says:

    I always thought the ban was silly, but a friend of mine (a professor who teaches people to design aeronautical electonics) says that it’s not quite that simple (either way) – there are some potential issues. The decision should be based on the safety of the technology, of course.

    And regardless of the rules, people yammering into their phones on planes are morons. There’s no call that important, sorry. Although you do get to hear the most interesting things (recently for me, someone identifying by name the people at his company about to lose their jobs.)

  12. Stephen says:

    Don’t they make WiFi/Data blocking paint and wallpaper? Why not shield the cockpit from the rest of the plane? Why do I have to turn my laptop off in Row 35 Seat C but the pilot, co-pilot, and navigator run their laptops in the cockpit?

    It’s all about being overly cautious and it’s about time they are seriously going to look at this issue. I mean heaven forbid the pilots actually having to fly the plane.

  13. Flying Laptop says:

    Am I the only one who thinks it is stupid to rely on voluntary passenger cooperation to protect planes from stray EM radiation?

    Don’t we have a whole bunch of terrorists looking for ways to affect these planes? If my cell phone can affect navigation, then a terrorist’s specially-tuned device could take this same vulnerable plane down.

    When you tell me I have to turn my device off to protect the plane, it just makes me wonder why I wasted my time going through the see-through security when even simple devices are such a danger that my voluntary compliance is the only thing that keeps us safe.

    Harden the planes, to the degree they’re not already hardened, because it’s just stupid to depend on passenger compliance keeping the plane safe when you already don’t trust the passengers!

  14. Joe Smith says:

    No they should not allow electronics to be used and one day we will suffer again because of them being used during flight. Yes it is a long boring flight and the odds are slim. If most really knew what a person can do with
    what is allowed now days they may not even dare to step on a flight. If they had a reason to ban the use during them during take off and landing it should stand. This question is dumb and just another sign of how we say I will never forget 911. Well electronics were not used at that time only means they maybe the next tool in mind Thank You and have a good day.

  15. Reggie says:

    I am here to testify that you can keep your mp3 players, tablets, and cell phones on during take off and landings and live to tell about it. My iPad is never completely “off” unless I need to reboot it. My iPod remains on until the plane reaches the gate. My smart phone is usually off, but sometimes I forget to turn it off and yet the plane functions normally.

    The FAA would save flight attendants a HUGE headache if they just repealed this silly, archaic regulation. And as for paying attention during the safety announcement, an old-fashioned book can engross my attention just as much as a game on the iPad.

  16. Brian says:

    I wonder if Alec Balwin is paying attention? Bwaaaahahahahaha!

  17. Rcbnfu says:

    It makes perfect sense to limit cell phones during flight. At least that limits the ability for a remote detonation by a cell phone enabled explosive device. It does not, as many have said for years, interfere with the electronics and avionics on board the plance. Most pilots these days use exactly the same equipment in their cockpit as the passengets do. From cell phones and pda’s (PED) to iPads, to talk to corporate and get aviation data and airport templates while in-flight. Games and eReaders the emit low frequency signals for wifi systems would not likely pose an eminent threat to the aircraft. Smaller electronic games used by children shouldn’t be a threat at all.

  18. Crawdaddct says:

    I usually use that time to talk with people. Its amazing how even a hello can brighten some peoples day. On my last flight a guy told me I was the only person that had been nice to him in a week. If you allow use all the time people will never unplug. The world is already too plugged in all the time. Leave that stuff at home and experiance the world. On my last flight I also had the guy that dances and sings with his ear phones on for two hours. You know that guy? I was about to take his iPod and smash it to bits. Im fine with the way it is.

  19. texaschickeee says:

    sorry charlie. IF you are not able to turn off to wait to get into the air, or on to the ground then YOU have a problem. Leave it as it is. Honestly we have people that can not disconnect to get their kids out of the back seat or take a road trip with their family with out some how blocking all the communications. We have people that check the emails before sleep and before coffee. Enough is enough. (I may add that if your just sitting on the tarmac then go for it) but taxi and take off/ incoming. not a chance.

  20. Charles says:

    Probably most off the shelf electronics are quite safe to use in airplanes. I wouldn’t want to bet though, that there is not people clever enough to make some serious modifications to their intended use.

  21. eric2waters says:

    Here’s something I find interesting….
    Should the aircraft loose all electronic control to the pumps operating the hydraulic system, a pinwheel propeller type device will pop out from the fuselage which essentially ‘windmills’ a hydraulic-pump-of-last-resort so flight control surfaces can still be operated. They can engineer this complex system to keep the aircraft aloft yet they can’t counter any stray electronic field whenever a passengers digital Timex alarm goes off? Not buying it.

  22. jbc85 says:

    I’m so glad to see this blog – I’ll definitely provide my comments to the FAA! Similar to many other commenters, I used my Walkman as a kid, and would like to listen to music (not streaming) as I settle into my seat and get ready for the ride. I don’t carry paper books anymore as my Nook is so much lighter (and carries many more books) – sure would be nice to be able to read my book during the approach and landing. As for “are people paying attention to the safety spiel?” – Not me – I’m either napping or reading the inflight magazine, so I don’t think allowing Nooks and ipods is a significant impact there either.

  23. Jason says:

    Guess what, your fellow passengers already leave their cellphones, iPads, Kindles, and Laptops on during Takeoff and landing.

    It’s a voluntary process, which means there is always someone’s device on. Do you think they go through the checked luggage turn devices off?

  24. mickster says:

    I’m not really sure I understand your comment “it would just be terribly annoying to have multiple people in the close confines of an aircraft yammering on their cell phones”. What difference should it make if a passenger is talking on the phone or to someone sitting next to them? Yammering is yammering and close confines are what you get when you don’t fly first class. Don’t misunderstand, hearing only one side of a conversation can be distracting/irritating but you’ll adapt. It’s what tech people do.

  25. mickster1245 says:

    Let’s ask Mythbusters for a do over. This time with pads, etc.

  26. Brian says:

    If I understand this correctly, it must somehow be shown that electronic devices DO NOT interfere with the plane. This is asking for proof of a negative, which is logically impossible. The consequences of permitting everyone an extra 30 minutes with their devices could be hundreds of deaths. Though the chances of something bad happening are extremely small, the consequences would be horrendous. I can’t believe all this whiny outrage over a brief suspension of device use.

  27. Adler says:

    Airplane electronic systems are all designed to resist electronic emissions many times the total output of all the cell phones, laptops, and tablets on board. If they didn’t there would be no way for them to even fly around in urban areas with megawatts of TV, radio, satcom, cell phone, etc. transmissions. Who are the airlines trying to kid?

    Why not just say the policy is to limit usage in order to make the boarding process more efficient?

  28. henry says:

    It’s a good idea until a terrorist gets the idea to play Angry Birds during takeoff and crashes the plane.