Must We Really ‘Turn Off All Portable Electronic Devices’?

[flee 5]

Few things try the modern soul like air travel. The endless and arbitrary security hassles. The officious flight crews. Bag fees, shrinking seats, shrieking infants.

 

Then, once you’re ready for takeoff, the verbatim diktats about turning off portable electronic devices. This last inconvenience has resisted scrutiny long enough.

 

The Federal Aviation Administration needs to determine exactly how dangerous devices such as iPods, Kindles and personal video games really are -- and be completely transparent with the public about its findings.

 

The FAA agreed on Dec. 1 to permit American Airlines pilots to use iPads in the cockpit, rather than paper flight charts and manuals, even during takeoff and landing. Yet passengers are still required to power down anything with an on-off switch.

 

Why the discrepancy?

The stated rationale is simply caution: The FAA says it doesn’t know with certainty whether such devices, which emit radio signals, can interfere with the plane’s instruments. Although the agency says it conducted a rigorous study before allowing the pilots to use their iPads, it hasn’t researched the effects of a large number of passengers doing the same.

 

In fact, the last time the FAA commissioned a study on whether passengers should be allowed to use electronic gadgets was in 2006, before iPads existed. It determined then that there was “insufficient information to support a wholesale change in policies.” So current policy continues, in which the FAA prohibits the use of any such devices below 10,000 feet, and allows airlines to determine when to permit them otherwise. No further studies are planned.

 

Significant Concerns

Mobile phones and BlackBerrys, which transmit strong signals at frequencies that could theoretically interfere with a plane’s communication and navigation equipment (and could disrupt cell networks on the ground), are a different story, but still instructive.

 

Their use is banned in flight by the Federal Communications Commission. A study by IEEE Spectrum argued that such devices “will, in all likelihood, someday cause an accident by interfering with critical cockpit instruments such as GPS receivers.”

 

That sounds alarming. But the study also found that, on average, someone uses a mobile phone at least once per flight, sometimes during takeoff and landing. Through September, 6.5 million domestic flights had taken off in the U.S. this year, carrying 480.5 million passengers. If mobile phones present a legitimate danger, and passengers are using them on every flight, we’re tolerating an enormous amount of risk.

 

Which leads to our more significant concern. No electronic device has ever been proved to cause an accident, and turning off your iPad during takeoff and landing would seem to be a small price to pay to make sure that record remains intact. But have you ever left yours turned on in your carry-on bag? No one checks, and nothing happens to you. If the danger is real, shouldn’t we start getting serious about preventing it?

 

After all, Transportation Security Administration agents spend hours intrusively patting down old ladies, inspecting tourists’ flip-flops and confiscating bottled water, but they habitually wave through all manner of electronic gadgets. Suppose a terrorist notices this putative gap in our security and switches on all his hidden Apple products before he boards?

 

The idea seems absurd, but either the devices are dangerous or they’re not.

 

Which is why it’s essential for the FAA to provide more definitive information. The agency must realize that “portable electronic devices” will continue to proliferate, and become ever more powerful and less visible.

 

If they pose a real threat, we need to rethink our security procedures. If they don’t, then please, for once, leave us in peace.

 

Source

[KK Lee 5]

Most airlines (e.g. LH, KL, SQ) permit the use of handphone when aircraft door is opened. EY permits to turn on handphone immediately after landing while still on taxi way. MH instruct pax to use handphone only inside the terminal

[Pieter C. 5]

Watching pictures when in flight-mode should be OK (at least on KL)

 

Flew on KF (Blue1) a few months back from HEL to OSL; when approaching Gardermoen airport (and with the beautiful foleage at that time) I thought to take some pictures, however, was stopped by the flight-attendant 'as all electronic items should be switched off'...

 

so, it all depends on the airline, I guess...

[Johan Z 0]

I seem to remember on MH, you can use electronic devices (including mobile phone) when aircraft comes to a complete stop.

Edited December 21, 2011 by Johan Z

[Hakan 2]

as we have talk before, I just only believe cell phones thats are posible cause of any negative affects on aircraft systems.But still there is no ceratin evidence about that except a few experience. I understand "CD players,transreceivers" also becouse of one of them produce microwave from laer source another one basicly a transmittet or radio with antenna (antenna has capability about waving even just only use receive)

 

But I don't understand other electronic devices which has hard/solid chip include. How they can be waving signals that can be affected on aircraft systems? they just only work microchips!

 

Maybe they just only wanted to precaution against passangers who doesn't understand of differents which one harms or not.

[flee 5]

I think most airlines are just trying to keep the rules simple so that there is no room for exceptions. Crew should not be tied up arguing whether pax can use a device or not. There are many things that need to be done when preparing for a take off and landing.

 

So while I am annoyed I can't use my electronic devices on take offs and landings, I think that it is better to be safe than sorry.

[Naim 6]

...

Flew on KF (Blue1) a few months back from HEL to OSL; when approaching Gardermoen airport (and with the beautiful foleage at that time) I thought to take some pictures, however, was stopped by the flight-attendant 'as all electronic items should be switched off'...

...

 

Had same experience flying Air NZ from Christchurch-Wellington in '08, the flight attendant asked me to switch off cam as plane was taking off at CHC. First & only time ever.

[Teoh Z Yao 0]

Had been asked to switched off cam and phone many times, on varous airlines, even on ground while a/c is still at the gate. When the plane begins to be pushed back, I autonatically go on flight-mode. Sometimes I just hope that the flight attendants can be more polite when it comes to calling passerngers to turn off e devices; they can be quite rude and inconsiderate. I do think it all boils down to simplicity--some devices may interfere with flight essentials, of huge or little significance, but to prohibit ALL electronic devices turned on in flight makes life simple as flee suggested.

 

One more disheartening aspect is the prohibition of photography on the apron (while boarding or alighting)--the recent misleading Air Asia X commercial indicates otherwise.

[Aaron Goh 1]

1st.....airlines dont want during rough ride, those electronic devices become missile and hit your head.....scared later you sue them. 2nd.....Hard for flight attendants to identify which is Galaxy Tab, which is Ipad, is it on flight mode or not, imagine going thru each and every device for 300 pax..... 3rd.....1 pax use mobile phone fine, 2 ok, how about 300 hp switch on at one time (any effects? anybody's guess). 4..... They want u to use inflight sat phone, untung lah.....

[Syed A Ridhwan 0]

Most airlines (e.g. LH, KL, SQ) permit the use of handphone when aircraft door is opened. EY permits to turn on handphone immediately after landing while still on taxi way. MH instruct pax to use handphone only inside the terminal

 

From my recent experience, make it 4; MH, FY, AK and D7 - passengers are all instructed only to use their mobile devices once their inside the terminal building.

 

NZ, EK, CX, 3K & JQ on the other hand permits passengers to switch on their mobile devices during taxi after touch down.

 

As far as using other electronic devices such as iPod, DSLR or even smartphones that has been switched to flight mode, I was once instructed by a 3K crew (KUL-SIN) to switch them off while the plane was taxiing to the runway for takeoff (yes, I happen to have them all on my lap when the crew was walking along the aisle ). Question though, why are we still not allowed to use such devices during taxi prior to takeoff, even for smartphones that has been switched to flight mode?

Edited December 24, 2011 by Syed A Ridhwan

[Sri Ramani K. 0]

Because something like this MIGHT be reported.

 

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/298403_10150436016624097_714679096_10943689_7330594_n.jpg

 

Edited December 24, 2011 by Sri Ramani K.

[KK Lee 5]

Disruptions: Norelco on Takeoff? Fine. Kindle? No.

By NICK BILTON | December 25, 2011, 3:00 pm

 

 

The Federal Aviation Administration has its reasons for preventing passengers from reading from their Kindles and iPads during takeoff and landing. But they just don’t add up.

 

Since I wrote a http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/f-a-a-approves-ipads-in-cockpits-but-not-for-passengers/column last month asking why these rules exist, I’ve spoken with the F.A.A., American Airlines, Boeing and several others trying to find answers. Each has given me a radically different rationale that contradicts the others. The F.A.A. admits that its reasons have nothing to do with the undivided attention of passengers or the fear of Kindles flying out of passengers’ hands in case there is turbulence. That leaves us with the danger of electrical emissions.

 

For answers, I headed down to EMT Labs, an independent testing facility in Mountain View, Calif., that screens electrical emissions of gadgets that need to pass health, safety and interference standards.

 

Before I share the results of the tests EMT ran, let me explain what this means. Every electronic device throws off electrical emissions. This is the slight hum of energy that emanates from a device when in use. Labs like EMT test electronics of all sizes to ensure that they meet government standards and will not interfere with other electronics when in use.

 

Gadgets are tested by monitoring the number of volts per meter coming off a device. The F.A.A. requires that before a plane can be approved as safe, it must be able to withstand up to 100 volts per meter of electrical interference.

 

When EMT Labs put an Amazon Kindle through a number of tests, the company consistently found that this e-reader emitted less than 30 microvolts per meter when in use. That’s only 0.00003 of a volt.

 

“The power coming off a Kindle is completely minuscule and can’t do anything to interfere with a plane,” said Jay Gandhi, chief executive of EMT Labs, after going over the results of the test. “It’s so low that it just isn’t sending out any real interference.”

 

But one Kindle isn’t sending out a lot of electrical emissions. But surely a plane’s cabin with dozens or even hundreds will? That’s what both the F.A.A. and American Airlines asserted when I asked why pilots in the cockpit could use iPads, but the people back in coach could not. Yet that’s not right either.

 

“Electromagnetic energy doesn’t add up like that. Five Kindles will not put off five times the energy that one Kindle would,” explained Kevin Bothmann, EMT Labs testing manager. “If it added up like that, people wouldn’t be able to go into offices, where there are dozens of computers, without wearing protective gear.”

 

Bill Ruck, principal engineer at CSI Telecommunications, a firm that does radio communications engineering, added: “Saying that 100 devices is 100 times worse is factually incorrect. Noise from these devices increases less and less as you add more.”

 

The F.A.A. does allow some electronics during takeoff and landing. Portable voice recorders, hearing aids, heart pacemakers and electric shavers are permitted during all times of a flight.

 

So I took a Sony voice recorder that I bought at Best Buy and tested that too. The results? The voice recorder puts off almost exactly the same electrical emissions as the Kindle. In many instances of the test, the voice recorder actually emitted more.

 

In 2006, a report commissioned by the F.A.A. determined that people could not use electronics during takeoff and landing. I asked Dave Carson, a Boeing engineer who was co-chairman of the group that wrote the report, why we are allowed voice recorders and electric razors but not Kindles and iPads.

 

In an e-mail, Mr. Carson said that voice recorders and razors had been determined to “not cause interference with the navigation or communication system of the aircraft on which it is to be used” though he wrongly thought that the F.A.A. banned those devices nonetheless. Mr. Ruck said: “The only reason these rules exist from the F.A.A. is because of agency inertia and paranoia.”

 

The F.A.A. and other groups seem to be running out of reasons we can’t use digital e-readers on planes during takeoff and landing. Maybe their next response will be: “Because I said so!”

 

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/disruptions-tests-cast-doubt-on-fcc-rules-on-kindle-and-ipad-html/

[Mushrif A 3]

Because something like this MIGHT be reported.

 

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/298403_10150436016624097_714679096_10943689_7330594_n.jpg

 

 

Those must have been some portable electromagnetic-pulse emitting gadgets masquerading as BBs and iPhones...just some guys on a dry run, to prove a concept.

[Naim 6]

Those must have been some portable electromagnetic-pulse emitting gadgets masquerading as BBs and iPhones...just some guys on a dry run, to prove a concept.

 

Macam James Bond's Goldeneye.

[BC Tam 2]

All these precautions because the 'offending' devices will interfere with whatever because they are emitting waves of one form or another

I can only imagine that the multitude of devices and systems within the cockpit are way, way more powerful in their emissions of waves compared to those puny hand held devices in possession of pax in cabin

Makes you wonder .......

 

 

so, it all depends on the airline, I guess...

I speculate it more depends on the crew's interpretation of the rules, whether he/she got off the right side of the bed that morning, etc etc

[alberttky 0]

There's your answer.

 

DANGER OF CELL PHONES ON AIRPLANE DURING TAKEOFF AND LANDING!!

Edited December 28, 2011 by alberttky