FCC Asks FAA to Allow Greater Use of Gadgets During Flights
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to extend the permissible use of gadgets on flights.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski did not refer to a general acceptance of voice calls, but "greater use of tablets, e-readers, and other portable devices."
That "greater use" apparently would allow communications other than voice as Genachowski noted that such devices "empower people to stay informed and connected with friends and family, and they enable both large and small businesses to be more productive and efficient, helping drive economic growth and boost U.S. competitiveness."
Genachowski reportedly sent the letter to FAA administrator Michael Huerta, who has not officially responded to the request yet. It was unclear whether the note would be targeted at greater availability of Wi-Fi connectivity on airplanes or the permission to allow cellular connections during flights.
It's a fair assumption to say the FAA simply doesn't want to run the risk of anything that it doesn't have to. And nobody is gonna die with having to go a few hours without their phone or other electronic device.
I sincerely don't think it would do that much difference.
The "electronics can make your plane fall" culture is already way too rooted into people's minds imo. Even if the companies do allow gadgets, they'll have problems with slightly more paranoid people refusing to fly with someone else who uses them.
http://www.change.org/petitions/federal-aviation-administration-faa-allow-e-readers-and-other-safe-devices-to-be-used-at-all-times-during-flights
email and texting would be fine IMO.
On my old Nextel (IDEN) phone, I could tell anytime a call was coming in even before my phone started ringing because my PC speakers would start popping. While this wouldn't take down an airplane, it could cause the pilot to miss some crucial information from the air traffic controller.
Email and texting and web browsing but talking would be horrible. I've already experienced someone talking on one of those expensive first class phones they used to have (might still have been long time since I went first class), OMG they were talking as if they were alone and very loud. Multiply that by however many people there are on the phone and there might end up being a problem since some people just can't talk quietly on phones no matter where they are.
There is a difference though, your speakers are made to accept all interference from anywhere and to not give off more than a certain amount while a plane is shielded to the point that interference would not bother it. You can check the back of pretty much all consumer electronics and it will say they are made to accept all interference but not give any or to give little off itself, planes are not in this category.
Now, on a personal note: everytime i fly (not very often) i always have my mp3 and my laptop.
I cant use laptop on take off, the mp3 on the other hand, i got mixed answers. Sometimes they allow it, sometimes they dont (normally when you explain that the radio and the mp3 cannot work togheter, and that you plan to only use mp3, they let you).
Now, i perfectly understand why no laptop: if there is a turbulence, and your laptop flies out and kills that annoying little kid behind you, everyone will blame the airline, so they reduce the chance of a problem this way.
I agree with that. Now, about phones, its no myth that they "can" interfiere with plane electronics. I was once flying and the stewardess was capable of finding the 1 guy that forgot to turn off his cellphone.
I belive that if everyone used their phone, we could have some bigger issues.
On a final note, planes have been crashing more often since the economical recesion, so im a bit scared of adding more potencial problems to the current situation.
Laptops are more an issue of size and awkwardness in the cabin. Sometimes you have to enforce safety for those that just don't get it. I can relent on this issue.
However, why I can't use my small iPod / zune or use my Kindle / Nook / tablet is beyond me. These devices won't interfer with anything and as long as the pilot / flight attendants have finished their pre-flight safety demonstrations, why can't I use them? I can go on and on about how many hours I've spent taxiing at airports or sat waiting at the gate for one problem or another. It is very irritating, uncomfortable and boring.
I flew in China a lot this last summer and found their system as good as that in the US, but more efficiently organized and more accomodating to the customer. While the populace flying there is definitely ruder, there is much we can learn from how they've embraced flying in so short a time.
Fact is, plains aren't nearly as susceptible to radio interference as the FAA has claimed. It's been proven. The EMI shielding used in planes eliminates nearly all possibility of a cellphone (or multiple cellphones) from taking a plane down. If it was even remotely possible for a plane to be taken by a bunch of people making phone calls or browsing the web, or sending texts messages....plains would never get off the ground. Plains are subjected to more than 1,000,000 times the EMI produced by a full passenger roster every flight. You're more likely to have a plain run out of fuel, than be taken by EMI from cellphone usage. Aircraft communications also operate on a completely different frequency than the general public can legally access. This frequency is also immune to interference from outside radio communications.
The theory that radio waves/EMI produced by electronic devices can bring down a plain.....is and has been false since the FAA first made the claim.