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FAA to allow personal electronic devices during takeoff and touchdown
Sure it's not healthy, but we admit that we get a bit shaky in the time it takes to complete our final descent. We've read all of SkyMall, and it's just too hard to be away from the warming glow of our Kindle Paperwhite. Thankfully, however, the FAA has finally pulled the trigger on the long-awaited decision to allow the usage of personal electronics during all phases of flight, letting passengers use e-readers, tablets and the like "with very limited exception." The governmental body expects that a number of carriers will deliver on the promise by year's end. Of course there's some fine print: airplane mode is still strongly encouraged and "implementation will vary among airlines," according to a release issued this morning. We also assume that the same rules will apply to tray tables, so that iMac will have to stay in your bag. Update: Looks like Delta's on-board to start pretty much right away. Update 2: JetBlue received formal FAA approval on Friday, November 1st, and began allowing gate-to-gate electronics use immediately.
US Federal Aviation Administration to re-examine in-flight electronics use
Chances are good that you'll still need to put your electronic devices away during takeoff and landing, but the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is forming a combined government-industry group to determine when your computer, smartphone and tablet can be safely used. The major reason you're asked to power down those devices during portions of the flight is to prevent interference with communications and navigation devices during the most crucial phases. The group the FAA is forming will include participants from pilot, flight attendant, and passenger groups, as well as airlines, mobile companies, and aviation manufacturers. The group will be formed this fall, meet for a six-month period, and then report back to the FAA on the testing methods used by airlines to determine safety and possible standards for use of devices in flight. They will not be looking at allowing voice calls on cellphones during flights. You, the flying public, have a chance to put in your word with the FAA starting today. A Request for Comments (RFC) should be published in the Federal Register today, kicking off a 60-day period during which the public is requested to make comments on various issues. The cellular industry's industry group, CTIA, has one opinion -- "The use of portable electronic devices while on a flight -- the whole flight -- should absolutely be allowed," said CTIA executive Jot Carpenter. Whether the flying public will tolerate loud cell phone calls during flights is another matter...
FAA to take 'fresh look' at gadget restrictions on flights
The only thing worse than the Terrible 10,000 Feet is the underlying sense that it's all so unnecessary. Why should using an iPad, Kindle or bag-holding alarm clock be banned during take-off and landing, even with all wireless comms switched off? Nick Bilton from the New York Times has been hounding the Federal Aviation Administration over this issue for a while, but he's suddenly received a reply other than "Just turn it off, sir." A senior official told him that the agency as decided to take a "fresh look" at the rules, not for cell phones, but for the myriad of other gadgets that can make a flight so much more peaceful and productive. Currently, airlines complain that they have to test each model of device individually, on every single plane in the fleet, and with a separate empty flight used for each test, before they're allowed to relax the rules for that model. That's why personal electronic devices remain so closely restricted, but also why there's so much room for a smarter solution -- even if there are still reams of red-tape to overcome before anything changes.
