FAA changes safety rules so airline passengers can use electronic gadgets ...

[cpzilliacus]

AP via the Washington Post: FAA changes safety rules so airline passengers can use electronic gadgets from gate-to-gate

Government safety rules are changing to let airline passengers use most electronic devices from gate-to-gate.

The change will let passengers read, work, play games, watch movies and listen to music – but not make cellphone calls.

Connections to the Internet to surf, exchange emails, text or download data will still be prohibited below 10,000 feet. Heavier devices like laptops will have to be stowed. Passengers will be told to switch their smartphones, tablets and other devices to airplane mode.

Cellphone calls will still be prohibited.

[realjd]

About time. I don't always remember to bring a paper magazine or book. It's only 20-30 minutes after the boarding door closes but after my fourth or fifth flight each month, I've already gone through the Sky magazine and the SkyMall enough to have it all memorized. It'll be nice being able to keep my iPad on.

[PHLBOS]

Bold emphasis added:

The change will let passengers read, work, play games, watch movies and listen to music but not make cellphone calls.

Cellphone calls will still be prohibited.

I, for one, am glad that the change in rules will not lift the ban on cell phone calls.  As the article noted, lifting such a restriction requires permission from the FCC not the FAA.

[formulanone]

Wouldn't matter, you can't make a call at 30,000 feet with most 3G/4G technology, so this probably only affects satellite phone users. Based on their pricing models, it's fair to say there's not that many of those on your average flight.

It's woeful enough to hear two folks talk about how boring their jobs are in boardroom-speak on a long flight, so having to deal with someone essentially talking to themselves for two hours might get a little creepy.

...after my fourth or fifth flight each month, I've already gone through the Sky magazine and the SkyMall enough to have it all memorized. It'll be nice being able to keep my iPad on.

The sudoku puzzle was usually completed by the 5th of the month, but sometimes you get lucky.

[Brandon]

Well, at least I'll be able to listen to my mp3 player earlier and keep it on later.  As for entertainment, a book works well.

[realjd]

Well, at least I'll be able to listen to my mp3 player earlier and keep it on later.  As for entertainment, a book works well.

Books make great entertainment. I've got quite the library on my Kindle that I get to keep using during takeoff and landing now.

[jeffandnicole]

Can't wait for the first issue that they try to link to this new rule. Even if the issue has occured multiple times over the past 30 years, they'll still say (or the media will try to say) it's due to the new electronics rule.

[corco]

My strong hope is that even if there were no interference benefit they would still ban cell phone conversations because holy hell would it be annoying to ride on a plane full of people trying to talk on their cell phones over the sound of a jet engine.

[SteveG1988]

Can't wait for the first issue that they try to link to this new rule. Even if the issue has occured multiple times over the past 30 years, they'll still say (or the media will try to say) it's due to the new electronics rule.

My money would be, first time a plane lands short of the runway at an airport that has known issues with landing short. "fell out of the sky" so to speak

[formulanone]

Can't wait for the first issue that they try to link to this new rule. Even if the issue has occured multiple times over the past 30 years, they'll still say (or the media will try to say) it's due to the new electronics rule.

My money would be, first time a plane lands short of the runway at an airport that has known issues with landing short. "fell out of the sky" so to speak

Considering the massive investigations performed by the FAA for anything involving commercial aircraft, plus the flight recorder, the aircraft data recorder, air traffic control data, a "sterile cockpit" mandate, the potentially hundreds of bystanders, rapid availability of social media, coupled with a rather safe past decade of air travel...I'm not too worried unless there's suddenly a rash of problems, which I don't think will happen.

Using Delta's press release as an example:

Between January 1, 2010 and October 30, 2012, Delta compiled information on more than 2.3 million individual flights spanning every model of aircraft operated by Delta. During that time, there were only 27 individual suspected incidents of interference with aircraft. Subsequent testing and investigations were not able to verify than [sic?] any of the incidents were cause by passenger use of portable electronic devices.

[realjd]

My strong hope is that even if there were no interference benefit they would still ban cell phone conversations because holy hell would it be annoying to ride on a plane full of people trying to talk on their cell phones over the sound of a jet engine.

Phones don't get service in the air. Next time you fly, as the plane is on final approach, pay attention and you'll hear dozens of phones start to beep with texts, voicemails, and emails when they're close enough to the ground to pick up service again.

EDIT: fix stupid iPad autocorrect

[xcellntbuy]

On my flights to and from south Florida and upstate New York, I prefer to snooze, read a little or look at the roadway networks below to figure out where I am.

[PHLBOS]

Saw this in an aviation forum covering the same subject and thought it would be worth posting here (someone else's words/findings, not mine):

Mobile/cellular phone calls are PROHIBITED in US airspace. Virgin Atlantic and British Airways on their trans-Atlantic services (BA on the A318's) have either AeroMobile or OnAir installed allowing customers in international and European airspace except during takeoff and landings to use their mobile phones. The service is essentially billed as a GSM international roaming call (if you need a quad-band GSM world phone) and there is EDGE data available last time I checked. Emirates, Etihad also have this service on their US services. So do Air France KLM. I believe if their using the Panasonic equipment there is an option for a GSM pico-cell on board in addition to the standard satellite internet.

BTW the only US mobile carriers that support international roaming onto AeroMobile and OnAir is AT&T and T-Mobile at extremely high rates.

http://www.wireless.att.com/travelguide/coverage/coverage_details.jsp?CIDL=1648&MNC=CING
http://www.wireless.att.com/travelguide/coverage/coverage_details.jsp?CIDL=1501&MNC=CING


Long story short, the technology does indeed exist but it's presently as costly as the old AirPhones (remember them?).

[briantroutman]

Can't wait for the first issue that they try to link to this new rule. Even if the issue has occured multiple times over the past 30 years, they'll still say (or the media will try to say) it's due to the new electronics rule.

Today's shooting at LAX perhaps? Clearly the sheeple are over-emboldened by these new freedoms they don't deserve. Back to martial law...

[Duke87]

My strong hope is that even if there were no interference benefit they would still ban cell phone conversations because holy hell would it be annoying to ride on a plane full of people trying to talk on their cell phones over the sound of a jet engine.

The ban on using cellphones in flight is never going to go away because nothing you can do to the plane will eliminate or even reduce the problems it causes.

Why not? Well, making a phone call in flight really doesn't do much of anything to the plane and you're not jeopardizing anyone on board by doing so. The problems are with the cell network. Basically, your phone is designed to be in contact with the closest cell tower, broadcasting on some given frequency. This same frequency will be reused by other towers to broadcast to other phones. Well, when you're 30,000 feet in the air, you're not close to any cell towers but may be roughly equidistant to several. This means you're being a hog by monopolizing your frequency from several towers instead of just one. Furthermore, the fact that you're moving at 500+ MPH forces the network to adjust what tower you're connecting to very frequently, which also puts undue strain on the network.

So, as long as airplanes continue to fly fast and high, forget about using a cellphone on one.

[hbelkins]

I've often wondered how so many people on Flight 93 were able to call loved ones before the passengers overpowered the hijackers and crashed the plane in Pennsylvania.

[lordsutch]

I've often wondered how so many people on Flight 93 were able to call loved ones before the passengers overpowered the hijackers and crashed the plane in Pennsylvania.

They were probably calling in analog (AMPS) mode, which doesn't have the same timing issues that prevent modern cell phones from communicating correctly with base stations at 500 mph.

In any event, even calling via VOIP or Skype via wifi remains banned by most airlines, even though that wouldn't present the same issues as cellular calling.

[Laura]

Wasn't there a mythbusters that proved that cell phone use doesn't interfere with airplane technology?

[PHLBOS]

I've often wondered how so many people on Flight 93 were able to call loved ones before the passengers overpowered the hijackers and crashed the plane in Pennsylvania.

They were probably calling in analog (AMPS) mode, which doesn't have the same timing issues that prevent modern cell phones from communicating correctly with base stations at 500 mph.

Do you know that (the types of cell phones being used) for a fact? 

While we know that Todd Beamer used the GTE Air Phone to talk to operator Lisa (or Linda) Jefferson (where we heard his "Let's Roll." comment); others indeed used their own cell phones.  Given the fact that the plane was hijacked and the possibility of a crash & death were eminent; even if cell phone usage interfered with any airplane equipment or controls, it was deemed as irrelevant in that particular situation. 

Wasn't there a mythbusters that proved that cell phone use doesn't interfere with airplane technology?

Even if that was indeed the case, there are other (& rather obvious) reasons why a continued cell phone usage ban on flights would remain.

[Brandon]

Wasn't there a mythbusters that proved that cell phone use doesn't interfere with airplane technology?

Maybe.  I know there was one regarding using a cell phone at the pump.  It cannot start a fire at the pump.

[realjd]

Wasn't there a mythbusters that proved that cell phone use doesn't interfere with airplane technology?

They showed that cell phones are unlikely to interfere with navigation devices. As you probably remember, older GSM phones though can induce a 200Hz buzz into audio circuitry like speakers and microphones. I don't remember testing that but I have been on flights where the pilots intercom back to the passengers had that GSM buzz. Thankfully that doesn't happen anymore with 3G/4G.

[formulanone]

I was able to use my netbook during landing yesterday, as the flight attendant told me and my seatmate to just put our trays up for landing. They also kindly ask you put the phones into airplane mode once you push back from the gate.

Also, you can take legally photos on take-off and landing, which I really like (although out of all my travels, only once have I been told to put my camera away).

[realjd]

Delta is currently running a contest where you post a photo of takeoff or landing and post it to #below10kfeet to win two first class domestic tickets. They're actually encouraging photography.

It was weird using my iPad this morning during takeoff and landing on my flights to HSV. I kept feeling like I should hide it.

[formulanone]

What if we took it before November? Is it okay to come out of the FAA-discouraged-photography-closet?



I still turn off my phone, but that's because its battery barely lasts 12 hours on a single charge, even if left completely unused; 4-6 hours if moderately used for phone and internet.

[realjd]

What if we took it before November? Is it okay to come out of the FAA-discouraged-photography-closet?



I still turn off my phone, but that's because its battery barely lasts 12 hours on a single charge, even if left completely unused; 4-6 hours if moderately used for phone and internet.

Tweet it! I'll bet the winning picture will be of Manhattan or something though. I doubt the Delta judges will be as excited about that old school Taco Bell sign as I am! Is it a recent picture?