/ / / / /

'Please Turn Off and Stow Electronics' to Become Thing of the Past

March 23, 2012 at 3:26 PM | by | Comments (0)

In a little-noticed move last December, the FAA decided to allow pilots to use their iPads in the cockpit "even during takeoff and landing." The idea was that the pilots could use their tablets as "electronic flight bags," which we're not sure is a real thing but it's what THE FAA said so there you go.

You can easily see, however, why people at the time found the whole thing a little strange. The FAA doesn't allow passengers to use any personal electronics, including tablets like iPads or e-readers like Kindles, during takeoff and landing. The ostensible justification for the ban is that those devices might interfere with a plane's navigation system. And yet here was a new rule allowing pilots to use their tablets literally in the cockpit, all but on top of the plane's oh-so-delicate navigation system. The logic seemed strained.

Fast forward to last week. New York Times tech blogger Nick Bilton decided to call up the FAA to poke them with a stick about their "please deactivate anything with an on/off switch" regulations. Instead of him getting the usual answer—that electronics are verboten, because shut up that's why—something different happened.

The FAA's deputy assistant administrator for public affairs Laura J. Brown told Bilton that the agency was going to take a "fresh look" at the use of e-readers and tablets. The last time tests were run was in 2006, which in the history of personal electronic devices might as well have been a century ago. So the FAA is going to seriously look into allowing travelers to use some of the new devices that have been invented and mainstreamed since the last round of tests.

It's going to be a while before travelers actually see any changes, since the devices have to go through a testing process and that's not trivial. But some day, eventually, you might be able to use your Kindle on a runway. How daring and dangerous we'll all feel then.

[Photo: bradleygee / Flickr]

Comments (0)

Post a Comment

Return to » 'Please Turn Off and Stow Electronics' to Become Thing of the Past

Join the conversation!

Not a member? .
Use of this Site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (effective 3/21/12) and Privacy Policy (effective 3/21/12). © Condé Nast. Your California Privacy Rights. All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast.
Ad Choices