Some airlines in the middle east, Europe, and Asia allow phones with (of course) no issues [1]. Let's hope sanity prevails here, but I'm not holding my breath.<p>I'm sure this rule started out as a prudent idea when electronic devices were rare. Once in place, a rule like this is almost impossible to remove. Any bureaucrat is afraid to revoke the rule because he runs a risk of being blamed for some crash some day. It's not even irrational, given how randomly causes get assigned. It's maddening and ludicrous and not surprising at all.<p>If the rule had never existed, the people defending the rule would never even think to have it implemented.<p>[1] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phones_on_aircraft" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phones_on_aircraft</a>
From what I've heard, it's more to try to keep distractions to a minimum during high risk parts of flight - namely, take off and landing. But still being able to read a magazine but not a Kindle negates this whole arguments.<p>Trust me: if there was a technical risk from iPhones, they wouldn't be allowed onboard.
Certificated private pilots like myself use iPads on an increasing basis in the cockpit. There is no issue with interference, nor is there any empirical evidence to indicate so. The ban is and always has been ludicrous.
There are documented cases of electronic devices causing interference with onboard electronics. From Boeing:<p><pre><code> A passenger's palmtop computer was reported to cause
the airplane to initiate a shallow bank turn. One minute
after turning the PED off, the airplane returned to "on
course." When the unit was brought to the flight deck,
the flight crew noticed a strong correlation by turning
the unit back on and watching the anomaly return, then
turning the unit off and watching the anomaly stop.
</code></pre>
Link: <a href="http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_10/interfere_textonly.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_10/interf...</a><p>I don't understand why Apple or Google don't pay Boeing the cost to test their phones on planes. It would be a great selling point.
You have to turn off your phone when the plane door is shut while at the gate, but you can turn on your phone when the plane touches down during landing. I was told this is more to do with the FAA wanting to do everything possible to "encourage" you to pay attention to the safety briefing.<p>I can't find the link where I read that right now, still looking. But it means that I doubt much will change given that its not just electronic interference that is the reason for the ban of electronics during taxi'ing at least.
Is anyone else worried about people this is going to lead to scores of people trying to board while talking away on their phones while forgetting about the 200 people behind them?<p>Or, for that matter get seated next to a guy who's arguing with his spouse/stockbroker/best friend the entire 4 hour flight?<p>I'm all for in-flight communication, but I'm a little worried of the chaos it might bring as well.
Does it seem like insanity to anyone else that portable electronic devices would have any impact on a plane in flight? Even a cell phone. How poorly designed would a plane have to be to be affected by that stuff?<p>Honestly, the requirement made me less confident that anyone in aviation knew what they were doing.
I'm cautiously optimistic about potential changes. It would be great to keep using my Kindle/iPad/etc during takeoff and landing, but I'd be surprised if the changes go that far. At least it's the FAA and not the TSA looking into this, otherwise I'm sure we'd never be able to turn anything on during a flight.