We've all been there: you're just about to hit a high score in Super Hexagon, when suddenly, the cabin door on the airplane closes. Relegated to reading about garden gnomes in Sky Mall magazine, the next 10,000 feet are the longest in history. But Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) wants to change all of that with proposed legislation to keep our iPads going strong from take-off to landing.
As reported by Politico, McCaskill is planning to write a bill allowing flight passengers to use their electronic gadgets during the entirety of a flight -- not just above 10,000 feet as the FAA currently allows.
"Many stakeholders have entrenched positions on this issue and have long resisted commonsense changes to the PED (personal electronic devices) rules," McCaskill writes in a March 7 letter to FFA administrator Michael Huerta. "Ultimately, it will be up to the FAA, and you as an Administrator, to provide leadership, make a decision, and compel the needed changes to the current rules."
The Missouri Senator appears less than pleased with progress on the subject of in-flight electronics use. The FAA had previously announced its intent to take a hard look at the regulations.
No word yet on when McCaskill may introduce the proposed bill to the U.S. Senate.
Follow this article's author, Matt Clark, on Twitter.
Image Source: photo-dictionary.com
Jfraser
March 11, 2013 at 5:17am
Part of the problem is that planes are very automated nowadays.
25 years or so ago, pilots actually flew the plane. Now pilots mainly just troubleshoot and fix things when necessary. There's barely any reason for having a professional pilot flying the plane anymore, which is why pilots currently earn a lot less than they used to. If the pilots actually flew the plane instead of turning on autopilot, electronic devices like iPads and iPhones wouldn't cause any problems.
Cecelia Baines
March 11, 2013 at 9:55am
Really? And when was the last time you flew a plane like a 707, 737 or such?
That is such a nonsense statement it makes me want to puke.
Flying a plane still requires a high degree of training, intelligence, acumen and reaction. To say otherwise illustrates tremendous ignorance.
And flying a 152 or Mooney doesn't really qualify for such a statement.
Seriously though, go through flight school, do you first patterns in a jet and then get back to me with a more informed statement.
dbsantana
March 10, 2013 at 4:13am
I appreciate Cecelia's comments, and they make sense to me. I don't see what is the problem with turning off devices once in a while, and in the case of take off and landing, i wouldn't want anything to potentially interfere.
dbsantana
March 10, 2013 at 4:13am
I appreciate Cecelia's comments, and they make sense to me. I don't see what is the problem with turning off devices once in a while, and in the case of take off and landing, i wouldn't want anything to potentially interfere.
Cecelia Baines
March 08, 2013 at 5:13pm
Hi Matt,
No worries, but first off, in the interest of full disclosure I am going to give my professional background. I am a professional helicopter pilot - I work in Southern California and get contracts with many TV and movie productions - stunt flights, aerials etc... In addition, I sometimes do small aircraft flights as well - typically charters done for a friend's air service, so with that said I do not fly the bog aircraft where the MacCaskill bill would be applied.
Okay, caveat out of the way, I do know the story behind the prohibition and it does make sense and is a very real phenom. Here are some very good references for you to use (they say it much better than I - and they have all those fun and funky sciency terms!!!):
HAD TO REMOVE THE LINKS BECAUSE IT TRIGGERED THE SPAM FILTER AND WOULD NOT LET ME POST!
Okay, that fun, dry and esoteric stuff out of the way, to answer your question about "why below 10,000ft"....
The aircraft's most vulnerable point is always the take-off. During take-off, if any one thing goes wrong, certain failsafes are employed to mitigate the danger. BUT, aircraft are extremely vulnerable below 10,000ft, especially right after take-off. Beyond the aerodynamics of the take-off, there is typically lots of radio and communications taking place during the take-off (pre-flight, run-up, taxi, ground clearance, tower and more) - and it has been shown that PED's can interfere with the radio transmissions. Will they always? Probably not, but the potential is strong enough to warrant an extra level of safety - call it a redundancy during the vulnerable periods of time.
The same holds true for landing - while the aircraft is not quite as vulnerable during landing, it is still a critical time for the crew and the communications increase.
I hope that helped a little! And like I said, I love my iPad and iPhone - and I use my iPad Mini during flights for navigation, real time weather. radar and more - in the helis and fixed wing - BUT, I have experienced the radio interference in these times (you ever place an iPhone next to a TV or set of speakers and here those clicks and buzzes? That happens in the aircraft to the speakers and radios).
Hope that helped!
MattClark
March 08, 2013 at 6:55pm
Thanks for the input, Cecelia. So, are they allowing the pilots to use the devices during takeoff? Maybe that's a dumb question...
Cecelia Baines
March 08, 2013 at 9:39pm
Yes, pilots use the devices throughout the flight, but because they have control of the devices, if they register any issues, they can turn them off quickly.
Also, think about just one device versus 100.
The best way to get a physical illustration is to place an iPhone or iPad next to a TV or speakers while it is charging. Every now and then you hear electric static on the speakers from the devices pinging. Now imagine the potential of disruption to an aircraft with 100s of devices on.
And communications and radios are used very little once the aircraft clears the controlled airspace and goes into the cruising altitudes, hence the lifting of the usage embargo!
Again, hope that helps a bit.
Cecelia Baines
March 08, 2013 at 4:11pm
I am a pilot and I have to disagree with Senator MacCaskill.
Yes, I love my iPad Mini. Yes, I love my iPhone. And yes, the FAA approved iPad use for in-cockpit use for flight crew and pilots, but having an entire cabin full of electronic devices does present a true danger to the aircraft and communications. I am not going to give precise quotes here, but citations are available through FAA.gov, or through AIM.gov.
Honestly, if people are so addicted to the devices they feel they have to be using them during the climb out or approach, perhaps they need to re-examine their lives and priorities. And really, as a pilot, I want to the aircraft and the communications working to the absolute best possible ability.
And secondly, is this really what we need our Senators and politicians working on right now? We the true and pressing issues out there at present, this seems to be a waste of time and an egregious waste of taxpayer money.
MattClark
March 08, 2013 at 4:25pm
Hey Cecelia! I appreciate you taking the time to comment, especially as you can give some insight as a pilot. I have to ask something, if you don't mind, though. Why is it that it's OK to turn on the devices over 10,000 feet, and what is it about a device -- like the iPad -- that could interfere with your equipment?
Your input is really appreciated! Thanks.
