The guy next to you is doing work on his laptop. One aisle over, a woman is watching a movie on her iPad. Behind you, two kids are playing their Nintendo 3DS'. In the back of the plane, two people are reading on their Kindles. And now the FCC says it's time to lift the ban on using cell phones for voice calls during flight.
So that got us wondering - what happened to that whole 'electronic devices can interfere with instrumentation' thing? Do they really need to be turned off during takeoff and landing? In light of the potential for using cell phones during flight, was that all just a myth? Or did it have any basis in fact, in fact?
Well, there's a little bit of truth to both sides.
Federal Aviation Adminitration rulebook Sec. 121.306 regarding portable electronic devices states:
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person may operate, nor may any operator or pilot in command of an aircraft allow the operation of, any portable electronic device on any U.S.-registered civil aircraft operating under this part.
(b) Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to-
(1) Portable voice recorders;
(2) Hearing aids;
(3) Heart pacemakers;
(4) Electric shavers; or
(5) Any other portable electronic device that the part 119 certificate holder has determined will not cause interference with the navigation or communication system of the aircraft on which it is to be used.
The question is, do these devices emit enough frequencies to interfere with pilot instrumentation.
A 2008 Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics study said that emissions from portable electronic devices "could exceed interference thresholds for critical aircraft systems."
The popular television program 'Mythbusters' concluded the edict was a myth, noting that modern aircraft are well-shielded against such frequencies.
In between is reality. Could electronic devices pose a threat? Sure.
Do they? Not really.
Laptops, Kindles, e-readers … a plethora of them on a flight could cause what is known as Radio Frequency Interference. As noted in this Lifehacker article, that would have been an issue when airplanes used what is called Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) navigation, which use low-frequency AM signals. Most modern planes no longer use NDB navigation, thus mitigating the risk of electronic devices interfering with a plane's instrumentation.
There are also other reasons for putting your electronic devices away. Takeoff and landing are the two most critical parts of the trip; flight attendants will tell you it allows them grab your attention more easily to give instruction than trying to fight to be heard over Kid Cudi blasting through your Dr. Dre Beats headphones.
Another reason? If anything goes wrong, that 17-inch laptop screen or Kindle becomes a flying missile.
Besides, is it really a nuisance to put the devices away for the 20 minutes on each end of the flight that the plane is below 10,000 feet?
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