2005 called. It wants its on-board cellphone rules back.
It’s hard to believe that already a year has passed since flight attendants so famously kicked Alec Baldwin off a plane for playing “Words With Friends.” Technically, you’re still not allowed to conduct business or shop skymall.com or even play solitaire while waiting for your airplane to take off or land.
Safety regulators cite something about how radio signals might interfere with critical airplane communications. But they’re not sure which devices emit these mixed messages or if they’re strong enough to do damage.
So why the mystery? It seems like a pretty straightforward issue to address.
For starters, nobody wants to pay for the testing. It’s easier to be on the safe side and just ask passengers to shut off their devices. Boeing, however, found at least one cheaper way to test signals and ensure they don’t interfere with critical aircraft electrical systems: use potatoes instead of people. Potatoes behave similarly to humans as far as electrical currents are concerned, and the tubers require much less pay and don’t complain about sitting for hours upon hours of testing.
But there is good news for members of the flying public who use mobile devices. (In other words, everyone!) We can see signs of life in the issue. In August of 2012, the FAA decided it was time to form a committee to study the effects of portable electronic devices on the safety of cockpit equipment. This is supposed to be a six-month study, so hopefully we’ll hear the results soon. Then in December, the FCC advised the FAA to “enable greater use of tablets, e-readers, and other portable devices” on airplanes. Additionally, the FAA passed new requirements making it easier for airlines to provide in-flight Wi-Fi services to passengers.
Aviation has always been a shining example of innovation and technological advances. It’s about time we get this pesky mobile device problem solved!