Comments on: Leaving the Kindle On During Takeoff

By: Anant Misra

Anant Misra — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:42:19 +0000

Passengers, they say, shouldnt be distracted, especially during the critical take-off and landing phases. I completely agree with this reasoning and thus clearly in favour of switching off all electronic devices at those times. However, it is unfair to not allow them to use their phones, while in a plane on the tarmac for an extended duration.
This inconvenience was heightened in election season, thanks to VIP flights and passengers were inconvenienced in spite of there being no threat to safety. Id much rather be asked to kindly switch off my phone for my own good, than be patronised with technical mumbo jumbo!

http://mobileet.timesofindia.com/mobile.aspx?arti...

By: Anant Misra

Anant Misra — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:41:59 +0000

Indian authorities have implemented these rules in accordance with international norms , which themselves took the lead from the US. The history of the rule in the US is that it was in fact the FCC, their communications regulator, who requested their airline regulator, the FAA, to ask customers to turn off their mobile phones. This was because in the early days of cellular technology, the entire network could crash, if a number of phones went up in the air and switched too quickly from one cell site or tower to another. There was always the theoretical possibility that there could be on-board interference, even though all airline navigation equipment works in a completely different frequency range. With smarter networks and better electromagnetic shielding in cockpits, both reasons are now redundant.
In any case, no flight attendant has ever asked me to remove a data card, while working on my laptop, proving that airline staff themselves dont really understand the rule. Pilots and aviation specialists, Ive spoken to, coyly admit that the real reason they want phones switched off, is to avoid a cacophony on board.

By: Anant Misra

Anant Misra — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:41:37 +0000

Lets not get into the details of technical studies done by aircraft manufacturers you can find those online. Lets not even argue the fact that all reported incidents from actual flights only revealed mild correlation and no evidence of causation . Lets just use plane (pun intended) logic. If there was even the slightest chance even 1% that a phone could actually disrupt on-board equipment, do you actually think youd be let on board with one Half the passengers just put their phones on silent and turn their screens off. If the airlines were really serious, they would confiscate your phone at security check and return it on landing, or they would install jammers on all flights.

By: Anant Misra

Anant Misra — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:40:25 +0000

Another perspective, if it really interferes with flight communication we would not be allowed to carry it onboard.

AFEW days ago, Airtel announced a tie-up with Aeromobile of the UK to offer inflight connectivity on sectors outside India. Permission is apparently being sought from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to allow similar services in Indian airspace. My request to the ministry of civil aviation would be to consider and correct the current rule regarding phones on flights, before giving this the go-ahead . The issue at hand is that telling passengers to kindly switch off your mobile phones since they interfere with the navigation equipment on board is a blatant lie and, as a matter of principle, citizens should not be lied to.

By: Basab Pradhan

Basab Pradhan — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:31:56 +0000

thanks G. I guess I totally missed that.

By: G Collins

G Collins — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:26:02 +0000

You turn the Kindle off by sliding the power switch and holding it for four seconds until the screen goes blank.

I agree that with the wireless connectivity disabled, the Kindle shouldn't pose much of a problem during takeoff and landing, but I suspect that it's lumped in with other devices for the sake of convenience. Rather than make the flight crew negotiate with 100+ passengers as to what may or may not be turned on, it's a lot easier to tell everyone that they all have to shut the devices off.