Is using electronics on planes dangerous?

[DianNC]

If the regulation gets modified by the FAA, it probably won't be because of heat from the flying public (sorry, George Takei), but more likely due to the influence of letters received, for example, from the head of the FCC who makes it clear that even he thinks the ban is dumb.

Even the FCC thinks in-flight gadget bans are dumb

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by DianNC

If the regulation gets modified by the FAA, it probably won't be because of heat from the flying public (sorry, George Takei), but more likely due to the influence of letters received, for example, from the head of the FCC who makes it clear that even he thinks the ban is dumb.

Even the FCC thinks in-flight gadget bans are dumb

Thanks for that. From the article:

.... Despite the fact that 20 years of testing still hasn't definitively proved that cell phones, let alone any other electronic device, can cause aircraft interference, passengers are still prohibited from using tablets and e-readers during takeoff and landing.

In August, the FAA released a study on the in-flight use of cell phones -- devices which operate on the same frequency as navigational aircraft equipment -- in multiple European countries, and no direct incidents of interference were found. Two anomalies in Belgium did pop up, though the cause was left inconclusive. Though there have been plenty of instances where passengers have left their cell phones on during flight, there have been no reported problems regarding cell phone interference that have been positively linked to gadgets. Yet we're still worried about non-transmitting devices. ....

[derangedhermit]

Some agencies are more safety-conscious than others. If the FCC cared about your safety, they would ban using cell phones while driving, since that is much more dangerous, to you and your fellow travelers, than using them on an airplane.

The claim that the gov't wouldn't allow something if it was a risk to you doesn't withstand scrutiny. For example, the NHTSA (note the "S" stands for "safety") heavily promotes to consumers the use of fuel-efficient cars in several ways. That directly translates into lighter and smaller cars, and that directly translates into thousands of additional traffic deaths every year on US highways. And they are well aware of this. Your safety, your very life, is not always their highest priority.

The problem for the FAA is that 40,000 people can die on the roads every year, due to FCC and NHTSA actions, and the public doesn't pay much attention. If 40,000 people died one year in airline crashes, it would destroy the airline industry, and that would not be in the FAA's best interest. The crashes are too spectacular, the media would love all the great video for the news, and many people would stop flying, or at least cut back - very bad for business.

Oh, yeah, and the "non-transmitting devices" quote at the end - the genius expert author of the article doesn't know that iPods have WiFi. :rolleyes

[BeccaPrice]

iPods have wifi? do you mean iPads? I have a fifth gen iPod Nano, and I don't think it has wifi.

[ElspethB]

Probably referring to the iPod Touch, which does have wifi.