ebook readers on airplanes???

spear · 10-19-2007, 04:32 PM

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, and the owner of a new ebookwise 1150. I enjoy it greatly and plan on taking it with me on my next trip. So my stupid questions are: 1. will I be allowed to take it with my carry on luggage? 2. Will I have to tell the TSA guys (who probably won't know what an ebook reader is) that it is a large PDA? 3. Will going through the xray/security machine hurt the reader?

I'm not planning on reading on the plane (I get motion sickness) or turning it on. Am I just being paranoid?

nekokami · 10-19-2007, 05:07 PM

No problem taking it on the plane. You put it in the bin at security, the same as you would with a laptop. TSA won't care, and the reader won't be hurt by the xray machine. (I just traveled with my iLiad, so I've got a pretty good idea of how this goes.) They may ask you to turn it on, but only if you get searched for some reason. (Like changing flights at the last minute. That got me searched both ways on this trip.)

You should expect to be told to turn it off during takeoff and landing (though on one of my flights they didn't bother). That's a bit of a nuisance. Bring a small amount of paper reading material, I guess.

kacir · 10-19-2007, 05:09 PM

I own Sony reader. I have flown with it 12 times here in Europe. No problem. I was even using in for reading on board.
You are allowed to bring a laptop, camera, pda, gameboy, fancy watch, calculator, mobile phone on board. So why not bookreader? You will claim it is a pda. And pda is on the list of allowed items (see link in the next paragraph)
I usually keep my Sony reader in a flat tin box(**) in the pocket of my notebook carrying case. You have to remove the notebook from the case. I was never asked to remove the Reader. I was not even asked to open a metallic box I use for protection of Reader.

I was looking at the TSA site
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...ted-items.shtm
when I asked my friend to bring a Sony Reader for me.
She was allowed to take it on board. No questions asked.

Disclaimer:
I do not know how stupid the regulations are in the USA *at the moment*.
USA usually manages to exceed my expectations regarding the stupidity of laws, rules, patents, regulations ...

(**) I have purchased a set of thread cutting taps and dies in the Lidl chain market here in Europe for cca $10. It came in a nice sturdy metallic container perfect for carrying the Reader.

JSWolf · 10-19-2007, 05:13 PM

I've flown to Florida and NYC with my 500 and I never had any issues with it on the plane. The only thing is because it's an electronic device, it has to be off during takoffs and landings.

HarryT · 10-20-2007, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've flown to Florida and NYC with my 500 and I never had any issues with it on the plane. The only thing is because it's an electronic device, it has to be off during takoffs and landings.

The silly thing is, of course, that it actually isn't off. Still, if a blank screen makes them happy, then so be it.

kacir · 10-20-2007, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The silly thing is, ...

I am afraid they have their silly regulations to observe.

Last time I was flying I was taking pictures from airplane window using my mobile phone.
"Sir, I am afraid I have to ask you to switch off your phone"
"But ... but ... I have switched it into the 'flight mode'"
"Well I am glad to see you have it in 'flight mode', but I am afraid I have to ask you to switch it off completely anyway"
" .... Sigh .... Click ...."
And the steward DID know what the flight mode was, and he DID understand, yet they have their regulations and they have to insist. It is useless to argue. You would have to argue with the boss of their boss of their boss.

HarryT · 10-20-2007, 07:52 AM

Hang on - you are well aware, surely, that having your mobile phone turned on on board an aircraft in flight is illegal, aren't you? A mobile phone is a radio transmitter which can interfere with on-board flight systems. Why on Earth did you have it switched on?

Nate the great · 10-20-2007, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Hang on - you are well aware, surely, that having your mobile phone turned on on board an aircraft in flight is illegal, aren't you? A mobile phone is a radio transmitter which can interfere with on-board flight systems. Why on Earth did you have it switched on?

That's not quite true, Harry. The US regulations do indeed mention a plane mode (which most cellphones have now). If the phone is in plane mode, the transmitter is off and you can still use it.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-20-2007, 09:00 AM

The airline industry needs to get on the stick and secure their on-board electronic signals from being tapped into by cellphones and what-not. Why they didn't immediately do so the moment they started designing fly-by-wire systems will forever be a mystery to me. (Maybe someone should introduce the industry to DRM...

)

HarryT · 10-20-2007, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

That's not quite true, Harry. The US regulations do indeed mention a plane mode (which most cellphones have now). If the phone is in plane mode, the transmitter is off and you can still use it.

Thank you for the correction, Nate; I was not aware of that.

VillageReader · 10-20-2007, 02:20 PM

Actually, the chance of a cell phone at 900MHz or 1.8 or 1.9Ghz interfering with the radio communication of an airplane with proper shielding is as near zero as it gets. Shielding of both phones and aircraft can degrade over time, but there is little evidence to suggest that even this can cause real (compared to theoretical) interferance.

(And how many of you actually turn off your computer's wireless connection when you fly?).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phones_on_aircraft

nekokami · 10-20-2007, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VillageReader

(And how many of you actually turn off your computer's wireless connection when you fly?).

I do.

kacir · 10-20-2007, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Hang on - you are well aware, surely, that having your mobile phone turned on on board an aircraft in flight is illegal, aren't you?

That is the point of the above mentioned "FLIGHT MODE". Modern mobile phones also function as pda, camera, and mp3 players. It was specifically that mp3 playing capability that made manufacturers to include "FLIGHT MODE", so you could listen to your favorite e-book during flight or in hospital. Please see link at the bottom of the post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

A mobile phone is a radio transmitter which can interfere with on-board flight systems.

It can not interfere and it will not interfere. Even if it was not switched into a "flight mode" (and I *did* make sure that it WAS). On *every single* flight there is at least one passenger that is forgetful / distracted / stupid / ignorant / arrogant enough to leave his/her cellphone switched on. There are also users that think their phone is switched off, and like the iPhone user from the following story on slashdot that accumulated $4800 bill during his visit to Europe thinking that when his iPhone is switched off it is really switched off ... I do not even want to think how many people put their mobile phone into the checked in baggage and forget to switch it off. My father, for example, would not be able to switch his phone off if his life depended on it. All he can manage is to answer it and to call those four numbers he has in the memory. If there really was such danger of interference the airlines would have installed a [relatively] simple and inexpensive device that can detect any transmitter on a mobile phone frequency. If there really was such danger of interference the airplanes would be falling like flies in a DDT factory.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Why on Earth did you have it switched on?

1. the *mobile phone* was not switched on, just 3.2 Mega Pixel camera, mp3 player and organizer that happen to be in the same case. Not even Blue tooth is functional in flight mode.
2. To take the photos from the window. Just like I said in the previous post

Please see this link
a short quote:
What do Normal and Flight mode mean in the start-up menu?
In the menu that appears when your phone starts up, you can choose Normal or Flight mode. Normal means your phone will have full phone functionality. If you choose Flight mode, all the phone's transmitters are turned off to prevent disturbance of sensitive equipment, e.g. in a plane or a hospital. You cannot make/receive calls or send/receive messages, etc. You can use the WALKMAN® player and use other applications that do not require network access.

[RANT MODE OFF]

HarryT · 10-21-2007, 03:50 AM

That's what the "Flight Mode" icon on my HTC Smartphone is for, is it? I did wonder

. Thanks for the clarification.

DaleDe · 10-22-2007, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spear

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, and the owner of a new ebookwise 1150. I enjoy it greatly and plan on taking it with me on my next trip. So my stupid questions are: 1. will I be allowed to take it with my carry on luggage? 2. Will I have to tell the TSA guys (who probably won't know what an ebook reader is) that it is a large PDA? 3. Will going through the xray/security machine hurt the reader?

I'm not planning on reading on the plane (I get motion sickness) or turning it on. Am I just being paranoid?

I just got back from a trip to Italy and I used my eb1150 extensively on the trip. I just left it in my suitcase carry on and it went fine through security in the US, England, and Italy.

I read on the plane and even on the tour bus at times when there wasn't much scenery to look at. It worked great even when we went through tunnels.

Dale

10-19-2007, 04:32 PM	#1
spear Connoisseur Posts: 89 Karma: 175420 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Mostly In My Head Device: Kindle Paperwhite	ebook readers on airplanes??? Hi, I'm new to this forum, and the owner of a new ebookwise 1150. I enjoy it greatly and plan on taking it with me on my next trip. So my stupid questions are: 1. will I be allowed to take it with my carry on luggage? 2. Will I have to tell the TSA guys (who probably won't know what an ebook reader is) that it is a large PDA? 3. Will going through the xray/security machine hurt the reader? I'm not planning on reading on the plane (I get motion sickness) or turning it on. Am I just being paranoid?

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10-19-2007, 05:07 PM	#2
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	No problem taking it on the plane. You put it in the bin at security, the same as you would with a laptop. TSA won't care, and the reader won't be hurt by the xray machine. (I just traveled with my iLiad, so I've got a pretty good idea of how this goes.) They may ask you to turn it on, but only if you get searched for some reason. (Like changing flights at the last minute. That got me searched both ways on this trip.) You should expect to be told to turn it off during takeoff and landing (though on one of my flights they didn't bother). That's a bit of a nuisance. Bring a small amount of paper reading material, I guess.

10-19-2007, 05:09 PM	#3
kacir Wizard Posts: 3,450 Karma: 10484861 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PocketBook 360, before it was Sony Reader, cassiopeia A-20	I own Sony reader. I have flown with it 12 times here in Europe. No problem. I was even using in for reading on board. You are allowed to bring a laptop, camera, pda, gameboy, fancy watch, calculator, mobile phone on board. So why not bookreader? You will claim it is a pda. And pda is on the list of allowed items (see link in the next paragraph) I usually keep my Sony reader in a flat tin box(*) in the pocket of my notebook carrying case. You have to remove the notebook from the case. I was never asked to remove the Reader. I was not even asked to open a metallic box I use for protection of Reader. I was looking at the TSA site http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtrav...ted-items.shtm when I asked my friend to bring a Sony Reader for me. She was allowed to take it on board. No questions asked. Disclaimer: I do not know how stupid the regulations are in the USA at the moment. USA usually manages to exceed my expectations regarding the stupidity of laws, rules, patents, regulations ... (*) I have purchased a set of thread cutting taps and dies in the Lidl chain market here in Europe for cca $10. It came in a nice sturdy metallic container perfect for carrying the Reader.

10-19-2007, 05:13 PM	#4
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,897 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I've flown to Florida and NYC with my 500 and I never had any issues with it on the plane. The only thing is because it's an electronic device, it has to be off during takoffs and landings.

10-20-2007, 07:52 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Hang on - you are well aware, surely, that having your mobile phone turned on on board an aircraft in flight is illegal, aren't you? A mobile phone is a radio transmitter which can interfere with on-board flight systems. Why on Earth did you have it switched on?

10-20-2007, 09:00 AM	#9
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	The airline industry needs to get on the stick and secure their on-board electronic signals from being tapped into by cellphones and what-not. Why they didn't immediately do so the moment they started designing fly-by-wire systems will forever be a mystery to me. (Maybe someone should introduce the industry to DRM... )

10-20-2007, 02:20 PM	#11
VillageReader Evangelist Posts: 430 Karma: 2718 Join Date: May 2006 Device: Iliad	Actually, the chance of a cell phone at 900MHz or 1.8 or 1.9Ghz interfering with the radio communication of an airplane with proper shielding is as near zero as it gets. Shielding of both phones and aircraft can degrade over time, but there is little evidence to suggest that even this can cause real (compared to theoretical) interferance. (And how many of you actually turn off your computer's wireless connection when you fly?). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phones_on_aircraft

10-21-2007, 03:50 AM	#14
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	That's what the "Flight Mode" icon on my HTC Smartphone is for, is it? I did wonder . Thanks for the clarification.

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