This story flew under my radar, probably because it was published in USA Today, which is not necessarily known for its in-depth investigative journalism.
The bottom line: f*cking with your smartphone on an airplane has a clear potential for danger. The report uncovered nearly three dozen incidents of interference from onboard passenger electronic devices last year. The interference affected communications and navigational systems; though none resulted in an accident, critical flight-management systems were compromised. Continue reading “Leaving the Ground? Shut It Down”
Tag: airplanes
Cell Phones to Stay Off In Air
A whiff of common sense breaks out at the Federal Communications Commission: it has terminated a proceeding that looked into whether or not people should be allowed to use their cell phones on airplanes.
According to regulators, there is “insufficient technical information” to determine whether or not the use of cell phones in the air would interfere with aircraft systems, though the FCC seems more concerned about the potential for interference to cell networks themselves, as phones transition from cell to cell at 400+ miles per hour, while 30,000+ feet off the ground. It’s not something the cell system is really set up to do. Continue reading “Cell Phones to Stay Off In Air”