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Disruptions: Fliers Must Turn Off Devices, but It’s Not Clear Why
Millions of Americans who got on a plane over the Thanksgiving holiday heard the admonition: “Please power down your electronic devices for takeoff.” And absolutely everyone obeyed. I know they did because no planes fell from the sky. No planes had to make an emergency landing because the avionics went haywire. No planes headed for Miamiended up in Anchorage. We were all made safe because we all turned off all our Kindles, iPads, iPhones, BlackBerrys and laptops, just as the Federal Aviation… (bits.blogs.nytimes.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
The moral of this story is... Don't confuse Uncle Sam with facts!
Hmm, camera's strike me as strange. But I guess it is better to be safe then sorry.
I don't get why I can't use my camera. There is absolutely no pleasure left in flying these days and the last straw seems to be that I am not even allowed to take pictures out of the window because my digital camera might, er, well, I don't know - and neither does anyone else. At least we still get windows.
The reason for *all* electronic devices is easy - it totally removes the discretion from the on/off rule. The cabin crew doesn't have to decreee "this one is OK, that one is not". And the pax cannot argue that "this one is OK, or certified, or blessed by the FAA, or whatever".
And there is one more subtle reason - if things start going sidewise on the takeoff or landing, bad things happen at a really rapid rate. There isn't time, when you're tumbling or sliding sidewise unside down, to pack things away, take off headsets, deal with wires, etc, before the fireball comes down the aisle and you decide you really want to be somewhere else.
Finally, a cellphone, travelling at a great rate of speed (let's say, 100+ mph) packs a helluva wallup. A hardball (think Yankees) is only 5 oz and is pitched at less than 100 mph+, and it will break a rib or a collarbone after travelling and slowing down for 60 feet (ask me how I know).
A lot of airport and aviation security is theatre. This isn't one of them.
And there is one more subtle reason - if things start going sidewise on the takeoff or landing, bad things happen at a really rapid rate. There isn't time, when you're tumbling or sliding sidewise unside down, to pack things away, take off headsets, deal with wires, etc, before the fireball comes down the aisle and you decide you really want to be somewhere else.
Finally, a cellphone, travelling at a great rate of speed (let's say, 100+ mph) packs a helluva wallup. A hardball (think Yankees) is only 5 oz and is pitched at less than 100 mph+, and it will break a rib or a collarbone after travelling and slowing down for 60 feet (ask me how I know).
A lot of airport and aviation security is theatre. This isn't one of them.
In 2002 I have been on a flight with an old Iberia B-727 enroute from Tenerife Norte to Barcelona. Shortly after take-off at approx. 5000ft the plane suddently rolled over the right wing was descending rapidly. After a few seconds it stabilzed again but than again rolled and descended.
The seemingly very nervouse Captain made the anouncemnt that everybody should immediately check that all cellphone have been turned off. After everybody checked the cellphones the plane contiued it's flight with out any further 'turbulences.
This was a very old plane and it might have been poorly protected against cellphone radiations. Newer planes may have got better protection but no one can predict how the electronics get influenced by cellphones. A few millimeters closer or more distant to some signal wires could make the difference.
The seemingly very nervouse Captain made the anouncemnt that everybody should immediately check that all cellphone have been turned off. After everybody checked the cellphones the plane contiued it's flight with out any further 'turbulences.
This was a very old plane and it might have been poorly protected against cellphone radiations. Newer planes may have got better protection but no one can predict how the electronics get influenced by cellphones. A few millimeters closer or more distant to some signal wires could make the difference.
In 2002 I have been on a flight with an old Iberia B-727 enroute from Tenerife Norte to Barcelona. Shortly after take-off at approx. 5000ft the plane suddently rolled over the right wing was descending rapidly. After a few seconds it stabilzed again but than again rolled and descended.
The seemingly very nervouse Captain made the anouncemnt that everybody should immediately check that all cellphone have been turned off. After everybody checked the cellphones the plane contiued it's flight with out any further 'turbulences.
This was a very old plane and it might have been poorly protected against cellphone radiations. Newer planes got better protection but no one can predict how the electronics get influenced by cellphones. A few millimeters closer or more distant to some signal wires could make the difference.
The seemingly very nervouse Captain made the anouncemnt that everybody should immediately check that all cellphone have been turned off. After everybody checked the cellphones the plane contiued it's flight with out any further 'turbulences.
This was a very old plane and it might have been poorly protected against cellphone radiations. Newer planes got better protection but no one can predict how the electronics get influenced by cellphones. A few millimeters closer or more distant to some signal wires could make the difference.