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Electronics In Flight — Danger Or Distraction?

Posted by Soulskill on from the ways-to-get-tackled-by-stewardesses dept.

another similar writes "IEEE Spectrum has a blog post revisiting the debate on whether electronic devices pose a risk to flight avionics spurred by a NY Post article about Arianna Huffington's refusal to power down her Blackberry during takeoff. The post points out the EU's removal of their own ban on cell phone use in 2007 and the likelihood of significant non-compliance daily in the US — and curiously, planes haven't been falling from the sky at a similar rate. While the potential exists for there to be a problem, it would appear the risk is low. Ever bent the rules? Is an app for landing commercial jets somewhere in our future?"

2 of 532 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I would be very concerned by notgm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    great home experiment:

    you will need 1 GSM phone, another phone to call it, a USB 2 external hard drive, your computer, and a large file.

    After attaching the USB-2 cable between your HD and computer, place the GSM phone on or near the cable. I have had success within one or two feet, but for the purposes of your first run, placing the phone on the cable itself is the most likely way to see results.

    begin the transfer of the large file.

    call the GSM phone.

    if the GSM phone receives the call while the file is transferring, the drive should crash. i've encountered blue screens from this experiment in the past.

  2. Re:I would be very concerned by eth1 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I don't think anything would interfere with engine or other instrumentation, as most of that is hard-wired. The problems lie in potential interference with nav radios (primarily VOR and ILS).

    As much as I hate to bring Mythbusters into any serious discussion, they brought several electronic devices, aircraft instruments, and a ramp test box (which simulates the aforementioned navigation aids) into a faraday cage to see what they could see.

    As I remember, nothing had any effect, except for an attempted cell phone call on a specific frequency that significantly deflected either the VOR or ILS (don't remember which now). Since ILS is what the pilots use to find the runway when they can't see, that would concern me.

    Given that the cabin crew can't tell what a given device might be doing, "all off during takeoff/landing, and no cell phones in the air" seems like a totally reasonable policy.