Don't think portable electronic devices are a risk to flight? Think again

TalkBack 1 of 8:: Next »

Thread View
Flat View

Electronic devices in flight: I don't think much of anything will be done about it until Congress enacts specific laws outlawing the use of these devices in flight.

First problem happened right there to you! The scowling look of "don't try it" from the individual yakking on his ?Moto?. People absolutely will not voluntarily stop using these things. It will take a law with tangible punishment to get it to stop.

And secondly;... even then, there will still be those who will either obscure themselves with a pillow and sitting in the window seat and yakking, or will go back to the head and chat. One flight I was on with an unnamed airline from Minneapolis down to Austin, where the flight was "Captains discretion", and during take-off, while just sitting back of first class, is a rather large gentleman yakking away on his Blackberry against the instructions of the flight crew. How he got in to first class was beyond me as this gentleman didn't seem to fit the part! Look more like a menacing hippie than anything else... but can't judge books and all. I think he was scary looking enough so the flight crew didn't bother him.

Having come from a substantial electronics background, I've known for a long time that these things are invasive to several flight instruments and the recording and capture sensing devices they hook up to. Simple items are fairly innocuous such as Walkman type cassette players and such. With the "digital age" come devices that produce more harmonic noise than ?Carter has pills?. Much of the issue is around all this harmonic noise anyway since the higher order harmonics are what predominantly affects the sensors and measuring.

I hope that they do outlaw some of this for the general safety of all of us. However I still would like to take my original Sony TPS-L2 walkman (which still works great!), some small assortment of cassettes with my favorite tunes on them, my high-Q headphones, a good programming or technical book (From ZD of course), and relax on my next flight? whenever that is.

Cheers; Posted by: jskline0@... Posted on: 04/10/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use