My messenger back, jammed full of stuff, along with my DSLR, has always fit nicely under the seat in front of me, regardless of which type of plane I'm in. And I fly coach. And often I'll pull my 13" Macbook out while flying, no problem. No need for an ipad if that's your justification.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Travel annoyance - why can't iPads and Kindles be used during takeoff and landing?
- Thread starter sandydlc
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
My messenger back, jammed full of stuff, along with my DSLR, has always fit nicely under the seat in front of me, regardless of which type of plane I'm in. And I fly coach. And often I'll pull my 13" Macbook out while flying, no problem. No need for an ipad if that's your justification.
See, but there's the problem. The iPad is ALWAYS transmitting a signal if it is on. Just not one that is intentional. So, to insure that "any transmitting signal is off", you have to turn off the iPad.
They ask me to turn my non wifi non 3g ipod classic off... what a bunch of moronic rules, air travel has become such a hassle since 9/11, and it seems whatever stupid rules they pull out of their heads we must go along like sitting ducks... A real shame, and of course there will always be the occasional assho le who won't turn off their phones and keep them in their bags, but somehow we can read a book on the ipad and we can't listen to music on the ipod classic. What's next, turning off the pacemakers for landing?
i see what you mean but they can't just trust that everyone will turn off their wifi or 3G while using it. there will be the occasional sneaky beaver that will just leave it on and use it.
Rolled up magazine self defense video
Because the government is run by a bunch of morons who think that an ipad or a cellphone can interfere with magnetic and rf shielded aviation equipment.
For those of us who have had the chance to fly private aviation, you can use whatever you like on the plane, including making calls at low altitudes and it has never ever interfered with the plane.
For those of us who have had the chance to fly private aviation, you can use whatever you like on the plane, including making calls at low altitudes and it has never ever interfered with the plane.
That's not even a half good argument imho, because there are tons of people on the plane with phones in their purses, bags, luggage that are switched on and (being the arseholes these people usually are) their owners never blink an eye to open said purse, bag, luggage and switch it off. So the mere fact that a device is visibly used should actually make it more able to control it, just make a statement that everything should be in airplane mode. And what would those "sneaky beavers" gain from leaving wifi on, to use it at what during a flight? I doesn't make sense.
Anyway there should be once a for all an end to this parody that is the switching on and off of devices in planes, because I am convinced that most people don't even bother to switch off. So there should be some kind of bluetooth or wifi protocol in the aircraft that as soon as landing begins it sends a token standard packet to every device, and said device has a mechanism to effectively and securely go into airplane mode, and go out after a certain time out. Surely this can't be that hard to do technically.
Because flight attendants are, at best, trained monkeys... Once they have been told something, they will stick to it, especially the ones with delusions of having some sort of authority. There has been one case of a CELL PHONE affecting avionics in aviation history. Because of this, it was decided NO electronics should be on.
I love it when a flight attendant gets on the PA and says that their "system" is indicating that there are still electronics on somewhere on board, preventing them from closing the doors, lol. I love more that people fall for it.
I love it when a flight attendant gets on the PA and says that their "system" is indicating that there are still electronics on somewhere on board, preventing them from closing the doors, lol. I love more that people fall for it.
As far as I know, you should put away your stuff during landing and take-off. Most crashes happen during take-off and landing, and therefor it won't be nice if all kinds of things (like an iPad) will fly around your head when you might crash. That's why you are also not allowed to eat something (even if it's candy, gum is an exception) during take-off and landing. At least that's how I remember it (never been to USA though, only European flights).
It is strongly recommended to turn off bluetooth and other signals (like 3G). They really can't force you. I bet that at at least 25% of all people on a flight leave their mobile phones and stuff on (so no airplane mode or something like that either). New modern planes don't have any problems with signals from devices like a mobile phone..
In your case your son was using his Nintendo DSi. I know it isn't nice if it has to be pu away, but if something goes wrong that Nintendo DSi can be deadly. Or with the iPad: what if you have to brace for impact? What are you going to do? Put it away? You don't have the time for that. Drop it on the ground? Than what? The glass breaks and people will get injured.
The rules are a bit weird, I agree with you on that but it could cost lives. Like no one wants to trip over your iPad during evaction, and no one wants to fall in the (maybe) broken glass.
It is strongly recommended to turn off bluetooth and other signals (like 3G). They really can't force you. I bet that at at least 25% of all people on a flight leave their mobile phones and stuff on (so no airplane mode or something like that either). New modern planes don't have any problems with signals from devices like a mobile phone..
In your case your son was using his Nintendo DSi. I know it isn't nice if it has to be pu away, but if something goes wrong that Nintendo DSi can be deadly. Or with the iPad: what if you have to brace for impact? What are you going to do? Put it away? You don't have the time for that. Drop it on the ground? Than what? The glass breaks and people will get injured.
The rules are a bit weird, I agree with you on that but it could cost lives. Like no one wants to trip over your iPad during evaction, and no one wants to fall in the (maybe) broken glass.
It has to do with fear of interference. While the likelihood is low, no one wants to spend the money to test new gadgets to see if they interfere or not. I'm a pilot and the only radio interference I have ever noticed is from nextel phones when using the 2way functionality. The whole "interfering with instruments" thing is wrong. Its interference with communication and navigation radios that is the concern.
Yeah, it fits under the seat. But you gotta be a dang contortionist to be able to reach down, pull it up, open it in the cramped space, pull out the laptop, put the bag back down.... All without jabbing the person sitting next to you in the gut or face with your elbow. And then once you open the laptop, you gotta hold it right up against your gut to get the screen open all the way which makes typing less than fun.
You might want to re-think who is the moron.
I am a pilot, and I own a very nice plane with about $100K of avionics gear. To say that avionics is immune from EMI is grossly inaccurate. Also... although it is quite possible to make a call at low altitudes... and in fact many pilots do when flying VFR... it is clearly against FCC (not FAA) regulations to do so. Irrespective, I know of no pilots that I would ever want to be in a plane with who would make a call, or allow a passenger to make a call when flying IFR. It is a good way to get yourself killed.
Finally, all commercial airline flights are flown IFR. Even though they tell you that you cannot make a call during the first 10 minutes of flight... the real criteria that they use is during all flight below FL180. At and above FL180, all aircraft are on an instrument flight plan, and hence the airspace becomes much more safe. Do you really want to take a chance of interfering with the aircrafts collision avoidance system inside of a shared airspace with many uncontrolled aircraft?
Now would be a good time to engage your brain.
/Jim
Exactly, and well stated.
To those who bend the rules: All it does is annoy frequent business travelers. Anything that potentially requires flight attendant intervention just slows down the flight and makes us all a few minutes later at the other end. Travel is challenging enough, why make it any harder?
Seriously... when there are 300 people on the flight, and one guy thinks he's exempt from the rules... it just comes across as self-absorbed, selfish, and lazy. Just play along, and make it easier on everyone else.
I have kids, and they never flew if they couldn't have their own seat withtheir car seat. It's not safe otherwise. The FAA won't mandate kids under 2 having to have their own seats because people balk at the cost, even at the 1/2 price you can normally buy the seats for.
Aside from safety, kids do best in the familiar and isn't their own seat more comforting to them?
Personally, I feel bad for kids whose parents cheap out over their safety.
Oh and I'm a former Child Passenger Safety Tech, we talked about this in our training.
Why are so many people so hell bent on breaking the rules. These rules are not created by the airlines but by the FAA and CAA. They are there for a reason, usually derived from investigations involving an aviation disaster. If there is any chance that a piece of portable equipment faulty or otherwise can jeopardise my flight in any way. Even if it's 0.0001%. I would rather not take that chance for the sake of a few mins extra "entertainment" during a flight.
The rules are there. I agree to them when I buy and accept my ticket (terms and conditions). If people flout these rules I can see the next stage will be to prohibit any electronic equipment from the cabin. Yes it's stupid. So is an air crash.
The rules are there. I agree to them when I buy and accept my ticket (terms and conditions). If people flout these rules I can see the next stage will be to prohibit any electronic equipment from the cabin. Yes it's stupid. So is an air crash.
Cause they're idiots.
I never turn off anything during take-off/landing. So far no plane has crashed on me yet.
I'm not hell-bent on breaking the rules, I just hate stupid rules. Those rules were probly made during a time when the electronics are crude and more susceptible to interference. This is 2010 (hell, I've been doing this since 1995), and electronic shielding, signal protection and encryption has gone leaps and bounds ahead. It would take an intentional device to interfere with them.
When the technology changes, the rules should too. It's called progress. Adhering blindly to rules is idiotic.
I never turn off anything during take-off/landing. So far no plane has crashed on me yet.
I'm not hell-bent on breaking the rules, I just hate stupid rules. Those rules were probly made during a time when the electronics are crude and more susceptible to interference. This is 2010 (hell, I've been doing this since 1995), and electronic shielding, signal protection and encryption has gone leaps and bounds ahead. It would take an intentional device to interfere with them.
When the technology changes, the rules should too. It's called progress. Adhering blindly to rules is idiotic.
Well said. As someone who flies weekly, I can't begin to tell you how much I respect the kindness of others (and abhor the misbehavior of those whose actions gum up the process).
No, you just hate that the rules apply to even you. Special you, who takes it on yourself to "interpret" rules that affect my survival. I think it's so sad that we have gotten to this place in society, where so many people are in their little cocoon where no rules apply. You see if every day, even walking down the aisle of a supermarket. I challenge anyone to walk every aisle and not be run into by somebody so engrossed in texting that they don't see where they are going. (Oh, and they are obviously THE ONLY PERSON IN THE STORE as they hover in front of the shelf, their cart blocking the way, while they discuss at length just what kind of pasta their spouse sent them for, or their most recent surgery at maximum volume...)
These are the same, unthinking people who are willing to endanger my life for their slightest convenience or even to "make a point". No real harm walking down the supermarket aisle bumping into people, or holding up the checkout line because their phone conversation is more important than answering the checker's question, other than making fools of themselves. But the same people, no doubt, will do the same thing in their car or on an airplane, where my safety is endangered.
(Since California banned holding a cell phone while driving, I contend driving has become MORE DANGEROUS because of the damn fools going into "stealth mode" holding their phones in all sorts of odd ways trying to "duck" and not be spotted... Of course they are even more obvious and have even less control of their vehicles than they would if they'd hold the phone in a more conventional way. Or they could just get a Bluetooth or wired headset or use the speakerphone function. But that's for everybody else, you know.)
The supermarket example is a good way to observe just how many jerks the rapid adoption of personal electronics has produced. It is said that it takes society 50 years to fully adapt to any new technology.
God forbid anybody should comply with these "stupid rules" simply because it would be polite.