Australian Airlines Now Allow Unhindered Gadget Use

[Steven Bogos]

Australian Airlines Now Allow Unhindered Gadget Use

You'll now be able to use all of your electronic devices from gate-to-gate on Qantas and Virgin Australia flights.

More and more airlines are abandoning the outdated practice of forcing passengers to turn off all electronic devices during take-off and landing, and now, Australia's two most prominent airlines have joined that list. The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority has finally approved a request from Qantas and Virgin Australia to allow passengers unhindered use of their gadgets during flights.

Passengers travelling on these airlines will be able to leave their devices on from liftoff to touchdown - so long as any transmitting devices such as cell phones are kept in flight mode. Australians will no longer have to spend that awkward 30 minutes at the beginning and end of their flights staring at the back of their seat, or thumbing through the terrible in-flight magazine.

Any device that weighs more than 1kg (2.2 lbs), such as laptops, will still need to remain stowed during takeoff and landing, and the new rules are effective as of tomorrow.

Virgin and Qantas join the vast majority of American airlines who have adopted the new FAA policy on electronics use [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129207-FAA-Officially-Approves-Electronics-Use-Throughout-Flights] during flights.

Source: Engadget [http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/27/australia-flights-electronic-devices/?ncid=rss_truncated]

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[AlexReynard]

"Australian Airlines Now Allow Unhindered Gadget Use"

As a big fan of Rescue Rangers, I heartily approve.

 

[Queen Michael]

Goodie. I always wondered why stuff that purportedly could crash a plane was allowed on post-9/11 flights.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

So they're still scared of laptops despite the fact their built wifi transmitters are much less powerful than a cell transmitter. (I can bet tons of people will ignore or forget to switch to airplane mode.) I still think a few running laptops, with wifi off, will have less of an effect on the well shielded aircraft controls than external radio traffic.

 

[The Eupho Guy_v1legacy]

So they're still scared of laptops despite the fact their built wifi transmitters are much less powerful than a cell transmitter. (I can bet tons of people will ignore or forget to switch to airplane mode.) I still think a few running laptops, with wifi off, will have less of an effect on the well shielded aircraft controls than external radio traffic.

I think they are more worried about what damage an unsecured laptop could do during a take-off or landing, rather than their transmission power.

 

[TheSYLOH]

So they're still scared of laptops despite the fact their built wifi transmitters are much less powerful than a cell transmitter. (I can bet tons of people will ignore or forget to switch to airplane mode.) I still think a few running laptops, with wifi off, will have less of an effect on the well shielded aircraft controls than external radio traffic.

I think they are more worried about what damage an unsecured laptop could do during a take-off or landing, rather than their transmission power.

Also the same reason tray tables are up.
Try evacuating in a hurry when the guy sitting in the aisle seat has that huge desktop replacement on his lap.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

So they're still scared of laptops despite the fact their built wifi transmitters are much less powerful than a cell transmitter. (I can bet tons of people will ignore or forget to switch to airplane mode.) I still think a few running laptops, with wifi off, will have less of an effect on the well shielded aircraft controls than external radio traffic.

I think they are more worried about what damage an unsecured laptop could do during a take-off or landing, rather than their transmission power.

That makes sense. But, what about in flight turbulence or someone reading a thick George R. R. Martin hardcover during takeoff?

 

[The Eupho Guy_v1legacy]

So they're still scared of laptops despite the fact their built wifi transmitters are much less powerful than a cell transmitter. (I can bet tons of people will ignore or forget to switch to airplane mode.) I still think a few running laptops, with wifi off, will have less of an effect on the well shielded aircraft controls than external radio traffic.

I think they are more worried about what damage an unsecured laptop could do during a take-off or landing, rather than their transmission power.

That makes sense. But, what about in flight turbulence or someone reading a thick George R. R. Martin hardcover during takeoff?

I'm only guessing here, but I assume anytime that the tray tables need to be stowed, so would the laptops. Novels are a bit easier to keep a hold of so they might be ok...? Although why you would want to be reading during take-off or landing is beyond me.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Now I want to go and build some terrible EMP device just to...eh, too much effort, have to worry about going to the dentist first.

"Australian Airlines Now Allow Unhindered Gadget Use"

As a big fan of Rescue Rangers, I heartily approve.

...

Oy! You, get in the naughty corner.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

I'm only guessing here, but I assume anytime that the tray tables need to be stowed, so would the laptops. Novels are a bit easier to keep a hold of so they might be ok...? Although why you would want to be reading during take-off or landing is beyond me.

Yeah, what TheSYLOH said would make sense for an extremely regulated public safety standpoint. But, I could imagine someone bringing novel since they can't use their kindle/ipad don't want to sit there for 20-30 minutes from the start of taxiing to reaching cruise altitude.

(Reminder: all of this speculation comes from a guy who flew twice (within a week, of course) back when he was 11. Said guy now hates the joke that his country's airline security has become and might never fly again, unless it was for business or the TSA became competent.)

 

[the doom cannon]

So they're still scared of laptops despite the fact their built wifi transmitters are much less powerful than a cell transmitter. (I can bet tons of people will ignore or forget to switch to airplane mode.) I still think a few running laptops, with wifi off, will have less of an effect on the well shielded aircraft controls than external radio traffic.

I think they are more worried about what damage an unsecured laptop could do during a take-off or landing, rather than their transmission power.

That makes sense. But, what about in flight turbulence or someone reading a thick George R. R. Martin hardcover during takeoff?

They actually do tell people to stow the tables and heavy items during bad turbulence on a couple flights I've been on. And by bad turbulence, I mean the plane is bouncing all over the place and if you aren't belted in you're probably gonna hit your head on the bin above you.

 

[VondeVon]

I always book window seats because I enjoy watching the takeoff and landing. I was ignorant to the plight of the poor aisle-seater, forced to stare at something they... didn't want to...

 

[Strazdas]

Passengers travelling on these airlines will be able to leave their devices on from liftoff to touchdown - so long as any transmitting devices such as cell phones are kept in flight mode.

Erm, so no change then. because flight mode enabled cell phones are not something they even can ban to begin with, as they are banning devices that transmit signals.

Goodie. I always wondered why stuff that purportedly could crash a plane was allowed on post-9/11 flights.

Cell phones are not capable of crashing a plane. the myth of cell frequency interference is just that - a myth.

So they're still scared of laptops despite the fact their built wifi transmitters are much less powerful than a cell transmitter. (I can bet tons of people will ignore or forget to switch to airplane mode.) I still think a few running laptops, with wifi off, will have less of an effect on the well shielded aircraft controls than external radio traffic.

Its not the power, its the frequency. No device in a plane use GSM frequencies, therefore cell phones have aboslutely no effect. There is communication done in the microwave frequency that could overlap with wifi protocols though (it shouldnt though, but thats at least a believable story).

I think they are more worried about what damage an unsecured laptop could do during a take-off or landing, rather than their transmission power.

With the exception of crash landing - none. the vibration is not high enough to actually lift that laptop. laptops are much heavier than phones.

Although why you would want to be reading during take-off or landing is beyond me.

why not during take off? you get into a plane, got to wait for many hours, youve seen the emergency procedures 20 times already, so you just start reading a book instead. the landing may be good time to prepare for leaving the plane depending on how you land (sometimes you have to drive the plane to the place where you let passengers out for couple minutes too)

Now I want to go and build some terrible EMP device just to...eh, too much effort, have to worry about going to the dentist first.

You wont get anything powerful enough to hit the shielded airplane devices past airport security anyway.

 

[The Eupho Guy_v1legacy]

With the exception of crash landing - none. the vibration is not high enough to actually lift that laptop. laptops are much heavier than phones.

That's true, but no doubt somewhere down the line it was bought up as a "safety measure". Make of that what you will...

why not during take off? you get into a plane, got to wait for many hours, youve seen the emergency procedures 20 times already, so you just start reading a book instead. the landing may be good time to prepare for leaving the plane depending on how you land (sometimes you have to drive the plane to the place where you let passengers out for couple minutes too)

I hate take off, that's why. During taxi and while you're at rest I don't have an issue with reading, but its the actual take off itself that makes me wish I was somewhere else, which can be a little bit distracting. Oddly enough, I'm okay with landing and I agree, it does make for a good time to make sure you're ready to leave the aircraft.

 

[Strazdas]

I hate take off, that's why. During taxi and while you're at rest I don't have an issue with reading, but its the actual take off itself that makes me wish I was somewhere else, which can be a little bit distracting. Oddly enough, I'm okay with landing and I agree, it does make for a good time to make sure you're ready to leave the aircraft.

I can understand that, but thats purely personal to you and may not be so to the one reading the book.