This has been making the rounds among the tech blogs, but I thought AU travelers might be interested.
Want to use your iPad during takeoff? Tell the FAA
Want to use your iPad during takeoff? Tell the FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration is asking for opinions on the use of portable electronic devices on flights — including during an airplane's take off and landing. The agency released a document today asking the public and other interested parties to comment on the use of devices that might include iPads, Kindles (a amzn) and other gadgets — a topic that has become more pressing as more people rely on such devices while traveling.
The FAA is seeking comment from passengers, airlines, flight attendants and the makers of electronic devices on a variety of topics such as procedures for testing and gathering data about how portable electronic devices interact with aircraft systems, how to build avionics systems and aircraft that don't react to Kindles or iPads, and how to build gadget that wouldn't cause such interference. The agency also wants passengers to weigh in on topics like whether or not voice calls on aircraft would be distracting or staring at your e-reader might make you less likely to pay attention to the safety briefings at the beginning of each flight.