Comments on: The Real Deal 161: Road (and air) test

Tom talks about the Kindle, Internet, and Web sites while traveling. Rafe rants about WHS, talks nice about Apple, and is moderately pleased with Pogoplug.

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by niko_osokin May 13, 2009 8:50 PM PDT: I already sent you an e-mail, but can you do a show (within the month, at least) comparing and contrasting laptop brands like IBUYPOWER and other obscure brands versus bigger brands like Dell and HP?; Like this Reply to this comment


by Vic the rancher pilot May 15, 2009 9:24 AM PDT: Tom and Rafe,

This week in episode 161 you tapped your heels together and called for a pilot to answer your questions about electronic device interference on aircraft. I wish I could say that I know all the technical specifics for the current regulations but, alas, I do not. The fact of the matter is that technology moves at the speed of chilled molasses in the aviation industry. The reason for this is that safety takes priority over all else. If you were to research the archives of the National Transportation Safety Board, (NTSB), you would find them rife with examples of unintended or unforeseen consequences. Imagine a mechanic placing a bolt backward in a control assembly because it seems to make more sense to put it that way. Six years later the airplane gets into the wake vortice of a large aircraft and the pilot applies immediate full control deflection to compensate. The reversed head of the bolt which, to this point, has never been placed in that extreme position with that amount of force, jams inside the wing structure causing the controls to be locked. The airplane crashes killing all aboard and causing severe damage to persons and property on the ground. Yikes.

There are processes for proving new developments in aviation that are extensive, thorough and time consuming. Conversely in the electronics and digital technology industries you tend to see "betas" being being tossed out to end users to work out the bugs. The cost of failure in aviation has severe and long reaching consequences. In consumer technology failure can often be overlooked with a rebate and a revision. We in the aviation industry are anxious for seemingly overcautious restrictions to be lifted on personal electronic devices and relief is coming. It's just going to take longer than end users are accustomed to.

I, for one, am at least as excited as anyone on the planet for the Kindle to be my new chart book. It makes complete sense. The weight savings from digitizing our flight bags alone pays for the program in related fuel savings over a very short period of time. My company currently allows us to keep manuals in .pdf format on our laptops if they are not required for immediate access, that is, sometime quicker than my seemingly endless boot up time. I think this program took over 2 years to be developed and approved by the F.A.A.. My flight bag is already several pounds lighter. We are still required, however, to keep those laptops turned off and stowed from our before starting engines checklist until above 10,000 ft. unless we need to use them during taxi. If that's the case we must stop the aircraft and set the brake while the First Officer looks up the needed information.

While I can't explain the technological specifics. I hope that an awareness of a general process will suffice. Please bear with us. That flight attendant that makes you turn off your Kindle is following the letter of the regulation because she is not trained to differentiate between high output devices and more benign, passive electronics. There is no training because currently there is no tested and approved standard.

So for now maybe you can follow the lead of Jonathan Coulton and enjoy your copy of Sky Mall in the first 10,000 feet of climb and last 10,000 feet of descent that are referred to as the sterile environment. Need a fake rock key holder anyone?

Respectfully,
Vic the Texas Rancher Pilot; Like this Reply to this comment


by perib May 18, 2009 8:36 AM PDT: Anyone else having trouble with the Audio RSS link? Video seems to work fine...; Like this Reply to this comment

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