Personal devices banned from the cockpit
11/20/2009When two airline pilots flew past their destination last month because they were intently focused on their laptops, several lawmakers likened it to drivers trying to text behind the wheel, and they introduced bills to ban personal electronic devices from the cockpit.
Senate Bill 2745, also known as the Distracted Flying Act, was sponsored by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., chairman of the transportation committee, and Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., chairman of the aviation subcommittee, along with three other senators. It would prohibit flight crew- including pilots- from using communication devices during aircraft operation.
The bill has met with criticism from airline industry experts and pilots. Forbidding pilots from using communications devices could have "grotesque consequences" by preventing pilots from having the latest weather, flight, and safety technology, said Scott Schleiffer, a cargo pilot who has worked on safety issues for the Air Line Pilots Association.
In recent years, five airlines have received federal funding to put electronic devices in cockpits. Other carriers, such as Continental Airlines, say they are adding such devices.
JetBlue Airways issues pilots laptops, which perform landing and takeoff calculations and store electronic copies of flight manuals. While JetBlue prohibits pilots for using them for personal use, the bill may apply.
Suprisingly, even modern airline jets are mostly not equipped with the computers and internet connections so common today. A pilot can get better weather information from his or her iPhone than from equipment on the plane, for example.
The proposals include exemptions that would allow electronic devices and computers that are used to operate the aircraft or to enhance safety. While current Federal rules prohibit pilots from being distracted from their duties, sponsoring senators claim this bill takes the safety further.
