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Should Personal Electronic Devices be Banned in the Cockpit?

Airlines & Airports — on November 20, 2009 1:49 pm

Laptop keyboardLawmakers are champing at the bit to introduce new legislation banning personal electronics in the cockpit after the two Northwest Airlines pilots revealed that they were working on their laptops when they overshot their destination last month.

Reducing distractions for pilots seems like a no-brainer, but would these new laws actually hinder future safety advancements on planes?

The Senate is currently considering a bill called the Distracted Flying Act, which would ban the use of personal wireless devices and laptops on the flight deck of commercial aircraft.

Proponents of the bill have garnered support by comparing this behavior to the detestable habit of texting while driving.

Meanwhile, critics have pointed out that the Federal Aviation Administration already has rules on the books that prohibits pilots from engaging in distracting activities during flights.

The Air Transport Association has also warned that such a bill could leave pilots behind the curve as technology evolves and prevent them from having access to the best safety tools.

Many airlines are currently in the process of replacing paper maps and manuals with new electronic devices that would allegedly provide more up-to-date weather and runway information. Some airlines even outfit each pilot with a laptop to help with takeoff and landing calculations and store flight manuals.

What do you think? Should pilots be allowed to use laptops in the cockpit, or do they just offer too many opportunities for distractions? Leave us some comments below.

By Dan Bence for PeterGreenberg.com.

Related links: USA Today, WashingtonWatch.com

Peter Greenberg.com links:

  • Jack C.

    Pilots are already prohibited from using personal laptops while flying. Having Congress pass yet another law which restates what the FAA and most Airline rules already have on the books is a waste of time. It would most certainly complicate future advances in flight deck electronic technology when the hurriedly composed law restricts as yet unknown technology.

  • Tim

    I wonder how many members of Congress have gotten distracted and missed their exit on the freeway. While an commercial aircraft is more serious, because of fuel considerations, etc., it has been overblown to a ridiculous level! Passing a law to prohibit electronic devices in the cockpit is going to mean that Southwest will have to revert to pencil and paper to do their weight and balance, and JetBlue will have to give up their laptop that provides approach information, etc. This is a very stupid bill!

  • http://thebusinesstravelweb.com/ Business Travel Blogger

    Well, as a person who travels a great deal for business I have to admit that the idea of a pilot surfing the internet while flying scares me. However, I don’t really know what passing legislation like this would do to help. Leave well enough alone and instead make sure to enforce the rules.

  • http://www.thepilotswifetraveltips.com/ Tracy K.

    There are laws and regulations already on the books so this legislation would be pointless. The problem is not that electronics are being used on the flight deck, but at what time they are being used. During critical phases of flight is not a good idea. However, if there’s a long flight and the autopilot is on, it wouldn’t appear to be a problem. Pilots are reading magazines and other things during that time. What’s more scary is when the pilots are listening to their mp3 players and not able to hear any audible alarms. Many senior pilots are finding that when they look over at their younger colleagues, they have their ears covered and their favorite music going. This has even happened during sterile cockpit conditions ie. take off and landing phases of flight. If the Northwest pilots would have fessed up and told what is more likely the truth in that they were probably sleeping, none of this would be discussed now.

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