US plan to ban pilots from using laptops, phones

Doesn't this completely contradict the FAA's approval for the use of iPads in place of paper charts for flight planning purposes? If you are given a different STAR for your arrival than what you were originally issued clearance for, you pretty much are forbidden to look it up mid flight.

That's what I was thinking.....

Had to be a politician. Create a problem where there's none...

look at the name on the bill, Franken isn't the sharpest crayon in the box, the guy is an idiot

i wouldn't call him an idiot, he got the voting public to elect a comedian into the US SENATE! who's the idiot(s)?

Nobody in the business actually believes those Northwest pilots were on their laptops, right!?! I think they were sleeping for sure and the laptop thing was a cover story they made up to try to save their jobs.

Imagine that's the case and then just think, we now have a politician putting forth a new law to "fix" a problem that never occurred in the first place!

Does anyone know of the eventual fate of those Northwest jerks that overshot their destination by 200 miles. Capital punishment should be enacted for something that stupid.

mmmmm I dont think capital punishment would fit. Mistakes happen, granted that was huge and could have killed people, they should not be locked up. they should have to fly 135 night cargo for the rest of their careers.

It's Al Franken writing the law. Has anyone thought of writing a special to prevent him from toking up in the senate office building?

It says personal electronics. If it's issued to them by the airline is it OK to use? That would make more sense.

So if I read this right can I not use my handheld GPS either...... Are they going to pay to install a G1000 into my cockpit of my C-172.... Just saying

I think it's about airline pilots not private pilots. You should be safe.

If it's for flying it's OK-If it's for games or personal stuff NO!
S.2745 Distracted Flying Act Sec.2 44730
b) Exceptions- Subsection (a) shall not apply to the use of a personal wireless communications device or laptop computer for a purpose directly related to operation of the aircraft, or for emergency, safety-related, or employment-related communications, in accordance with procedures established by the air carrier or the Federal Aviation Administration.

tony that's hilarious... airline torture!

so when you are holding short at an airport in the middle of nowhere with no clearance frequency, you better not pull a phone out for the clearance. This will sure make things more efficient.

While I'm not a pilot, I am a long-time aviation enthusiast; I spent 22 years in and around DCA and Hill politicians: It seems to me posters mmari01, vanbess, and cheshire best sum up my observations and opinion.

No, it does not contradict FAA approval at all, an ipad is considered a "notebook" and not a "laptop"...in law, it's all in the wording <wink>

Christ!

"notebook" not a "laptop": but I have my charts and approach plates on a laptop.

What about flying outside their glide path -routes over heavily populated areas ?

What about staying awake ?

What about flights diverted due to over booking ?

Where is the FAA - here?

Oh...they are too busy here acting as leg breakers for Daly
at the talks woth UAL and AA.

The two Northwest pilots of flight 188 (yeah, the ones who flew for 1 hour plus 18 minutes without reporting check points, without answering desperate calls from ground and other aircraft on several frequencies including 121.5 MHz and who came up with the very stupid pretext that it happened because they were working with their laptops) were removed from their licences for one year but the dominant airline Delta has reportedly decided that these guys are gone for ever.

franken should have put a provision in the bill stating the he is nuts

What are you going to do on long flights now? Rock Paper Sciccors for 4 hours?

i would like to know how they intend to enforce this rule, are they going to put the air marshall's in charge of it?? AND don't they have enough to do to stop other BS from happening on an airliner??

The FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) has already implemented this program for those who work in the operations arena of the railroad. Use of a cell-phone, laptop, radio, digital camera, etc. is a federal violation and will result in the suspension of your operating certificate fine(s). Think it won't happen in the airline industry, we'll see.

My personal take on the NW airlines 188 that flew for 1 hours plus 30 minutes without contacting any station and overshot their destination by a good 150 miles is that the pilots were not working their laptops and discussing scheduling, that is the silliest excuse I have ever heard, they were smoking pot or crack. A 16-year-old youngster learning to fly knows damn well that the first three Commandments are: aviate, navigate and communicate, and if he fails just one of them means he should be flying kites not endagering the lives of hundreds of passengers. The proposed legislation is not going to make for a better piloting.