New FAA Ruling ?

[Bill Greenwood]

Frank, your point is only on cell phones. Obviously no one in their right mind wants to hear a bunch of cell phone talk in an airplane. But that is not the way the ban is now. The FAA and the airlines claim that one has to turn off ALL electronic gadgets, ("anything with an on/off switch") and they use the safety boogey man to justify this. So it applies to computers, Ipads , Game boys, etc. Can't even listen to music in flight with ear phones when below 10,000.
And I agree that most cell phone talk is because someone is bored and/or nervous. I don't own a cell phone, but I carry a borrowed one when I travel. I don't leave it on and don't even know how to do the message part. I am pretty old fashioned I guess, because it never occured to me to try to spend time at EAA on my cell phone and then gripe becasue the wi fi reception wasn't as good as in N Y or L A.
I used to fly a lot over most of the U S with my kids in the back seat usually avidly playing their game boys, and I never had any spurious fuel warning lights or instrument or avionics signals.
Have you ever noticed that a lot of people, at least men cannot sit or stand still when they talk? If they are talking on their cell phone they are pacing around. I went to a maintenance forum at EAA and it was good but almost hypnotic as the presenter paced back in forth on the stage.

Anyway, as I read the announcement if the ban is lifted/modified it won't include cell phone talk. The next step for airlines who are always trying to find new revenue will probably be some hookup so that, FOR A FEE, you can make or send cell phone calls in flight, probably have to use an earphone.