January 3, 2006
No in-flight interference
Drastic action is needed to help airlines cope with huge increases in passengers now using portable electronics that can interfere with aircraft systems. Research in Motionthinks the only practical solution is to put the aircrew in charge of passengers’ “personal electronic devices”, informs New Scientist.
It’s not just cellphone transmissions that cause interference, says RIM, it’s the very high frequency clock speeds of modern microprocessors, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth transceivers that continually send out “hello” signals. Most people have no idea how to configure their PED to make it flight-safe.
RIM wants to lead the way with a standard that lets PEDs respond to coded wireless signals that the pilot switches on during take-off and landing. The PED flashes a green light once it has switched into flight-safe mode, to assist cabin crew checks. Once some airlines are transmitting “flight safe” instructions, and some PEDs are equipped to respond to them, more manufacturers and airlines should follow. The technology could also be used to automatically set cellphones to silent mode when in cinemas and theatres, RIM suggests.
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