A phone or a PDA?

While on the plane to KB two days ago, I was told by MAS stewardess to stop using my 'handphone' when the plane was cruising.When I told her that what I was using is  PDA(personal digital assistant), she kept quiet and left me alone. Actually, I was updating my calendar on my Treo 650( a smart phone-phone/pda combo) and not using the phone function.Btw, Treo 650 is also a phone.

With new models coming to the market, some airlines staff may not be able to differentiate between the phone and the pda.With some models of smart phones/pda, we can send sms/email while on flight without anyone knowing it(?). Of course,I don't do that.

On another occasion, a man was talking to someone when the plane was about to take off.A few of us "looked" at him, but but he ignored us.We jusk shaked our heads...

On the flight back to KL last night,  a young man who was sitting next to me took out a GPS gadget and switched it on. May be he was trying to locate his position-just for the fun of it.

Nowadays, some people( I may be one of them), are armed to the teeth with their electronic gadgets either on the bodies or in their bags while on the go.Personally, I used to carry a notebook,a mobile phone, a pda and a mp3 player.I love to have a GPS equipment but I have yet to get the money to buy it. Nowadays, I only have my smart phone/pda( Treo 650) and a mp3 player(iPod). It is very convenient for others that I am connected wirelessly but at time, I just love to be left alone.To my friends,if you can't call me, just sms (text) me-I will get back to you.

By the way,can someone shed some light on how using mobile phone( hand phone) or electronic equipments  may endanger the aircrafts while on taking off or landing?

Note: You can read my mini journal of using pda here and the mp3 here.

Comments

[Gabra]

Assalamualaikum Adib,

Long time no see!

Comphrehensive studies have been conducted on the effects of mobile phone transmissions on aircraft avionics equipment. If you have the time, you can read the full report of 2 such studies done by the UK Civil Aviation Authority:

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/50/Gsm_intf.pdf

and

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAPAP2003_03.PDF

A summarised version can be found here:

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=800

[atok]

Abe Dib,
I was once told to switch my camcorder off whilst the plane was landing; I was filming the scenery.

I thot one couldn't make a mobile phone call from above as it would confused the earth stations/antennas. i.e. the signal from high up would be communicating with a number of stations at the same time and this will confused them all.

This is one of the arguments from the people sceptical about the crash of a plane of sept 11 when the authority said there was a phone call from a passenger. A study says that such call from such altitude couldn't me made. Unless it was a satelite phone.

[mhi]

I have even worse situation. Once in a flight back from KB the air steward asked me to switch off my PDA and not to use it during flight. Even after trying to explain that it is just a PDA still he insisted me not to use it. :-(

[Adib]

MHI,

This is because the steward is not well informed about the technology.You know and I know,pda is a just a mini computer if it not connected to Internet or telco.If computer is allowed ,then why not pda?

[Angel]

I wonder if they are aware that pda users are capable of connecting to the internet via bluetooth from their cell phones.

[xion]

Quote"By the way,can someone shed some light on how using mobile phone( hand phone) or electronic equipments may endanger the aircrafts while on taking off or landing?"Unquote
The ignorant attitude by paxs may lead to serious consequences and fatal results.Airplanes nowadays are highly computerised and undue electronic inteference may shutdown vital hardware/software information. As an example, the interference may cause electronic guidance on approach to land to just disappear or in worst case scenario blank out the pilots' screen display. It is a noble action if civil minded pax remind fellow ignorant paxs to switch off their
phones when inside the aircraft. Safety is everyone's responsibility. Trust this helps.

[Adib]

Xion,

Thanks for your advice.All of us must take note of it.

[SafetyFirst]

Take off and landing are considered as critical or crucial phases of flight in which most of the accidents take place.Switching ON electronic devices including mobile phone may not only interfere the navigational reading OR communication between cockpit and air trafic tower, but also jeopardise the safety of all passengers...and i agree with Xion.It's impossible to expect cabin crew members to safeguard all passengers for using prohibited electronic devices (PED) at ALL time during flight.Prudent passenger should help to imform crew members or remind the errant passengers to swith off PED to ensure a safe journey.

[Willie]

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