FAA Says 'NO' to Personal Devices in Cockpit?

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

From AvWeb, Wed 16/1/13.

FAA To Pilots: No Personal Devices

Pilots in Part 121 operations should not be using personal electronic devices or laptop computers in the cockpit at any time, the FAA said in a proposed new rule published on Tuesday. The rule, which complies with legislation passed last year, was prompted by an incident in 2009 when two pilots flew 150 miles past their destination while using their laptops. The rule allows for use of laptops and other devices only if the purpose is directly related to operation of the aircraft, or for emergency, safety-related or employment-related communications. The FAA is accepting comments on its proposal until March 18.

Currently, the "sterile cockpit rule," enacted in 1981, prohibits crew members from performing any non-essential duties or activities -- including the use of personal electronic devices -- while the aircraft is involved in taxi, takeoff, landing or any other flight operations conducted below 10,000 feet MSL, except cruise flight. The new proposed rule is intended "to ensure that certain non-essential activities do not contribute to the challenge of task management on the flight deck and do not contribute to a loss of situational awareness due to attention to non-essential activities," the FAA said.

Interesting..??

Cheers

[baswell]

I don't think the iPad EFB will be considered a "personal electronics device" in this context...

Will be interesting to see how this plays out for those airlines that either allow personal stuff to be put on the company iPads or where pilots are supposed to bring their own!

[aeromatt]

The rule allows for use of laptops and other devices only if the purpose is directly related to operation of the aircraft

Seems pretty clear cut and commonsense to me. iPads are fine if you are using it as an efb, not if you are checking facebook or watching movies...

[Keg]

So I can use the ipad when in cruise to write an email to my fleet manager to send when on the ground, but not to my wife to tell her that my flights have been changed. Yeah, that makes sense. :ugh:

[404 Titan]

It would seem the FAA suffers from “Lack of Common Sense Syndrome” as well. Common sense would dictate only one pilot should be using a PED for personal use in the cruise at a time. Troubles arise when no one is flying the aircraft.

[Mach E Avelli]

Personal and non-essential communications have no place in the cockpit. Same as reading a newspaper, yapping on a cell-phone or listening to music. It can not be officially condoned for obvious reasons.
I would go so far (and did go so far when I had the authority) as to ban use of the company radio frequency once descent commences until on the ground. If anyone needs to know where you are (wife included) there are programs they can use from the comfort of their armchairs eg 'Flight aware'.
The FAA directive does not appear to ban using an iPad or similar as an EFB, merely saying that should be its sole function.

[LeadSled]

So I can use the ipad when in cruise to write an email to my fleet manager to send when on the ground, but not to my wife to tell her that my flights have been changed. Yeah, that makes sense. :ugh:Keg,
Actually, it means you can't do either of those things while you are in seats L1 or R1. At least that is consistent.
Tootle pip!!

[Capn Bloggs]

And I suppose they will also ban reading AIP, FCOM, AFM with or without a trainee as none of that is related to direct operation of the aircraft?

How about a bit of education, leading to commonsense, first?

Hey Mach, was it your draconian policies that had you removed from "when you had the authority"? :}

[Mach E Avelli]

Bloggsie, I never ever " got removed" but certainly have been known to quit rather than suffer fools or tolerate tardy payment of salary! The reason for banning use of company radio once I gained a position where it was my prerogative to be "draconian" was from something I learned from another crew's experience at an airline near you. During descent into Perth, the Captain was on company frequency, organising ten taxis and five wheelchairs, or whatever. Or maybe he was on the P/A telling the pax what a wonderful crew they had. Same diff. The F/O was flying and attending to ATC. Somehow they busted an altitude. Surprise, surprise.
As for reading the FCOM etc en-route. In a training situation, surely that IS relevant to the operation being conducted at that time? Only in the cruise after coffee, I would hope, and on a long enough sector. But surely not the AIP? Why would ANYONE want or need to read that in flight?
Though being so "draconian," I tended not to do too much of the theory stuff in flight training but saved it for ground time. Somehow there was always enough to talk about in the cockpit without too much reading being involved.
I did get all draconian once. Taxiing at Sydney, the F/O thought he would make a mobile phone call. He wondered why I reached over and snatched it off him and stowed it where he couldn't reach it. Where it stayed for the rest of the day.
He was lucky I did not stow it somewhere much darker....
Education does not necessarily lead to the application of common sense. And common sense is not the preserve of the educated.

[Mr.Buzzy]

Can we delete this thread please?
The goons in Canberra will be looking for something to do once school goes back in a week or two.

Bbbzbzbzbzbzbzbbzbzbz

[Mach E Avelli]

Buzzy there won't be much for them to do, because every ops manual they ever "accepted" will already have motherhood statements about not doing non essential tasks in the air.
My very first DC3 ops manual issued back in the sixties had a very firm statement about not listening to 'dance music' on the ADF.

[Ixixly]

I'm afraid I don't have a copy, but we already had a company memo up in the NT that was a direct result of such a circular coming from CASA to a number of operators. So pretty sure CASA are already doing this ahead of the FAA, not law but certainly been "Advised" (Read: "Do it or else").

[Mach E Avelli]

Yeh, it is very irritating when the chief pilot is forced by f***wittery in the ranks
into publishing memos, orders or notices highlighting stuff that is either already in the regulations or in the ops manual - usually in both. It is amazing that so many children of the magenta line seem to have got so far with such reading and comprehension difficulties.
The FAA obviously have a similar problem to deal with in the USA, hence the start of this discussion.

[OZBUSDRIVER]

children of the magenta lin (http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=h3kREPMzMLk&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dh3kREPMzMLk)e

Mach, if ever there is a YouTube video that EVERY pilot should watch it is that one!

Automation is great!.....as long as you do not become it's slave!