Inevitably the law will mould how we conduct ourselves in any walk of life. With luck laws are introduced to prevent people following a course of action likely to do harm to themselves or to others. However blind obedience to the law can be dangerous; I thought it was a serious mistake when the carriage of fixed EPIRBs was mandated and wrote to the CAA to explain why. Although my aircraft has a fixed EPIRB if I had to choose between a fixed unit and a hand held unit for over water flights I would opt for the hand held every time and always carry a hand held EPIRB. Representations of this sort often cause the law to be changed for the better.
In the US it is very common for pilots to listen to music or the radio while flying – in the UK it is rare. Personally, I think rather than distract, it improves concentration so long as the music is muted whenever there is traffic over the radio. It is equally common practice for surgeons to play music during the most complicated procedures.
Sending SMS or dialling ‘phone numbers whilst flying in VMC inevitably means a certain amount of head down time which whilst OCAS is clearly not a good idea. On the other hand whatever effect the signal may have on the aircraft’s radio navigation systems is hardly relevant if these are not being used for navigation. If the mobile is connected to your headset (ignore for a moment that it will usually only work low level), and you have set up a one button dial for the number you want to call and the call cuts our if there is radio traffic then realistically doing so is neither likely to be any more hazard that changing frequency on the radio or glancing at the map. As pilots we spend a lot of our time multi tasking and prioritising – that is what we do.
I am not advocating using your mobile, I am simply pointing out that it is worth considering why the law is framed in the way that it is and why common sense should dictate that some things are safe, and other things less safe.
I think that is the more interesting aspect of PPRuNe and other such forums – the discussion that often follows about why legislation is framed in a particular way, rather than simply answering questions posted by other forumites.
I think so far as the fine publication GASIL is concerned there is more than a tendency for many of the "articles" to be written in somewhat patronising terms, hence the reaction often provocted on here and else where. Perhaps the editors would sometimes do as well to consider their own edicts on Human Factors - if you dont present the material in the best way your audience is at best likely to switch off and, at worst, not read the material at all.
So far as DFC is concerned I wonder what has happened to him - I have heard he may have become a number of recent forumites, but I wonder.
