"CAA mulls ban on laptops"

[Memetic]

A report on The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/5/26910.html) discusses (A Times article) the CAA considering a ban on a all laptops as a result of new communications features which MAY become avaliable on laptops in the future, UWB (Ultra Wide Band) networking.

There is also a lively thread on this on Slashdot (http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/09/03/0325226) .

After cutting through the obvious hype - there really is not a ban planned, just the observation that a danger would result in a ban, are aircraft systems really so sensitive that a very low power spark gap type transmitter would present a serious risk?

If that were the case then then by (ridiculous but logical) extrapolation ALL electrical devices will be banned, lest somone for example cuts the headphone cord and starts touching the bare wires together...


When can we expect aircraft designed with proper RFI immunity designed into the passenger cabin and a common set of rules from carriers that will help stop these stupid reports once and for all?

[Send Clowns]

It would be pointless making the navigation equipment totally immune to r.f.: it is required to receive signals to function. Note that some of these are extremely weak signals - GPS for example works on signal strengths lower than background noise. Receivers must be extremely sensitive.

[Memetic]

It would be pointless making the navigation equipment totally immune to r.f.: it is required to receive signals to function.

Obviously true, but are you saying that the GPS antenna etc has to be or is usually inside the (Faraday cage like.) fuselage? Afterall most basic GPS units will not work optimally under tree cover, let alone inside an aircraft body - no I have not tried it, that would be operating a superhet radio reciver and against the rules!

I was suggesting that beefing up EMC shielding between the passenger area and avionics (Including wiring looms etc.) might be desirable to enable the use of electronic devices without (or with minimal) safety concerns.

[Eboy]

I think a distinction has to be made between UWB and laptops. laptops can operate without UWB (or 802.11, or Bluetooth). Those technologies nowadays are increasingly built in to laptops, but they can be turned off. I do not see a significant inconvenience to the passenger by not operating such intentional transmitters during flight.

[Memetic]

Yes but the jist of the original articles was that once UWB becomes common the CAA may assume all laptops have it and that it cannot be turned off and hence consider banning all laptops.

They assume that they will not be able to train staff to diferentiate between the different types, should not be a problem flying from Naples though!