FAA Bans personal electronic devices in cockpit
 

Sounds like a knee jerk reaction by the FAA for the Northwest flight. If they were say reading company documentation as we all do would the outcome have been different?
The laptops did not cause them to overshot their destination, it was their lack of SA. Inattention is inattention no matter what caused it.

What would be the next step, to take away devices before flight

iPads as EFBs?

RTOW by text?

My trusty calculator! That's electronic! Can anyone tell me where I might get a good abacus in China?!

Back to reading the newspapers it is then...... But don't put it on your head while you're sleeping.

The vast bulk of FAA regulations are a reaction to a particular accident or incident, they are the elite of "after the fact" tombstone legislating. The recent flight and duty time changes (they are still horrible and they exempted cargo operators), the ATP requirement in the right seat (its experience, not the piece of paper), and now this. They quite often miss the mark. They didn't do enough for flight and duty time, but they've been in the pocket of the airlines for years over that anyway, so I'm surprised anything was done. In regard to experience they focused on a licence and a number of hours rather than on multi crew training programs and pay for hire operations. So is a guy that's instructed for 1500 hours and has an ATP safer than a guy with 1000 hours, 500 of which is SIC in a King Air? This newest rule is unenforceable, put the devices away for a line check and carry on.

Dan, the rule "...does not apply to the use of a personal wireless communications device or laptop computer for a purpose directly related to operation of the aircraft, or for emergency, safety-related, or employment-related communications..." blah blah blah

...business opportunities abound...I can visualize scrapping crappers and turning 'em into phone booths in the sky...AT$T are you listening??? :ok:

Blankbox
 

Wouldn't be surprised...after all...RyanAir tried a pay-as-you go crapper.

we are not governed by the FAA:ugh: