As we head into the holiday travel season, many of us will get to our destinations by plane. And as we all know, while convenient, commercial airlines can be frustrating and at times invasive. The fact that delays are growing more and more prevalent isn't helping anything, either. However, no matter how inconvenient some aspects of air travel can be, we usually put our heads down and follow the rules, no matter how inane they may seem. If you're anything like me though, you are curious about the reasoning behind some of the rules we encounter along the way. Why can't our cell phones be on during flight, much less our electronic devices during takeoff? What's the point of having seat-belts on a vehicle that moves (and can crash) at nearly 600 MPH? I attempt to answer some of these questions, and try to find out which rules are legitimate and which rules are complete BS.
Rule: Seat-Backs must be upright and trays and luggage must be stowed during takeoff.
We're all familiar with these requirements. Some of you have probably been reprimanded for breaking one of them - I know I have. Stowing my carry-on under the seat and putting my tray up doesn't bother me so much. The seat-back rule gets me though. For some reason, the seats on commercial airliners have been designed to push your head forward in a way that makes it impossible to sleep or even relax when in the upright position, causing your head to fall forward. Leaning the seat back seems to be the only recourse for comfort, and having to wait until the plane is safely air-born is a nuisance. Why the seats are designed this way is a mystery to me; perhaps this is the guy who tests and approves them:
So personal gripes aside, what are the reasons behind these rules? Ask the FAA. According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations:
§ 121.577 Stowage of food, beverage, and passenger service equipment during airplane movement on the surface, takeoff, and landing:
- No certificate holder may move an airplane on the surface, take off, or land when any food, beverage, or tableware furnished by the certificate holder is located at any passenger seat.
- No certificate holder may move an airplane on the surface, take off, or land unless each food and beverage tray and seat back tray table is secured in its stowed position.
- No certificate holder may permit an airplane to move on the surface, take off, or land unless each passenger serving cart is secured in its stowed position.
- No certificate holder may permit an airplane to move on the surface, take off, or land unless each movie screen that extends into an aisle is stowed.
- Each passenger shall comply with instructions given by a crew-member with regard to compliance with this section.
Now these aren't exactly explanatory, per-say, more than they are federal edicts handed down from on high, but there is some reason to the rhyme. Aviation safety studies show that over 90% of all aviation accidents occur during the few minutes during takeoff and landing. Because these emergencies usually require quick evacuation of all passengers, it is important to make sure there is as little obstructions as possible, such as carry-on luggage, seat trays, and even seat-backs pushed back 15 degrees. Apparently cramming as many seats in the airplane as physically possible is perfectly fine with the FAA, though, as we all know how easy it is to get in and out of airplane seats as it is..
Rule: All electronics must be turned off during takeoff and landing.
Of all the rules on airplanes, this one is the most irritating to techies and road warriors, myself included. It's not that we need to be permanently fixed upon our electronic devices at all times.. and I don't know how to finish that sentence. At any rate, we're living in a world that is becoming increasingly technological, and electronic gadgets are more prevalent than ever. Think about how many electronic devices you take onboard a plane with you on any given trip and you realize how futile this rule is becoming. I myself am constantly typing away on my laptop from the moment I sit down in my seat, and as stupid as this may sound I hate having to close it for the 10-20 minutes it takes to get air-born (and potentially longer depending on runway congestion).
not an FAA mandated rule. The Code of Federal Regulations, Section 91.21 does prohibit the operation of PED’s aboard U.S.-registered civil aircraft, operated by the holder of an air carrier operating certificate, an operating certificate, or any other aircraft while operating under instrument flight rules (IFR), but this prohibition is directed specifically at devices which emit radio waves - the FFA does permit use of specified PED’s and other devices that the operator of the aircraft has determined will not interfere with the safe operation of the aircraft in which it is operated. In other words, it's up to the airline companies.
The fact of the matter is, no significant scientific studies have been conducted to determine what inference, if any, PED's (personal electronic devices) cause. There only exists unrepeatable anecdotal evidence. Everything2.com sites an interesting incident: "Boeing has attempted to duplicate instances of PED interference, reportedly even going so far as to purchase a passenger's laptop that had allegedly caused interference on a London to Paris flight. The pilot on that flight claimed that turning the laptop on and off triggered autopilot error. Boeing flew the same laptop on the same route in the same seat but was unable to duplicate the interference."
Most airlines err on the side of caution rather than the side of scientific knowledge, and ban devices from being used during takeoff and landing outright. Before you whip out the ever annoying "better safe than sorry" phrase, consider this: every plane flies through radio waves much stronger than those emitted from any PED every time they take flight, and yet this never results in a crash.
Rule: Seat-belts must be fastened at all times.
Now the reasons behind the seat-belt rule may seem obvious at first, and the word that pops into most people's heads is "turbulence", however I ask that you consider a few thoughts. Seat-belts in cars are a no brainer, because cars are so frequently involved in collisions. Collisions involving planes are rare, and in the unfortunate event that they do occur, the end result is usually a catastrophe in which there are no survivors, seat-belts or not.
In 1998, American Airlines was the "first company to require seat belt use on all flights at all times". FAA statistics at the time showed that nearly 60 people were injured each year as a result of turbulence. What isn't mentioned is whether or not these injuries occurred while sitting in seats or while standing or walking in the aisles. Injuries have, however, been on the decline as shown by these stastics at the National Transportation Safety Board, down to about 0.358 injuries per million hours flown.
So while the FAA only requires that passengers be buckled during take-off, landing, and times of turbulence, many airlines have followed suit with American Airlines requiring passengers to wear seat-belts at all times. Whether this can be directly related to the decline in injuries is indeterminable, so I choose to remain indignant. The most likely reason this rule exists is an attempt by the Airlines to limit liability in the case of injury.
Rule: Cell Phones must remain off at all times
Now that everyone and their dog has a cell phone, this rule is increasingly clashing with the desires of consumers. The obvious reason given for this rule is the potential interference it can cause to the navigation and other systems on the airplane. The FAA clearly bans the use of devices that transmit radio waves, but if you're anything like me you're skeptical about the real danger posed. In fact, the question is lingering in the heads of many people, and it was a topic the Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel decided to tackle.
Although unable to test on a commercial jetliner in flight, the Mythbusters did do significant testing on a grounded plane and found that cell phones did not interfere with any instrumentation, even when amplified 1000 times. It would be hard to believe that cell phones truly pose any significant risk to airline safety given the sheer number of cell phones that are out there and accompany passengers (and airline personnel) these days. Chances are, even pilots forget to turn their phones off from time to time. I myself am guilty of forgetting, although I can happily report the flight went off without any hitches.
While there are many conspiracy theories out there as to why cell phones are banned, ranging from the belief that the airlines want you to use their expensive phones, to the supposition that using your phone from such high altitudes hogs all the cell phone bandwidth (something the cellular network companies didn't account for), I myself am betting that the FAA simply doesn't have the resources or even care to do the research and testing necessary to determine once and for all whether cell phones pose a threat. Instead, the FAA and airline companies err on the side of caution at the expense of our convenience, simply to avoid doing more work and potential liabilities.
A proceeding started in 2004 to potentially lift on this ban was terminated in March 2007 because "The FCC determined that the technical information provided by interested parties in response to the proposal was insufficient to determine whether in-flight use of wireless devices on aircraft could cause harmful interference to wireless networks on the ground. Therefore, it decided at this time to make no changes in the rules prohibiting in-flight use of such devices. (fcc.gov)" In other words, nobody actually did the research and the issue was considered closed.
The FCC has approved, interestingly enough, in-flight voice and data services (including broadband) provided by the airlines themselves. The claim is that these services will operate in the frequencies which are already dedicated to air-to-ground communications, unlike cell phones.
In the end, whether or not you agree with these rules, one fact remains: these are federal laws, and failing to obey them is a federal offense. It's best to take these matters up with your local congressmen and to vote with your dollar.
