Everyone knows that when you get on an airplane its tables locked, seat in the upright position, and all electronic devices turned off. This last part is changing, but only for pilots and flight attendants. Several airlines are now letting flight staff use different electronics while in flight, but passengers are still required to turn off all electronics, and keep them in airplane mode while in flight.
Using of electronic devices on-board.
Recently American Airlines has allowed pilots to use iPads during all phases of flights. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the use of iPads in order to replace traditional flight bags that can weigh about 35 pounds. Using an iPad lets inflight staff have access to all documents and manuals that are normally included in the traditional flight bag. However, by replacing the flight bag with an electronic flight bag, the iPad, it is expected that American Airlines will be able to annually save about $1.2 million based on the current fuel prices. The airline is the first commercial airline that the FAA has approved to use the electronic flight bag. American Airlines has been using this in their 777 air crafts since about June of 2011, and they are working to make it available for all of their crafts. They are also planning that by the beginning of 2013; they are only using the electric flight bag and no longer distributing their traditional flight bags. American Airlines isn’t the only one who is getting on board with the concept, United Airlines also decided to invest in the tablets a few months after American Airlines did.
American Airlines hasn’t stopped there. They have also rolled out a new program to their innovative tablet program by allowing flight attendants to use the Samsung Galaxy Note while in flight. They decided to use the Samsung Galaxy Note for the same reason that they decided to give pilots iPads, it will be able to replace large heavy manuals and papers. However, that isn’t the only reason they decided to upgrade their flight attendants equipment. With the use of these devices, flight attendants will be able to have customer data right in the palm of their hands. They will be able to know their names, their seat, any special needs or request that they need, even if they are late from a previous flight, or for their next flight. The reason they decided to go with the Galaxy Note and not hand out iPads to their flight attendants is because of their size. The Galaxy Notes are tablets that are large enough to allow the user to easily view or navigate through information while inflight and it is small enough that they can use it with one hand and slip it into their pocket.
How is it safe to use devices inflight?
While the use of iPads has been approved by the FAA, there are also some rules and restrictions that still stand. Currently, the iPad and the Galaxy Note are the only devices that have been approved by the FAA for flight staff. Also, they have limited the amount of iPads allowed into the cockpit to be only two. Some people are very critical of the decision to let even one in the cockpit since it has been deemed a danger for passengers to use Kindles, iPads, or even phones in air plane mode because they could interfere with the electronics on board. So, how can it be that two are allowed to be used in the cockpit next to these crucial electronics? The FAA has explained that they have done several tests to make sure that it is safe to use the devices and not have any electronic disruptions. The FAA’s tests that were conducted lead to the decision that iPads wouldn’t interfere is the device’s 3G, WiFi, and Bluetooth were off.
Although it has been said that without WiFi, 3G, or Bluetooth doesn’t interfere, many airlines have been offering inflight WiFi for their passengers. Inflight WiFi companies work to make sure that there are cell towers across the United States, and that they run on a 3GHz Spectrum, which will not interfere with the signals and equipment being used by the aircraft. The reason that cell phones and pagers, in general, have been banned for use on a plane is because of the frequency that it runs on and how the calls are made. Cell phones use ground towers to receive signals, and are powerful enough to travel to another device almost anywhere in the world. How this differs from inflight calls is that it bounces the signal off of satellites, not grounded cell towers, and uses a different frequency. However, cell phone signals and WiFi are different. Inflight WiFi companies have made sure that there are plenty of cell towers that have been designed to send signals to the air, so that it is possible for passengers to use WiFi devices. This means that it is possible for everyone on board to use FAA approved inflight WiFi services, since the devices would run on a different signal than the aircraft. There are many airlines that have joined up with different in-flight WiFi services. Passengers can then sign up for either daily or monthly passes that people can get that gives them access to WiFi in the sky. This works much like the mobile broadband from T-Mobile services that are being used in different airports. The user will have to login to their account in order log into the mobile WiFi service.
What does this mean for the use of technologies on-board in the future?
As stated before, American Airlines has already made plans to completely replace traditional flight bags by issuing iPads, and Samsung Galaxy Notes to their pilots and flight attendants. This is only step one though. There has been a lot of talk about different inflight apps that would help pilots communicate better with ground control, and to better understand the weather and ways to avoid it. While this may seem like an old concept since there are already programs and equipment to help pilots further understand the weather, technology that is being used for apps can change when, where, and how this information can be viewed. There have also been concepts of creating a self-healing plane. Self-healing airplanes would use an epoxy resin that imitates the healing powers of plants and animals so it can fix holes, cracks, and scratches while inflight. After, the damage would be able to show up during inspection under a UV light, much like a bruise shows up after trauma on a human. These developments can help make flying safer and more efficient for both the staff and the passengers.