The FAA has given permission for Pilots/Flight Crew to use iPads

[ericlp]

I never turn off my phone on flights. I don't even put it in airplane mode. Most of my friends do the same. /shrug

You terrorist!

I do the same. Who gives a shit. tho, once my cell started ringing in my pants during take off. I thought it was pretty funny, I guess I should have answered it! I would have loved to see a flight attendant try to tell me to put my phone down when they are strapped in their seats.

It's a joke.

 

[Mopetar]

It's a joke.

Yeah, yeah and so are seat belts, warning signs, and dosage directions.

/facetious

It really is for the safety of the passengers. They're just not completely honest about the reasoning. I really doubt that the airlines want to start talking about takeoff and landing crashes right before getting airborne and how your phone might as well be a brick when it goes flying through the cabin and makes some poor chaps head look like a mellon at a Gallagher show.

Once upon a time the electrical signals probably did cause enough interference to warrant keeping them off during landing and takeoff when the plane needs to have good communication with the tower. Things have gotten a lot better and that's obviously not the case. It's unlikely that a phone is going to cause enough interference to cause a crash, but it's also not something I'd care to chance.

If you want to talk about completely unnecessary idiocy as far as security and safety at the airport goes, the TSA is much lower-hanging fruit.