newstodate.aero
MAY 16, 2003 (newstodate): Use of new-generation laptop computers may prove a hazard to flight safety, says FAA.
Use of mobile phones and two-way pagers has long been forbidden onboard aircraft, while use of laptops has been permitted once the aircraft had reached cruising altitude.
But increasingly, new laptops are delivered with built-in Wi-Fi chips providing for wireless Internet network access, and these devices may emit radio signals without the users' knowledge, posing a potential threat to the electronics of the aircraft.
There are as yet no documented complaints of a computer that uses Wi-Fi, whose radio signals are 20 times weaker than most cellphone transmissions. And airlines are eager to increase services to passengers to attract traffic.
FAA is, however, prone to seeking a further research into this potential danger which may be increasing as more passengers turn on new laptops.
Use of mobile phones and two-way pagers has long been forbidden onboard aircraft, while use of laptops has been permitted once the aircraft had reached cruising altitude.
But increasingly, new laptops are delivered with built-in Wi-Fi chips providing for wireless Internet network access, and these devices may emit radio signals without the users' knowledge, posing a potential threat to the electronics of the aircraft.
There are as yet no documented complaints of a computer that uses Wi-Fi, whose radio signals are 20 times weaker than most cellphone transmissions. And airlines are eager to increase services to passengers to attract traffic.
FAA is, however, prone to seeking a further research into this potential danger which may be increasing as more passengers turn on new laptops.