Our long national nightmare is over. The Federal Aviation Administration has finally seen the error of its ways and will permit airlines to allow passengers to use electronic devices during takeoff and landing. Because, no, playing Dots isn't going to bring down Boeing's latest high-tech airliner.
The ban on mobile devices has been in effect since the early 1990s, when cellphones began to crop up, and the FAA and airlines summarily freaked the hell out for no good reason. Despite no direct evidence that the use of mobile phones or other electronic devices would interfere with the plane's systems, the ban continued -- even after the FAA hired an outside safety agency to find if anything could go wrong. They didn't. But the FAA and airlines decided to continue the policy. Until today.
The FAA's announcement requires airlines to prove that electronic devices are safe to use on their planes from gate to gate, and the agency expects all carriers to get the thumbs-up from the Feds by the end of the year.
E-book devices, handheld gaming systems, tablets, and phones will be allowed during takeoff and landing, although the FAA recommends that you still switch to airplane mode because you're not going to get a signal 30,000 feet in the air -- the only hit you'll take is a dead battery when you land. However, larger devices like laptops will have to be stowed away because of their potential to become silicon-filled projectiles if there's an emergency -- which was the real reason many airlines preferred the ban to be in effect.
