Be Smart And Safe While Using Electronic Devices Regardless Of Potential Legal Requirements

Reprinted with permission from FindLaw.com

In the wake of the airline pilots of infamous Northwest Flight 188 telling National Transportation Safety Board investigators that they were out of touch with air traffic controllers and airline dispatchers because they were working with new crew scheduling programs on their laptops, Congress now is considering a ban on the use of laptops and personal electronic devices in airline cockpits.

According to recent press reports, Senator Byron Dorgan, who is the Chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, has stated that his staff intends to introduce a bill very soon. He reportedly expressed his surprise that the Federal Aviation Administration does not already go beyond barring the use of laptops and electronic devices below 10,000 feet during landings and take offs.