It's real
As an airline captain for 23 years I can personally attest to having had issues in flight from PED's (iPad data radios for sure). I have been one of those that filled out the FAA report. For me it has been interference with communication radios where we had difficulty hearing air traffic control because of frequent, rhythmic sounds (not unlike what you hear when you place your cell too close to a speaker or wired phone cord) that rendered both of the VHF com radios unusable at regular intervals during the entire flight. Most people with 3G iPads don't even know it has a flight mode. It also seems that i have had an increase in navigational radio issues that are hard to link to PED use. I am a huge technology lover and user and i would be the first in line to be skeptical but an airplane is not the place to be stubborn and take a chance that you might be contributing to radio/navigational/mechanical irregularities. Also, it's not just an issue if one PED is left on but several where a critical mass of interference can be reached. Oh, as for domestic WiFi and international airline carrier use of cell phones, placing the base units in close proximity to your device makes it throttle to minimum transmiter power and is less likely to interfere. If you ever do accidentally leave your phone on in flight you will land with the phone dead or with 50% less battery than you were expecting.
Last edited by Jetjockgordo; 11-18-2012 at 02:05 PM..
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