So Maybe We Can All Keep Our Devices On?

One of the downsides of using Kindle software on my iPhone when traveling is having to power down during take off and landing on planes. But now that pilots are putting critical reading material on their iPads, that might change:

Kate Murphy, iPads Replacing Pilots’ Paper Manuals - NYTimes.com

American Airlines won F.A.A. approval last month for its pilots to use the iPad to read aeronautical charts. American received authorization last year to use the device instead of paper reference manuals. Executive Jet Management, a NetJets company owned by Berkshire Hathaway, received the F.A.A.’s permission in February for its pilots to read aeronautical charts on iPads.

Moreover, the F.A.A. said pilots at the two airlines would not have to shut off and store their iPads during taxiing, takeoff and landing because they had demonstrated that the devices would not impair the functioning of onboard electronics.

So let’s see, now that pilots are using electronic devices, suddenly they aren’t a threat to air safety?