Re:FAA to lift mobile shut-down rule
by wpietri on Tuesday September 24, 2013 @07:58PM
(#6441709)
I don't think so. The threat scenario that worries me for cheap electronics isn't "flying along in the blue sky and suddenly the plane crashes".
Its "distraction of pilot or minor technical disruption during a difficult landing at a moment that has become crucial because of other issues."
Al Qaeda can't afford to put terrorists with custom electronics on an appreciable fraction of our 10m flights a year hoping they get one of the 10 most vulnerable ones.
But those flights will have hundreds of electronic devices on them. Being 100% sure that there will be zero problems is tricky. And given that the tradeoff is, "people have to read a magazine for a few minutes" versus "fiery death for hundreds", I'm perfectly ok with them being conservative here.
Its "distraction of pilot or minor technical disruption during a difficult landing at a moment that has become crucial because of other issues."
Al Qaeda can't afford to put terrorists with custom electronics on an appreciable fraction of our 10m flights a year hoping they get one of the 10 most vulnerable ones.
But those flights will have hundreds of electronic devices on them. Being 100% sure that there will be zero problems is tricky. And given that the tradeoff is, "people have to read a magazine for a few minutes" versus "fiery death for hundreds", I'm perfectly ok with them being conservative here.