Using an Amazon Kindle onboard a flight?

Here is an update on the question for traveling with European airlines. jmmygoggle mentioned in his answer that the FAA has updated their regulations. So did the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). In their press release they specifically mention e-readers:

The EU’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has today updated its guidance on the use of portable electronic devices on board (PED), including smartphones, tablets and e-readers. It confirms that these devices may be kept switched on in “Flight Mode” (non-transmitting mode) throughout the journey (including taxiing, take-off and landing) without a risk to safety.

and then goes on

The updated safety guidance published today refers to portable electronic devices (PED) used in non-transmitting mode, better known as “flight mode”. It allows, for the first time, the use of personal electronic devices in flight mode in all phases of the journey, from gate to gate.

So you can use your Kindle throughout the whole flight.

This applies provided the airline adopts the new regulations, but several seem already have done so, e.g. Swiss, Lufthansa, KLM

The FAA has revised their recommendations to airlines to allow personal electronic devices during all phases of flight.

http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?cid=TW189&newsId=15254
http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/ped/

It should be noted that particular airlines, aircraft or even individual personnel on a particular flight may not be fully informed of the latest procedures and the finer points involved in the guidelines. There may be different policies on flights that do not provide Wi-Fi internet connections.

While it may be possible to provide airline and plane-specific documentation to politely plead your case, it might ultimately be best to respect the airline employee’s instructions.

Fantastic answer appeared on digg (and ABC News) today, explaining all this.

Terrible example of one cellphone actually causing big problems, and studies including 75 instances in 6 years connecting cellphones to serious safety issues.

I have just done eight flight segments in 10 days with my Kindle in front of my face, never heard a peep from a flight attendant.

As for the Association of Flight Attendants’ reasons:

1. Devices flying around the cabin (if that were a legitimate concern, they’d ask you to put away books, which are typically heavier than Kindles)
2. Distracting from instructions (ditto, plus magazines and newspapers and just snoozing — I wonder if anyone in the history of aviation has ever listened attentively to the safety instructions and then, because he listened, actually was able to put those instructions into practice and save himself from harm)
3. Electronic Interference

Ah, there’s the rub. The problem (or lack-of-problem) is, a “turned-off” Kindle generates exactly as much electronic interference as a turned-on one, which is to say, very, very little compared to, say, a cell-phone and hugely less than the monitors they use to give safety instructions. At least most planes have eliminated CRTs, which might as well be jamming stations when it comes to RF interference.

The Association of Flight Attendants cites three main risks they are attempting to mitigate with turning off and stowing personal electronic devices:

1. Devices flying around the cabin
2. Distracting from instructions
3. Electronic Interference

Follow instructions regarding Personal Electronic Devices – If an emergency incident were to occur during a critical portion of your flight, Portable Electronic Devices could fly around the cabin if not properly stowed, distract passengers from hearing Flight Attendant instructions, or generate electronic signals that interfere with critical aircraft instruments.

While the Kindle may not use much power when the wireless is turned off (it is NOT completely off however – the operating system continues to run and RAM continues to be refreshed), it can still fly around the cabin and serve as a distraction. According to these criteria, a Kindle with the wireless off is no different from a laptop or phone in airplane mode and should therefore be treated the same.

In my personal experience flying, many flight attendants now add the phrase “and that means Kindles too” when they tell us to turn off and stow our devices.

As long as you turn off the Wireless on the Kindle, there should be no problem.

I’ve used Kindles on many flights, on European as well as American airlines, without any problems.

Technically if the wifi and 3g is off, it’s not going to do anything to the plane.

HOWEVER…

This is not why they mention electronic devices DURING Take off and Landing. It’s a safety thing. If someone is listening to their ipod, they may not hear evacuation instructions. If someone is on a laptop, it may get in the way trying to get out to the aisle. Therefore for the most important part of the flight, all electronic equipment needs to be stowed away.

Of course, once the flight is airborne, you’re perfectly fine to use a Kindle, asuming the wifi or 3g is turned off.

And yes, I know a Kindle is ‘off’ as long as you’re not changing pages, but that’s not the point here 😉

I was asked to turn off Kindle during landing on a Ryanair flight. Provided that there’s basically no such thing as “turning off a Kindle” this doesn’t make much sense, but it’s still considered an electronic device (since it has a battery) and is not allowed to be used during take off or landing.

The FAA advisory circular – which American airlines and other international carriers that fly into the US have to adhere to, so this a fairly standard industry practice – that relates to use of ‘personal electronic devices’ can be found here. An example given is:

A cell phone will not be authorized for use while the aircraft is
being taxied for departure after leaving the gate. The unit will be
turned off and properly stowed to prepare the aircraft for takeoff as
per the operator’s procedures.

I’m assuming a Kindle will fall into this category because it has wireless functions. Anyway, the standard industry practice is to allow NO electronic devices to be switched on regardless of whether they have any wireless capabilities or not, period. Technically they could claim the Kindle is on when you flip a page. It’s not as if you’re going to sit on the same page throughout the takeoff/landing procedure, so the device could be considered to be ‘in operation’.

As long as the wireless functions are turned off, it shouldn’t be a problem to use it once the flight captain announces use of electronic devices is allowed, otherwise, just like anything else, your Kindle has to be stowed away.