So I guess eating Sushi with chopsticks while driving a manual transmission vehicle is out...
I personally don't have a huge issue with a quick photo or text, but what really irks me is when someone puts on a set of earphones under their headset and tunes out on their ipod (or similar device). Even with headset adapters, some degree of situational awareness and attention is lost to the music - not to mention the distraction may mask subtle clues that a engine, transmission or mechanical malfunction is imminent or already in progress.
And the only reading material on the flight deck should be flight manual, CFS, maps, plates, weather, checklists and any other reading material that is directly related to the conduct of a flight.
If you're paid to fly the aircraft - fly th aircraft!
Cheers,
Kirsten B.
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No sextation in flight. However, I think the serile cockpit rule is good to follow. For me, even on a long flight in the middle of BFN the tunes come off the zulu before TOD or when loaded up whatever comes first.
The phone/ bluetooth can be useful with comm failures, re-routes, ordering fuel, diversions, talking to dispatch tho.. So I do think it has a purpose
My iPhone is part of my equipment as far as I'm concerned. On bad weather days I'll have the AWWS site running all the time in one of my browser windows with all the applicable METARs pulled up. All I have to do is hit refresh and I get the weather for Vancouver, Vic and Nanaimo. It's less distracting than trying to listen to an ATIS 40 miles away while taxiing for takeoff. Just last week the weather went below minimums at destination while taxiing out and the iphone saved me at least a few minutes of bombing around in the .. before returning to base. I also keep the applicable web cams open in other windows and check them frequently. It's incredibly useful for the short legs where we fly. Dispatch uses email to advise me of changes in the flight schedule and manifests. I often have it linked up with the bluetooth in my headset too so I can phone for transponder codes without having to hold the phone up to my ear while I yell and struggle to listen. Sometimes I even text and listen to music. Oh the humanity!
I've had a couple passengers make comments about texting and flying and I explain to them that we aren't in a car with semi trucks coming at us head-on. I explain that I am already programming/following a gps, operating 2 radios, flying the plane, maybe reading a map etc. and they always get it. Those of you who are anti-mobile device were probably resistant to use a gps, get an email address etc. Times are changing. Learn to deal with it and more importantly, learn not to judge those who are adapting to the ways of the present/future faster than you. Instead, maybe try learning from them.
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I always use my iPhone in flight to keep operations in the loop of when I'll be down for my next flight. I get signal in the climb until 7,000 to 9,000 feet, I once had signal at 12.5 to send a sunset pic. If I loose signal I get it back on the descent around 4,000 feet but by then I'm on final approach.
KAG wrote:there is no real difference between texting and say reading a paper. I'll argue the texting is probibly safer as it affords you a proper view of the instruments.
That said, like reading there is a time and place. Taxiing or low level is not one of them.
Physically, there's no diff between the two types of reading; psychologically, I'd argue that there is. Ever sat in your house, listened to the phone ring, and tried to not answer it? Bloody difficult, as we are conditioned to answer the phone. Because text comes in on a phone device, I'd argue that it is just as difficult to not answer/read an incoming text, and thus distracting from the task at hand. The second part of your post makes sense.
That being said, someone posted earlier that there was an item on the checklist "phones off" - sounds like a good idea to me..
even if we ARE conditioned to always answer ringing phones - which i disagree with, there's plenty of people i know who have no desire to answer a ringing phone, especially when it coincides with days of - answering that text is STILL no more distracting than reading. on top of that, i simply can't believe that the urge to answer would overpower ones duties in flying the a/c. if anything it's the other way around, i've had my phone out when a radio call comes. once the radio call was answered i forgot that i was texting someone until i tried to call someone later on the ground. my mind focused on the task and easily ignored the minor distraction.
here's an example to counter your argument. you're home. you're having sex. the phone rings. what do you do?
snoopy wrote:So I guess eating Sushi with chopsticks while driving a manual transmission vehicle is out...
I personally don't have a huge issue with a quick photo or text, but what really irks me is when someone puts on a set of earphones under their headset and tunes out on their ipod (or similar device). Even with headset adapters, some degree of situational awareness and attention is lost to the music - not to mention the distraction may mask subtle clues that a engine, transmission or mechanical malfunction is imminent or already in progress.
And the only reading material on the flight deck should be flight manual, CFS, maps, plates, weather, checklists and any other reading material that is directly related to the conduct of a flight.
If you're paid to fly the aircraft - fly th aircraft!
Cheers,
Kirsten B.
is there any difference between listening to music on an ipod and doing it on the ADF?
reading a AFM doesn't directly relate to the conduct of a flight unless something you read and learned on that flight directly effects something that happens on the flight (if you ever read something that directly saves your bacon during an emergency on that flight i swear i will never text again ). if you stumble onto something useful in the AFM, was it desire for knowledge that led you there or was it boredom during the flight? it's no different than reading a newspaper, or text message.
i'm definatly not trying to say that reading an AFM has the same valueas texting, just that reading it is no LESS distracting than texting. the only difference is that the distraction has to do with the plane (but not the flight).
I'm not quite as right wing as Meatservo, but the younger guys seem to think that they can act the same way at work as they do on their 'Facebook'. Unfortunately, our job requires a somewhat higher level of profesionalism (safety) and courtesy (stuck 12" from your co-worker for hours on end) than many other jobs.
I've had a copilot trying to BBM his buddies on climbout with the autopilot off. Granted we were empty and it was VMC (although it was an IFR flight plan), but even so the guy was all over the place. He was so busy trying to do both he didn't notice me turned and staring at him. I stated that I had control and to tell whomever he was texting to TTYL.
Fortunately, their was respect between the two of us and he was receptive to my concerns and I never did see him do that again.
Like everything in life, common sense goes a long way.
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Now you may or may not find the Huffington Post to be the most rock solid new source, and you may have alternate opinions as to who/what is the ultimate root cause of the Colgain Air crash, but given that attention has already been given to both crew members lacking situational awareness throughout the flight it certainly doesn't help public perception when the FO is sending text messages.
i text/email and fly all the time. its a bit awkward, flying with my knees. But can be done, bit of friction helps to hold things smooth. Occasional, you get into a dive or steep climb.
My 10 yr old nokia would, keep trying to send txt, if it failed it would either, try in 5min or wait till it had good service. Damm iphone just says failed, no retry, with out my input.
I'm usually too busy studying the back of my eyelids during flight to text. But really, I would not want to fly with a lot of the sticklers on here. Christ man, the middle of cruise out in the middle of BFN, I'll break out the tunes. I don't fly in the developed world, so no texting for me.
seriously though, are you really gonna keep writing something about my apparent lack of flying abilities every time i make a post just because i pointed out your conspriacy theory comment about air france crashing had no factual basis?
seriously though, are you really gonna keep writing something about my apparent lack of flying abilities every time i make a post just because i pointed out your conspriacy theory comment about air france crashing had no factual basis?
Ah Tim, I'm just mess in with ya. I saw this video and it cracked me up. No foul ment.
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). if you stumble onto something useful in the AFM, was it desire for knowledge that led you there or was it boredom during the flight? it's no different than reading a newspaper, or text message.
