FAA wants NO DISTRACTIONS for pilots

[Redmeat]

Believe it or not there was a time when we flew trips without laptops, Blackberries and Ipods up front (because they didn't exist)...and guess what? We survived!

We read the newspaper and stared out the window alot. Trust me it is possible to go without your crackberry for 2.5 hours. It is.

Like with any marriage, one must choose their battles wisely. Make a big stink with this and we are likely to see an FAR come down the pipe...

 

[Bigoober]

Believe it or not there was a time when we flew trips without laptops, Blackberries and Ipods up front (because they didn't exist)...and guess what? We survived!

We read the newspaper and stared out the window alot. Trust me it is possible to go without your crackberry for 2.5 hours. It is.

Like with any marriage, one must choose their battles wisely. Make a big stink with this and we are likely to see an FAR come down the pipe...

Did we have any mishaps due to distractions then? Yep.

Again, let's get to the real problems here.

 

[kmox29]

Did we have any mishaps due to distractions then? Yep.

Again, let's get to the real problems here.

FAR 121.542 ["Sterile Cockpit"] was created because of mishaps due to distractions (i.e. "real problems") back "then". I don't think the FAA should skip over any problem affecting safety, no matter how big or small.

Real problems? I agree that cockpit distractions are not the biggest problem facing the industry, but it is obviously a problem nontheless. An InFO published is an easy way for the FAA to quickly "remind" operators about distractions. It also satisfies the public appetite for a response from the FAA.

Now, pilot rest? Qualifications? Those are much larger problems in the industry. They are also regulatory pending problems. This means that there is a tremendous amount of work required to issue them, not even including the lobbying from the Air Carriers.

Regs take a very long time to publish (generally 3-5 years). I understand that these are being "fast tracked", but in government speak, that might mean 2-3 years.

 

[pilotyip]

This growing trend could be because we no longer fly modern airplanes, instead we program them. The planes fly themselves and the pilots watch, this can be boring. Get rid of the auto-pilots that will keep the pilots focused on their job. What do you think.

 

[Flopgut]

This growing trend could be because we no longer fly modern airplanes, instead we program them. The planes fly themselves and the pilots watch, this can be boring. Get rid of the auto-pilots that will keep the pilots focused on their job. What do you think.

I think the problem is that we are all flying the airplane longer, not "no longer flying the airplane".

 

[kmox29]

No distractions huh... Ok so then the FAA is going to guarantee and refinance my mortgage (even though it's now over double what my house is now worth) The FAA is going to deal with the daily stresses at home with the family. It's going to cover the medical bills so I don't have to worry about that. It's going to stop my certain downgrade and even possible furlough as Delta dismantles my company.

Here's the purpose of InFO 10003:

"To emphasize to crewmembers and operators that engaging in tasks not directly related to required flight duties, including using personal electronic devices (PED), constitutes a safety risk."

The intent of the InFO was never to eliminate all distractions. In reality, it re-emphasizes what 99% of the pilots already know.

"FAA Wants No Distractions for Pilots" was the USAToday article.

 

[s3jetman]

The quickest way to ratify a problem like the NW over fly is to install alarm clocks, plain and simple.

 

[Quack]

I like the bit in there about the public professionalism forum. I'm gonna show up in a friggin rat suit and show them what professionalism is. It starts with our leaders not only at the airline, but in mgmt too, and even higher than that. They want to talk about professionalism, go talk to any regional airline CEO (ie Phildo Trenary), and you'll find yourself some fine professionalism. IMHO as long as the licks keep coming the trend will continue. The reason for a so called lack of professionalism isn't because an airplane is easier to fly, its because the industry is sooo far in the dumps it's gonna take an act of god to get it out.

 

[mamba20]

IMO this whole thing is a bunch of BS. We are all on front street right now because of the actions of a few pilots who were lacking in their professionalism. We are pros at this for a reason, we want to do the right thing and do a good job. But, just as with any industry (particularly in politics) you will have some bad apples.

 

[enigma]

This growing trend could be because we no longer fly modern airplanes, instead we program them. The planes fly themselves and the pilots watch, this can be boring. Get rid of the auto-pilots that will keep the pilots focused on their job. What do you think.

Get rid of autopilots and altitude bust will go through the roof, nav errors will increase, landing accidents will multiply etc,