Earlier, on an SAA flight from Durban to Jo’burg:
Ipodterror-1
So, let me just get this straight. Here’s an industry that will confiscate your nail scissors before you’re allowed to board an aircraft, but they have no problem letting you get on with a device that, “may interfere with the navigation systems.”

WTF?

Conscientious travellers have been advised to be on the lookout for angry, cartoon wielding, middle-eastern passengers carrying iPods…!

Update: Left in the comments. courtesy of the BigGuy:

Here’s an update for you on the interference with flight systems. You’ll like this one.

Last week, I was called into a meeting to design a new mobile telephony thingy that was all very hush-hush. Turns out that what I was designing was a way to use your cell-phone opn planes. The aircraft in essence becomes a roaming network, and so they charge you more than you would have been charged to phone from your home country, with the airline pocketing the extra cash. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

I sat down with some of the airline guys afterwards, and guess what changes they are making to the planes to ensure that there is no danger? My guesses were extra insulation on the wiring, or at least comprehensive testing of a number of phones.

The real answer – nothing. The electronics on the planes are already so well sheilded that there are no changes needed. Turns out all that was needed was for there to be some money in it for the airlines…

Permalink | Trackback | No Comments