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Qantas Incident & laptops

E

Eeyore

Davo said:
I'll start believing there's a real problem when the pilots start
wearing parachutes.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't help. They can't get out any faster than you can and plug doors in a presurised cabin
won't open at any decent altitude.

Graham
 
E

Eeyore

Don said:
I have often thought that one should be disabling, or switching off
wireless networks during flights. Mind you, I have never found a network
in flight.

Rumour file on 3AW today, Qantas will be collecting electronic items
before all flights. I doubt that they could do that, may be more
practical to disallow use of these items during flights.
Click to expand...

What's the betting is was some cheap Chinese laptop that's never passed any EMC tests ?

Graham
 
E

Eeyore

TT said:
At the end of August I flew Emirates to Europe and they were
advertising that soon they would offer in flight net access
and mobile phone support via satellite.

Now my question is "If these planes are so susceptible to
all this electronic radiation then why would they install
wireless networks on their planes?" Also, do Emirates and
Qantas buy different planes? No they don't.
Click to expand...

That system has been specially designed to operate at very low power. Plus it's in a
restricted bandwidth for which effective EMC precautions can be taken, i.e. purpose designed
for the job.

Graham
 
E

Eeyore

TT said:
"David L. Jones" wrote
Click to expand...

Prove it. What's your qualification in electro-magnetic compatability btw ?

Perhaps I should have made it clearer it was a rhetorical question ;-)
Also has it ever occurred to anyone that the actual plane has some quite
powerful radars, radio beacons and transmitters of it's own and these
seemingly don't hinder the planes operation at all.
Click to expand...

No, because they are purpose designed not to you clown !

Graham
 
D

David L. Jones

I have just come back from Europe and at Istanbul airport for the first time
ever I saw that laptops were not only scanned/checked separately *BUT* we
were made to actually turn them on to prove they were an operational laptop!
I have never seen this before.
Click to expand...

I've had to do this in the US before, and not just for airplanes but
public buildings as well.
If you have a flat battery then you ain't getting through.

Interestingly though, the smaller the notebook the less they care.
I took a tiny Fuji sub-notebook through 15 airports on a trip once and
if memory serves me correctly I only got stopped once. I took it out
the first few times but learned to not bother when they said it wasn't
a notebook almost every time.
I guess they are trained to think notebook=big.
Talk about congestion then! All these people at the end of the queue
waiting while these bloody things shut down again. Oh and putting their
shoes and socks back on, and putting their mobile phones away etc, etc
:-( I felt very safe though :)

BTW it was my daughter's laptop that was checked and my bag had in it
rechargers, mobile phone, cameras x 2, wallet, hat, sunnies, pens, note
books, Creative Zen Touch, Sensheiser noise cancelling headphones etc,
etc...... Oh and a 500ml bottle of water they allowed through to the plane.
Click to expand...

I've been busted with water before at Sydney airport, one of those
tiny complementary bottles I forgot was in there. It was picked up by
the XRAY machine, but I've never been busted with large *empty*
bottles which I fill up on the other side.

Dave.
 
D

David L. Jones

I know that but ordinary maintenance won't affect the integrity of the flight computers. Hence
it's virtually a dead cert it's not that.

EMC is a REAL issue.
Click to expand...

In theory, yes.
But isn't it strange then how millions of people use countless
different electronic items, including phones and notebooks on every
flight (how many thousands per day?), and AFAIK there hasn't been a
single incident proven to be related to use of electronic items by
passengers.

Dave.
 
T

terryc

I know that but ordinary maintenance won't affect the integrity of the
flight computers. Hence it's virtually a dead cert it's not that.
Click to expand...

Pigs. That attitude seems to be behind a lot of crashes/mishaps, then they
invesigate and refine the maintenance schedule.


EMC is a REAL issue.
Click to expand...

I'll chase EMC a millin years after I stop testing the flight computer
system. Ask anyone who used a computer proggie based on OO principles.
 
A

Alan Rutlidge

Eeyore said:
Why will they never learn ?

Graham
Click to expand...

Exactly!
The recommendation to fasten your seatbelt whilst seated is plainly printed
in the back of the tray tables in economy class.
It is also verbally communicated to passengers during the safety
demonstration before the flight takes off. Most safety cards also have this
recommendation printed on them.

The mere fact that some passengers choose to ignore this advice doesn't
surprise me at all.
I take about 5 - 6 flights per month and no matter how often the point is
raised and even if the seatbelt light is illuminated, some fuckwits just
don't get the message. This includes the situation where the aircraft has
landed and is still on the runway. The seatbelt sign is still illuminated,
but the idiot fringe still insist on getting out of their seats, getting
hand luggage out of the overhead lockers and trying to make their way down
the aisle to the exit whilst the aircraft is still moving . What macaroons!

When an incident occurs and these fuckwits get injured, they are the first
to go screaming to the media and getting on their mobile phones calling
their lawyers to arrange a compensation claim.

Safety procedures are in place to ensure the safety of ALL passengers and
crew on an aircraft. It only takes a handful of people not prepared to
participate in applying those procedures to compromise the safety of others.
 
A

Alan Rutlidge

TT said:
I have just come back from Europe and at Istanbul airport for the first
time ever I saw that laptops were not only scanned/checked separately
*BUT* we were made to actually turn them on to prove they were an
operational laptop! I have never seen this before.

Talk about congestion then! All these people at the end of the queue
waiting while these bloody things shut down again. Oh and putting their
shoes and socks back on, and putting their mobile phones away etc, etc
:-( I felt very safe though :)

BTW it was my daughter's laptop that was checked and my bag had in it
rechargers, mobile phone, cameras x 2, wallet, hat, sunnies, pens, note
books, Creative Zen Touch, Sensheiser noise cancelling headphones etc,
etc...... Oh and a 500ml bottle of water they allowed through to the
plane. Now that I thought was strange. Perhaps I just don't look like a
terrorist I guess ;-)

Cheers TT
Click to expand...

Face it TT. Would anyone be game enough to pick on you, at an airport or
anywhere else for that matter? :p :)
 
T

The Real Andy

http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/qantas-plunge-laptop-link/2008/10/09/1223145494293.html

Yeah right, just like mobile phones ignite petrol pumps.

The funny thing is people will actually believe this rubbish.

Dave.
Click to expand...

But it could never be a fault of the plane:
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/softwa...-Airbus-response/0,130061733,339292651,00.htm

I like the casual response from airbus. I would not be happy of I was
pinned to the roof of an A330 and ended up with some broken bones.
 
E

Eeyore

D

David L. Jones

Your second link doesn't seem to work.

Incidentally the 'air data inertial reference unit' is also a 'computer' so
EMC issues still can't be ruled out.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but it ain't a mobile phone, laptop, or some kid playing his
PSP. That's a crock.

Lots of issues with Perth, something funny going on there...

Dave.
 
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