[P1] iBook & travel

[Dan Farley]

> Hi,
> Just curious as to whether sleep counts as not using your computer on
> an airplane. It seems that everytime I travel at least one check point
> decides that I must start up the computer to check it. Of course with
> OSX this takes about 2 minutes so I am stuck standing there and then
> need to shut down. I have been shutting down before boarding. I
> normally just put it to sleep when taking it to work.
> Thanks
> 
> Joan

The reason they ask you to shut down electronic devices is to prevent any
potential interference with navigation systems, communication systems or now
that we have fly by wire airplanes, flight controls. This is especially
important during takeoff and landings because these systems are more
critical during these periods of high adventure. Having been a blackhawk
helicopter pilot in which uncommanded flight control movements were
eventually traced to insufficient shielding of the electronics on controls
to the horizontal stabilizer (since repaired), these are in fact legitimate
concerns. A sleeping iBook/laptop is probably safe given the extremely low
level of energy being produced.

Dan