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Can I Use My Kindle During Take-Off & Landing?

Can I Use My Kindle During Take-Off & Landing?

Old Jun 20, 2009, 4:46 am
  #31  
 
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I have a Kindle 1 and have used it from boarding to leaving the plane. I have had FAs pass me and not say anything. I do nothowever, use the wireless feature on the aircraft.
I have used it in E+ and First on domestic flights, and in C on international flights.
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Old Jun 20, 2009, 7:19 am
  #32  
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Has anyone ever had a FA ask them to turn off the Kindle, or has anyone seen a FA ask another passenger to turn off a Kindle?

Those of you who read during take-off and landing, do you have a cover on your Kindle?
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Old Jun 20, 2009, 8:41 am
  #33  
 
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The Kindle was originally designed with no 'on/off' switch because the way it functions there really is no state of on or off. The product mgr (I believe Jay Maine?) was concerned about being inundated with customer calls asking how to turn it off so the soft reset capability was renamed on/off and changed from momentary to static so that there would be the appearance of an on/off capability.

I have never had an FA or anyone else ask me to turn my Kindle off during TO or Landing. Pilots seem to be aware of how Kindles function and most don't seem to have a problem with people using them (with wireless off) during TO/Landing.
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Old Jun 20, 2009, 8:49 am
  #34  
 
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Given how many cell phones, kindles, and other radio based devices are carried on to planes I wonder how many are left on during the entire flight (figure 90% have a cell, 40% a laptop, 3% a kindle 1% a radio enabled watch?). I'd bet the average plane has at least 20 to 30 devices turned on with their radio's working during TO/Landing.
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Old Jun 20, 2009, 11:31 am
  #35  
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Originally Posted by JSFox
(figure 90% have a cell, 40% a laptop, 3% a kindle 1% a radio enabled watch?)
You travel with Dick Tracy?
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Old Jun 20, 2009, 12:16 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by yosithezet
You travel with Dick Tracy?
Yep :-)

My wife's watch collects info from a bunch of equipment in the gym, uses GPS to track running workouts, and auto uploads it to her laptop. So these watches do both GPS reception and ANT+ (Bluetooth?) xmit/receive. I've seen a number of travelers with similar watches.
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Old Jun 20, 2009, 3:05 pm
  #37  
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Originally Posted by flyingfran
Has anyone ever had a FA ask them to turn off the Kindle, or has anyone seen a FA ask another passenger to turn off a Kindle? ...
See posts 20 (UA 824, SFO-BOS, May 25, 2009) and 30 above for two examples. Post 30 says that, in that poster's experience, the example is an exception.
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Old Jun 21, 2009, 12:51 pm
  #38  
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Follow Up. I completed my outbound flight yesterday. I never put my Kindle up. Had aisle seat in FC. FA could clearly see I was reading and made no request that I put it up at any time. There were three other people in FC also reading from Kindles. They did not put their Kindles away either.

People really like to talk to you about this new technology. I spent more time answering questions while waiting to board than I did actually reading.
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Old Jun 21, 2009, 12:59 pm
  #39  
 
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The display taechnology used in the Kindle (and other eBooks) does not require power to hold an image. It does, however, require power to change the image.

So, strictly speaking, in a true "off" mode you could continue to read the same page that was displayed when you "turned it off", but you could not "turn the page".

However, just as noise cancelling headphones are now allowed during TO in some cases, I expect that regulators will eventually catch up and allow Ebooks.
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Old Jun 21, 2009, 4:14 pm
  #40  
 
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It really seems to depend on the FA. I've had mine since February, and am about 50/50 on being asked to turn it off. If they comment or question about it when I board and bring it out, I ask if they mind me keeping it on. Otherwise, I just keep it out. Most FAs who know what it is don't mind it.

I just put it to standby and close the cover if requested to turn it off. The only electrical impulses are when the page is turned. If it's on standby (screen saver up), nothing is being emitted.
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Old Jun 21, 2009, 8:03 pm
  #41  
 
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I am a pilot for an airline and while I don't believe a Kindle or any other electronic device would interfere with the airplanes electronics, the Federal (FCC+FAA) Law says that NO electronic devices may be operated below 10,000' unless advised by your crew. My airline allows the use of cell phones after landing for example. So I would have to enforce the Federal Laws as the captain or else bad things could happen to me, by the Feds.
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Old Jun 22, 2009, 7:14 am
  #42  
 
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It seems that 1) the kindle should be off and stowed during takeoff and landing, same as any other electronic device or potential projectile. 2) In flight I'd assume that people do know to turn off the radio.
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Old Jun 22, 2009, 8:04 am
  #43  
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Originally Posted by mbreuer
It seems that 1) the kindle should be off and stowed during takeoff and landing, same as any other electronic device or potential projectile.
Is a hardback book a potential projectile? They weigh about the same amount.

I agree that it probably should be stowed based on it being an electronic device and I don't argue it when asked, but it is no more of a projectile than anything else you might hold in your hands.
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Old Jun 22, 2009, 8:15 am
  #44  
 
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Originally Posted by sbm12
Is a hardback book a potential projectile? They weigh about the same amount.

I agree that it probably should be stowed based on it being an electronic device and I don't argue it when asked, but it is no more of a projectile than anything else you might hold in your hands.
Agree... and yes, a hardcover is also a potential projectile.
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Old Jun 24, 2009, 4:50 pm
  #45  
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Certainly the Kindle is not nearly as much risk as a projectile as a hard cover book would be. It only weighs a few ounces.
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