Passengers’ portable electronic devices on aircraft are going to cause interference with systems and equipment more frequently than they do today, the UK Civil Aviation Authority predicts in its latest report on the subject.
The CAA says the main reason for this is that the number and variety of devices is increasing, so the electromagnetic radiation they produce will occupy a greater radio frequency (RF) spectrum than they do today.
The CAA recommends that aircraft certification should include electronic device interference trials, and that for this purpose an international standard for an aircraft’s “internal RF environment as generated by portable elctronic devices” should be developed. Without mentioning the European Aviation Safety Agency by name, the CAA recommends that “the appropriate agency” should make itself responsible for this task. It also says that “there is currently a lack of standardisation in pre-flight briefing and information provided to passengers”, with the implication that resulting passenger confusion could make the problem worse, and says that competitive pressure may impel airlines to allow the use of currently prohibited devices.
Portable devices are classified as unintentional transmitters that produce radio transmissions as a by-product of their operation. They include laptop computers, electronic cameras, electronic games and toys. Intentional transmitters include mobile telephones, two-way pagers and computers with wireless network devices. At present unintentional transmitters are banned during critical phases of flight, and intentional transmitters for the entire flight.
The CAA says the predicted future increased use of electronic devices cannot be quantified precisely, but it concludes that it will “possibly result in a narrowing of the safety margins between the aircraft systems and equipment RF susceptibility qualification and the actual electromagnetic field levels generated, resulting in a potential for an increase in interference to aircraft systems and equipment.”
The CAA also says “the ability of crew to recognise and hence prevent prohibited portable electronic device use within the cabin is likely to become more difficult without reliance on specialised equipment or training”. It recommends the industry should work to make such equipment and training available.
DAVID LEARMOUNT/LONDON
Source: Flight International
