FAA to reconsider rules on electronic devices

This will take years to change, at least based on the aviation administration's regulatory track record, but at some point passengers could be allowed to use their tablets, e-readers and music players during takeoff and landing. It's actually a complicated problem. From AP:

Technically, FAA rules already permit any airline to test specific makes and models to determine if they generate enough power that they could interfere with sensitive cockpit radios, navigation instruments and other critical equipment. But few airlines have done that kind of extensive testing because there are so many devices, and testing them all - or even many - isn't practical. Instead, the fallback position has been to comply with FAA rules requiring passengers to turn off all electronic devices while the aircraft's altitude is below 10,000 feet.

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Another concern is the "additive effects" of a planeload of 200 people using devices at once versus one passenger using a device, said Kenny Kirchoff, senior research and development engineer at the Boeing Co. Recently manufactured planes have more shielding built into their wiring and other electronic equipment to prevent most electromagnetic interference, but planes that pre-date the early 1990s don't have nearly as much shielding, he said.