Laptop (PB 170) restricted on domestic flight



Author: John Moulder

Date: April, 1993

Keywords: flying airline restriction notebook travel

Text:
Article 115 in comp.sys.mac.announce (moderated):

From: jmoulder@post.its.mcw.edu (John Moulder)

Subject: Airlines restrict laptops
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.misc

Date: 13 Mar 1993 02:16:11 -0600

Organization: Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee, WI)

Lines: 13
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu
Effective Friday, March 12 (some?) airlines in the United States are
restricting the use of laptop computers. On a Northwest flight today we
were told that portable computers could not be used.  I qustioned this
(politely) and was shown a FAA directive saying (I paraphrase):  Only
seflf-contained computers are allowed.  Computers with external battery
packs, mice, trackballs, discs cannot be used.  The crew did not know
whether the restriction included integreal trackballs (as in my PB170)
and
banned all units.  At the end of the flight the pilot informed me that
only computers "with things plugged into them" were banned.
I'm flying again o Sunday.  I'll let you know what happens.

Copyright © april, 1993 by John Moulder