Assessing Risks of T-PEDs in Aviation: RTCA SC-202 Update

1. Status of the work of RTCA SC-202 Co-Chairs:

2. T-PED’s & Commercial Airplanes:Assessing the Risk & What To Do About It • Define T-PED’s • Transmitting - Portable Electronic Devices • Define the Risks of T-PED’s to Aviation Safety • Explain the purpose of RTCA SC-202 • Review the committee findings & recommendations • Address the committee’s remaining tasks

3. Defining The Risk Of T-PED’s Unlike Avionics Systems installed on airplanes, T-PED’s are consumer electronics, purchased from retail outlets and used by consumers without specific training

4. Distance to the moon 384,000 kilometers Human Hair 40 µmeters Defining The Risk of T-PED’s: Radio Sensitivity & Relative Signal Strengths If the distance to the moon is compared to the transmitting power of a commercial airliner’s VHF radio , then the width of a human hair can break VHF squelch.

5. Assessing The Risk Of T-PED’s T-PED emissions may reach antennas used by sensitive airplane navigation and communications receivers. Unlike HIRF, the RF source is inside the airplane.

6. Assessing The Risk of T-PED’s Emissions from T-PED’s may be picked up by airplane wiring or nearby airplane systems devices themselves. Again, unlike HIRF, the RF source is inside the airplane.

7. Maintaining and Enhancing Aviation Safety:RTCA Special Committee 202 • The FAA requested that RTCA, Inc. form a special committee to present an up-to-date evaluation of the use of portable electronic devices (PED’s). • Particular attention was to be paid towards intentional transmitters such as mobile phones, wireless RF network devices, and other wireless-enabled devices such as personal digital assistants (T-PED’s). • Phase 1 – current T-PED technologies • Phase 2 – upcoming, next-generation T-PED technologies plus guidance for airplane design and certification.

8. RTCA SC-202 Schedule August 1996 SC-177 Document Completed April 1963 SC-88 Document Completed September 1988 SC-156 Document Completed Previous PED Committees 1996 1963 January 2003 FAA Request October 2004 SC-202 Phase 1 Document Completed May 2003 First Meeting Phase 2 Special Committee SC-202 – Phase 1 2003 2005

9. Committee Representation • Regulatory Agencies FAA (Flight Standards, Aircraft Certification, Spectrum Management), UK-CAA, Transport Canada, DGAC-France, FCC • Airlines United, Delta Air Lines, US Airways, Continental, Northwest, American, Lufthansa, JAL, ANA, FedEx, UPS, Southwest, QANTAS, Air Wisconsin, ANA • Airplane Manufacturers Airbus, Cessna, Boeing, Bombardier • Avionics Manufacturers Rockwell-Collins, Honeywell, Connexion, Matsushita, General Dynamics, Teledyne, AirCell, Row 44 • Consumer Electronics Verizon, Intel, Sony-Erickson, Panasonic, QUALCOMM, XCube Communications, CEA, Sony, Motorola, Dell, CTIA, Freescale Semiconductor • Associations, Universities, Agencies NASA, UofOK, ARINC, SITA, ALPA, AFA, IATA, EUROCAE, Carnegie Mellon • Aviation IndustryConsultants CAVOK International, Alion, Eagle’s Wings, AJ Systems, Overlook Systems

10. Accomplishments • Developed and published guidance on a regulatory approval process for selective use of T-PED technologies. • Provided examples of: • Characterization of current wireless technologies • Applicable aircraft avionics operating standards • Flight critical systems categorization • Mitigation of potential T-PED effects • Guidance for PED policies and procedures development • passenger and public education goals • Recommended revisions to FAA AC 91.21-1A. • Proposed FAR revisions to incorporate PED Usage Signage. • Published recommendations on acceptable and enforceable use of T-PED geared towards: • Airlines, • Airplane Manufacturers, • Consumer Electronics Industry, • Regulatory Authorities, and • Consumers.

11. Maintaining and Enhancing Aviation Safety:Continuing Efforts • Refining recommendations for: • T-PED design • Aircraft design and certification • Operational risk mitigation. • Assess and Characterize additional T-PED Technologies • Ultrawideband devices • Pico-Cell Technology • Wireless Medical Devices • Active RFID Tag Technology. • Assess and recommend FAA regulation revisions to address allowable PEDs (Part 14 CFR 91.21 and 121.306). • Increasing coordination with EUROCAE Working Group 58. • Validation of the end-to-end process.

12. Maintaining and Enhancing Aviation Safety:RF Emission Limits Assessment • Coordination with: • Regulatory Authorities • Consumer Electronics Industry • Avionics Manufacturers • Develop recommendations for RF emission limit changes for consumer portable electronic devices • explore the possibilities for regulatory middle ground between Aviation Industry emissions requirements, and existing FCC limits for the Consumer Electronics Industry

13. Maintaining and Enhancing Aviation Safety:Airplane Design and Certification • Defining recommendations for Airplane Design and Certification: • address tolerance to intentional transmissions and spurious emissions • Identify PED environments to support: • Aircraft certification • System certification – STC • If required, identify changes to equipment RF susceptibility • Will be a separate DO-yyy document • Completion after final update to DO-294 • Will build upon process and guidelines in DO-294 • Work to define common document with EUROCAE Working Group 58 • Expected completion July 2007

14. RTCA SC-202 Schedule July 2007 Design & Certification Document Completed December 2006 Document Publication Recommendation March 2006 Phase 1 Document Update Released 1st Qtr 2007 SC-202 Phase 2 Document Released July 2006 Draft Document Completed October 2004 SC-202 Phase 1 Document Completed Phase 2 Tasks In Work Comment Review DO-YYY work 2004 2007

15. Concluding Remarks • Committee efforts provide level playing field for T-PEDs impact assessment. • Making progress towards acceptable and enforceable policies and processes for the allowance of passenger and crew use of T-PEDs. • Replacing anecdotal understanding of T-PED operation on aircraft with a common facts-based understanding of the T-PED impacts and situation. • Developing recommendations and process for operational allowance plans and for airplane design and certification • Further information on RTCA and SC-202 available at http://www.rtca.org/