Dorgan Sponsoring Knee-Jerk, “Do Something” Legislation To Ban Laptops In Cockpits

The news of two Northwest Airlines pilots who got “lost” while fooling around on their laptops has led to a bit of opportunism in Washington DC as Byron Dorgan scrambles into the limelight with some knee-jerk legislation to ban laptops in cockpits.

FARGO, ND – North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan is working on legislation that would ban electronic devices in the cockpit of airlines.
The issue came to light when two Northwest Airlines pilots overshot Twin Cities, MN, airport last month. The two claimed they were using their laptops.
Dorgan, who chairs the aviation sub-committee, says some airlines do ban on electronic devices in the cockpit, but others do not.

What’s sad is that this is less about aviation safety than politicians like Byron Dorgan getting nods of approval from those in the public who think the answer for every problem is that the government “do something.”
Obviously, nobody is in favor of distracted pilots. But most pilots behave unsafely in the cockpits. If they did, air travel wouldn’t be one of the safest forms of long-distance travel in the world. Existing safety precautions worked in this situation. Aviation monitoring agencies noticed the problem and reacted to it appropriately before anyone got hurt.
We don’t need new laws in this. But, like usual, the politicians can’t help but pass more laws to both expand their own power and aggrandize themselves in front of the public.