GM2 SAO.GEN.145 Portable electronic devices

• ED Decision 2019/001/R found in: Sailplane Rule Book - Part-SAO Part-SFCL CS-22 (Nov 2022)

GM2 SAO.GEN.145 Portable electronic devices ED Decision 2019/001/R GENERAL (a) PEDs can pose a risk of interference with electronically operated sailplane systems. Those systems could range from the electronic engine control, instruments, navigation or communication equipment to any other type of avionic equipment on the sailplane. The interference can result in on-board systems malfunctioning or providing misleading information and communication disturbance. These can also lead to an increased workload for the flight crew. (b) Interference may be caused by transmitters being part of the PED’s functionality or by unintentional transmissions from the PED. Due to the likely proximity of the PED to any electronically operated sailplane system and the generally limited shielding found in sailplanes, the risk of interference is to be considered higher than that for larger aircraft with metal airframes. (c) During certification of the sailplane, when qualifying the sailplane functions, consideration may only have been made of short-term exposure to a high-radiating field, with an acceptable mitigating measure being a return to normal function after removal of the threat. This certification assumption may not be true when operating the transmitting PED on board the sailplane. (d) It has been found that compliance with electromagnetic compatibility provisions and related European standards, as indicated by the CE marking, is not sufficient to exclude the existence of interference. A well-known interference is the demodulation of the transmitted signal from GSM (global system for mobile communications) mobile phones leading to audio disturbances in other systems. Similar interferences are difficult to predict during the PED design, and protecting the sailplane’s electronic systems against the full range of potential interferences is practically impossible. Therefore, not operating PEDs on board the sailplane is the safest option, especially as effects may not be identified immediately but under the most inconvenient circumstances. (e) Guidance to follow in case of fire caused by PEDs is provided by the latest effective edition of the International Civil Aviation Organization, ‘Emergency response guidance for aircraft incidents involving dangerous goods’, ICAO Doc 9481-AN/928.