It took two years to find Air France 447<\/a>, while Malaysian 370<\/a> remains lost to this day. The industry seems to be becoming more aware that there is something wrong<\/em> with the way we have been tracking, searching for, and finding accident aircraft.<\/p>\n And as part of this, there is an emerging push for black box data to be streamed<\/strong> live during a flight using internet-based technology.<\/p>\n From a safety perspective, it makes sense. But from a practical standpoint, it\u2019s not all smooth sailing.<\/strong> Here\u2019s a brief look at how these new technologies might work, and why organisations such as IFALPA, along with some pilots, are still pushing back.<\/p>\n Storing data in the cloud is becoming a reality with both flight data and voice. All you really need is an internet connection to let the magic happen.<\/p>\n With that in mind, the idea is that black box data could be streamed to the cloud constantly<\/strong>. Meaning it is immediately available to safety investigators if or when an accident or incident happens.<\/p>\n As a result of accidents like the ones mentioned above, ICAO is implementing a<\/strong> mandate<\/strong> for new aircraft with MTOWs over 27,000kg (60,000lbs) due to come into effect from 2023.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an extension of their Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System<\/a>, or simply \u2018GADSS\u2019 \u2013 their initiative to make tracking and finding aircraft in emergencies much more efficient.<\/p>\n A big part of it is that onboard equipment will need to recognise abnormal or emergency conditions from parameters such as speed or unusual attitudes automatically<\/em>, and then begin broadcasting very accurate position reports as often as once a minute<\/strong> \u2013 as opposed to the 15 minutes when ops are normal.<\/p>\n ICAO GADSS – systems must automatically detect situations of distress and broadcast position more frequently.<\/p><\/div>\n Technologies are being developed to allow manufacturers to comply with these GADSS requirements, and in some cases they are taking things one stop further \u2013 to include flight data streaming.<\/p>\n Take Satellite Communication heavy hitter Inmarsat<\/strong> for example. Their \u2018Black Box in a Cloud\u2019<\/a> solution allows data to be live streamed via the internet, to the ground as soon as there is sign of trouble.<\/p>\n Honeywell and Curtiss-Wright have also joined forces to develop new recorders capable of continuous transmission to their own facilities on the ground.<\/p>\n Example of how black box data streaming works. Courtesy: Honeywell<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n So on the face of it, black box streaming seems like a no-brainer.<\/p>\nThe ‘Cloud’.<\/h4>\n
ICAO.<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/GADSS-1024x645.jpg\")
Big Tech.<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Black-box-sky-1024x547.jpg\")
IFALPA says nay…for now anyway.<\/h4>\n