Originally Posted by
RAT 5
There was a discussion some months ago about FDR/CVR data being transmitted live via satellite and stored on servers back at the home base of operator. This would answer many questions about MH370 and various other accidents. Some said the technology was no problem; it just needed the will to do so.
There is now sufficient bandwidth for aircraft to continually stream DFDR and CVR data on connection oriented encrypted links to the destination of the operators choice. These days storage is also no problem either. So we are back to 'is there the will to do so'. There are qualms in some quarters that management will be 'listening in' (as they can currently do with controllers who have permanently open microphones) and that is a reason to prevent not only streaming CVR but also to object to Video recorders in the cockpit. It does seem somewhat antediluvian to have a cadre of experts gathered around a CVR playback trying to make out 'what that sound is' - when streaming video would have shown what happened. If there is concern over misuse then the information could always be held 'in escrow' by a trusted 3rd party and only released on formal written request from AAIB/NTSB/BEA or equivalents. It would certainly have assisted in the search for MH370, indeed it may have prevented it if there was an intent to 'get lost' that would have been thwarted by the aircraft avionics.