Think I need to bite at this one, although my better conscience tells me not to.
1) We are long past the days of "tape" in a modern flight recorder.
2) In the whole history of aviation there have only been a handful of broken or irrecoverable recorders.
3) To transmit data every 15 minutes is hopeless, It is usually the last 15 minutes of data that are the most important and under this ludicrous idea that would all be lost.
4) Have you any idea of how much data transfer via satellite link really costs? Most of this huge amount of data would be totally useless.
5) Do you have any idea how it would be possible to maintain an uplink in severe weather conditions and unusual aircraft angles?
6) Yes we do use the internet to transfer data, predominantly via cables/fibre networks and after that via GSM networks, I don't recall passing any GSM towers in the mid Atlantic, but possibly I should look more carefully next time.
7) Please read all the other post regarding this point.
tex
Last edited by Tex37; 22nd December 2009 at 13:42.
Reason: sp