Machinbird wrote:-
From AF447 and Adam Air 574 (and others) we have learned it can be many days before the wreckage of an aircraft traveling in an oceanic environment is localized. This uncertainty significantly increases the cost of recovery efforts and practically guarantees that there can be no survivors.
There is absolutely no doubt that being able to localize the last known position of any aircraft (in any FIR) is paramount.
- There seems to be a growing use of ADS-B where the costs of SSR installations in remote Land FIRs is prohibitive. Parts of Canada and Australia are examples where ADS-B has been incorporated into their respective country's ATC structure.
- Security from spoofing of IDs is a matter that needs urgent attention, and can probably be dealt with by adding a couple of encryption fields to the data currently transmitted. But even in its current form, ADS-B satellite monitoring of selected flights would be a worthwhile enhancement from an SAR stand-point - especially in remote Land/Oceanic FIRs.
- Once again, the infrastructure doesn't exist, but would be a cheaper option than a redesign and retrofit of EPIRB/GEPIRB ejectible/floatible devices, and all commercial aircraft would benefit. Problem is that at least 3 geostationary satellites need to be fitted with an ADS-B package, and I envisage we are still looking at a 10 year delay.
Further back in this thread there has been mention made of secondary data storage devices, and at least one incorporated into the Vertical Stabilizer would certainly have been of benefit in the case of AF447. Likewise, an Automatic Fixed ELT in the V/S.
mm43