Dependability of a system is that property of a system which allows reliance to be justifiably placed on the service it delivers.
Models and meta-models can never account for all the situations and unplanned events in the real world. Dependance on services provided by systems (be they mechanical, electrical, meteorological, organisational, biological, hardware or software) is what every pilot must contend with to operate within safe limits.
It would make sense to use multiple air data sensors (N-version redundancy), of multiple designs (diversity of design), using various watchdogs (error detection) to monitor the health of each sensor and provide the pilots with pure go-no-go data. Technology exists such that a pilot should never be in a position where he or she has to question the quality of primary air data. Air data systems on passenger A/C without the aforementioned should be rated VFR only IMHO.
Last edited by davionics; 26th May 2011 at 13:03.