- Distance readouts and times from all Inmarsat pings
- 3D Primary radar position readouts and times from at least Malaysia and hopefully Thailand, Indonesia, Burma, China and India if willing to share.
At a minimum the Malaysia primary radar positions would yield airspeeds, altitudes and last heading. Until I see radar echoes at the zigzagging waypoints, I'll remain skeptical about the announced course.
We can then apply DR or a compass to plot possible positions on the various ping arcs. It may even be possible to eliminate one of the 8:11 arcs -- or perhaps shorten them.
North arc possibilities include: CFIT, hard landing, clandestine landing perhaps with a serious quantity of tarps or paint or sand to cover up. Planes trying to stay below radar in the dark in the Himalayas or Pamirs have a good chance of hitting one of them.
South arc: ditch in open ocean or bay of a French rocky island or hard landing -- or plunge into ocean.
I suspect spysats have already had a careful look over the TAAF, terres australes et antarctiques francaises.
How many months would it take for cushions, baggage etc. to drift to the Patagonian fiords? How long would it take for somebody to spot any of it there?