Does anyone know if any revisions to CV/FDR design are in the pipeline, after MH370 and AF447, such as auto-jettisoning, floating units?
I find it rather depressing that here we are, several years on, with the risk, again, of potentially being unable to locate the data recorders.
Electable and floatable CVFDRs are available for more than 15 years and widely used in military applications.
Technology is a matured and proven.
Regular Solid state CVFDR costs $5,000, Ejectable/Flotable one costs $25,000.
So airline has to spend somewhere between $20,000 - $40,000 per plane.
$$Millions per lost life equation doesn't add up to that incremental cost,
so they pretend as if technology is not available. We will be having this discussion for decades to come.
Some countries were talking about adding mandatory operative ADS-B and 15 minute location reporting thru ACARS or some other means.
I would say at some point, pilots should ignore the aviate, navigate and communicate and change to communicate, aviate and navigate.
Unless you call out for help, cavalry is not going to come on its own at 12 knots.