Big red button

[dakarman]

Having read most of the recent air Asia thread along with others in the past I need to put forward an idea to be picked apart by those in the know.
Before I start I should say I am regular slf occasional pilot and have posted in here to avoid the wrath of those who (on occasions supposedly) know what they are talking about.
I also need to say I am well aware of technicalities making parts of my suggestion impractical but that is the whole point of asking and discussion.
A number of comments recently have asked if the cockpit needs a 'big red button' to give full manual control to the pilots. My suggestion instead is a 'big red button' labeled Mayday and guarded if necessary that causes the plane to automatically start shouting to the world it is in trouble and provide some details. For example it could send an automated voice message across the vhf emergency channel in the correct format for a mayday (maybe just once or at defined intervals to avoid blocking), it would not be hard to have a synthesised voice read out critical information such as position, alt, speed heading, vs etc so that humans listening are made aware f the problem the system at the same time would use any other means on the plane to shout loudly as well, for example ACARS messages, EPIRB or ELT being enabled, systems transmitting that satellites can receive, even using the pax cabin phones to call a list of numbers and again read out the details.
The general principle of aviate navigate communicate is clearly still essential but in this day and age the last of these should not be overlooked in either calling for help or in the worst case allowing the outside world a chance of finding out what has happened. The 'big red button' could allow at least some data to get out without distracting the crew at a critical time.

[SpringHeeledJack]

It would make a lot of sense to have a one button solution to transmit various threads of information to those that might help and take the workload off the pilots allowing them to focus on the flight critical systems. As to why such a simple, yet profound system is not in service the world over with aircraft above a certain size is a conundrum. I wonder why ?

[PAXboy]

Money.

The cost of design / global certfication / all commercial aircraft companies (not just the two big ones) to agree / installation / maintenance against the number of times an aircraft has been lost beyond recovery.

However, once upon a time there were no cockpit voice recorders or data recorders. So it will happen, but it will take a long time as retro fitting is fabulously expensive as you then have to test the new system with all the other systems that feed it etc.

Whilst all the technology already exists, I'd hazard a guess at 7 - 10 years befor they are being routinely built into the production line.

The reason for the interest now is that there have been two incidences in one year which is, I think, unique. This is commerce and money talks.

[PAXboy]

Here is an interesting article about Canadian carrier First Air:

After AirAsia and MH370 flight searches, one airline finds way to make its planes nearly disappearance-proof - Americas - World - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/after-airasia-and-mh370-flight-searches-one-airline-finds-way-to-make-its-planes-disappearanceproof-9953136.html)

I only quote one paragraph about cost:

So why don’t airlines opt for a better system? Cost is the first explanation. The system being used by First Air, designed by Calgary-based FLYHT Aerospace Solutions, transmits data only during unexpected scenarios as a way to keep costs from spiraling out of control. Still, installation alone runs about $120,000 (£77,000) per plane, FLYHT CEO Bill Tempany said in a phone interview. For an airline like Delta, with a fleet of 764, that would add up to about $90 million (£57.7 million).That cost 9for Delta) would appea to be fitted at production, not retro fitted.

[SpringHeeledJack]

Obviously aerospace certifications are money gobbling monsters, but as most systems either are, or are heading towards computerisation would it not be possible to have the 'Big Red Button' as an App rather like the aftermarket offerings I have purchased for my computer that 'corral' several processes within my system and allow me, through this App, to execute functions that were previously only available singularly ?

[ExXB]

Standards

You do not want each airline implementing their own variation on a theme. The Industry, through IATA, has already proposed a standard to ICAO, but it has already been criticised as being too complex and expensive by some, and not adequate by others.

[G&T ice n slice]

Isn't there something about a big red button, a dog and a pilot?

The pilot is there to feed & water the dog and the dog is there to keep the pilot away from the big red button.

[joy ride]

I think questions like this SHOULD be asked, and asked loudly after two international airliners have been lost at sea. The chance that any people may have survived the contact with water are very low indeed, but still it is possible to imagine a few miraculous survivals who might have been saved if the aviation industry knew where its planes were and what was happening to them.

I know that money, testing, certification etc are all huge factors, but nonetheless the improvements in airframes, engines electronics etc. over the last 2-3 decades seem NOT to have been matched by improvements in tracking and monitoring, and this has to be addressed.