Perhaps, but will it be Robust and Sustainable to be Fit For Purpose?

IF the GSF Explorer is enroute, it is what is underneath that counts...

http://i60.tinypic.com/kq8t0.jpg

What is your source? All the tracking sites show her in India as of 4/4.

Looks like the Ocean Shield just made a pass over one of the older ping-heard locations.

http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/...psc88ddda7.jpg

CVR/FDR dumps
 

Real-time data streaming for all flights seems a bit ott. The question, then, is when to stream? High priority ecam messages, distress squawks and manual triggers (stand-alone and linked to actions such as arming fire bottles) would be possible trigger points. Probably as good as any, really. Like any other system, it has to be possible to power down the satcom in case of fire or fault, and a well-read hijacker would know to do this, but it would be potentially life-saving if engineering people at home or at Boeing could see just what was happening.

It may not have the original equipment for the task since it got refitted for drilling in 1997 according to wikipedia

Perhaps I was not clear enough. There is no need to transmit all this data all the time. The idea is not to replace black box, but to regularly transmit only very small subset of its data, so that the plane can at least be found. Basically, it should transmit only what is necessary, and only when it become necessary. Intelligent device must periodically send just GPS position and basic flight information in small and highly compressed single packet, using cheap, low bandwidth link. Having all relevant data at its input, it would always be aware of severity of any fault status or warning, and it would only then transmit more data, if necessary opening more expensive higher capacity link. In most dangerous situations, it would open emergency, reserved, highest capacity satellite link, and in a very short time upload every single bit of highly compressed data at its disposal. That could be much more than any current black box could hold. On average it would require, for example, just 1 KB of data by lowest capacity link every 10 minutes, so extra price would be very small, and we would still immediately have all the content of black boxes in all detectable emergencies. Traditional black boxes would still be there in case of communication problems.

On demand would be better, an aircraft goes missing dial into the box via satcom and retrieve the data or listen/watch live.

Of course this wont work if all systems are disabled.

that central area where OS is in the diagram & north, and HMAS Echo ran a parallel sweep, must be the area of greatest interest. That was where the strongest signals were detected.

It seems like a system that mirrors Amateur radio's packet networks might be beneficial in transmitting airliner's positional information without the need for satellites. Over most of the globe an airliner in flight is at least line of sight with another airliner that can act as a digital repeater of sorts, transmitting positional data to another airliner, or to a ground station if nearby.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packet_radio

Although its not the fastest way to go about this task, it is dependable. If installed in every airliner the system would be nearly flawless, as each plane's position would be present on several other aircraft's memories, local to it.

There is no logical reason why this task must be relegated to the mainframe/dumb terminal way of thinking.

The Malaysian authorities have finally determined that the final words from MH370 were spoken by the pilot. Has it been determined whether all the communications between MH370 and ATC were spoken by the pilot? If so, then there’s nothing new. But if some of the earlier communications were spoken by the co-pilot, then it would be interesting to find out which ones, and when the change occurred.

I'm not so sure about the networks absorbing the bandwidth system wide for all aircraft in the air. Maybe it can.

I did look up some numbers. Data charges are in the $7 to $25 range. So assume 25MB per hour, looking at $175/hr. Maybe you can undersample, can limit the parameters. So call it $50 to $100/hr. That is just FDR; CVR is going to be a couple of voice channels at say $30/hour each.

Maybe that is enough said on this topic, but all in all, how much extra sim time per year could you give each pilot for that money?

Transmitted to where, that is the question. Over the sea, it would have to be satellite and bandwidth on satellites is a scarce resource and is costly.

Would a satcom person please step in? The raw bandwidth of a sat link is misleading. Individual A/C must either be polled (asked to transmit) or must speak up in the hope that data can be communicated. Simultaneous asychronous speakups - "collisions" - jam things up and the various originators must be separated in time, so they all get their data packets through. Because of transit time to/from the satellite(s), there is considerable latency involved, and at peak traffic times, actual throughput can be reduced to a fraction of the raw capacity of the sat channel. A small fraction.

This was covered extensively in the AF447 saga, and should be summarized here and "stickified" to reduce misconceptions. At least for the few that will read it before posing novice questions or "solutions".

Satcom and all that stuff
 

Several recent posts have raised questions regarding satcom capacity and the possibility of packet data relay systems between aircraft to carry aircraft position information. These are valid technical questions but seem to be putting the cart before horse.

The real questions do not at this stage cover "how" but should concentrate on what it is that we are trying to achieve. Currently aircraft position information is available either on a schedule or on request by ATC using ADS and CPDLC. This information uses ACARS and is carried on VHF or satcom as is appropriate. ACARS is used primarily because the only global data network on the ground throughout much of the world is the airline data communications networks operated by ARINC and SITA and ATC units are connected to these.

This system could be extended to carry FDR data but to whom? Where would it be stored? Once these questions are answered then it will be time to start looking at the airground links to be used.

As a former colleague with a military background used to say, "Strategy is about what needs to happen; when the word 'HOW' crops up you are getting into tactics."

Let's get the big picture right before we drop down to the bit level.

SS searching?
 

There was a stretch yesterday (within the past 16 hours) when neither Ocean Shield nor Echo were in the "box". Perhaps they were standing off while one of those which do not say where they are going nor where they have been was having a listen.

More likely standing off while they dropped the sonobuoys. Wouldn't want to get tangled up in the 1000 foot cables suspending the hydrophones.

Airbubba - Things are a bit different on the 777

VOICE RECORDER Switch

AUTO – The cockpit voice recorder runs from first engine start until 5 minutes after last engine shutdown (spring–loaded).

ON – The cockpit voice recorder runs until first engine start, then spring–loaded to AUTO.

No CVR circuit breaker in the 777 cockpit. The circuit breaker is in the E/E compartment.

Prop duffer
 

I'm not a supporter of the Malaysian govt. However, I cannot think of a similar precedent involving Malaysia where the eyes of the international community have been focused to such an extent on them.

There are powerful people here demanding and needing answers, from Boeing and Rolls Royce onwards. An enormous number of nations have become involved in the SAR and in checking and supplying other data towards the investigation. We don't know exactly who knows what but we do know there are numerous undisclosed assets operated by various nations and parties who already know more than we do about what is going on.

I'm believing it will not be in their interests to come up with a complete whitewash. Many epithets may be thrown around such as bumbling, inept, slow-on-the-uptake etc.

But if I'm wrong, I'll be happy to come back here and apologise, and will throw my hat into the cynics ring of all things Asian.

It seems the marinetraffic web site has removed the Ocean Shield and Echo track and position histories. The "current" position and speed is still there but I can't get the tracks or histories to show up for the last 3 or 4 hours. I'd been saving them for the last several days.

Hopefully it's some kind of weekend maintenance and not a move to keep the public from seeing the action.