The US Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and aviation safety experts are forming the Future Flight Data Committee to identify new technologies for flight data collection.
Formation of the advisory group follows the FAA's decision to require upgraded flight data recorders on newer Boeing 737s a year earlier than ordered. The FAA also proposes an increase in the recording time required on cockpit voice recorders and the incorporation of an independent back-up power supply by January 2005.
"The next logical step is to examine where flight data technology is going over the next few decades," says NTSB chairman Jim Hall.
Raytheon is working on the next generation digital flight data recorder. The Distributed Flight Data Acquisition Unit uses fibre optic technology and remote sensors to record critical flight data.
Source: Flight International
