GA: It’s the Right Time to Adopt FDM (Pt 2)

Turning Flight Data into Visual Data

When we launched Virtual FDR™ (Flight Data Recording) in 2019, it gave operators in general aviation access to real-time aircraft tracking, that logs every 15 seconds and transmitted every minute through a dedicated Iridium® satellite channel. 

Users can virtually watch an aircraft on its flight path, and no place was too remote. 

Now, we’re extending Virtual FDR™ technology with ‘Insights,’ a visual dashboard that collects a range of data, and gives you the ability to know exactly how your aircraft are flying. The data is transferred automatically and wirelessly upon landing.

‘Insights’ enables operators to take on a proactive, rather than reactive approach to safety, revolutionising a sector that once relied on cumbersome, clunky, and expensive technology to understand incidents only after they occurred. 

You can access ‘Insights’ through Spider X, our sleek plug-and-play hardware unit that is effortless to install in an aircraft and simple to use. 

With the ability to download and transfer information such as roll, pitch, and yaw, you can utilise ‘Insights’ to set filters and parameters to measure this flight data. This can help mitigate future risks, enhance pilot training, see overarching safety trends and improve operational efficiencies in their business.

When risks are flagged and investigated before they become losses, it saves money by eliminating avoidable expenses.

For decades, commercial airliners have benefitted from identifying issues before they become a costly problem with FDM. 

FDM data helped an airport in North Carolina identify a problem with unstabilised approaches on its runway. By objectively identifying this reoccurring safety event, airline operators could come together and take collaborative action to create safer skies for their team and customers. 

At its essence, ‘Insights’ is enhancing safety by turning flight data into visual data to reveal areas of improvement and areas that may require further training.

At its core, the Spider X is an entry point for the General Aviation industry into FDM – a proactive safety measure so obvious that it should be accessible for all.