The Role of Data in Aviation Safety (Part 2)

Continuing from Part 1...

When the operators identified unstable approaches on the Charlotte runway, airliners were still relying on technicians to remove SD cards from aircraft. There was no wireless technology. Complicated installation and data extraction are barriers that still exists today in adopting FDM, and it's a reason for its inaccessible reputation. 

And yet, the abundance of data within FDM represents an underused source of operational safety insight. 

A mix of wireless connectivity and technological innovation in hardware and software means that FDM is no longer only applicable to airliners. Today, the aviation industry can take a proactive approach to safety without the cost and complexity. 

The New ‘Black Box’

The Spider X, the next generation of aviation hardware from Spidertracks, takes a lot of the technology from its previous iterations – the same that made it a world leader in aircraft tracking – into an FDM solution made for general aviation. 

 Spidertracks recognises the barriers that kept aviation operators from adopting FDM in the past and addresses it with sleek plug-and-play technology. There's no tricky installation or SD cards to receive an incredibly accurate representation of an aircraft's flight path and movements. 

Spider X is an alternative to the 'clunky' black box that aviation has been waiting for. 

It's all made possible using cloud-technology, something that wasn't even possible for airliners 15 years ago. Spider X uses innovative technology to provide powerful insights based on real-time data. It captures motion data as the aircraft moves on all three axes (yaw, pitch, and roll) and displays it on a virtual dashboard. 

The Spider X also provides a 3D replay, so aviation operators can see how an aircraft flew in a realistic environment. For aviation schools, this is a game-changer because it unlocks training opportunities. 

You don't need a technician to unlock all the insights either. It's a true 'one-and-done.' 

Because safety improvement is an industry-wide pressure, there is no reason why FDM technology should only apply to airlines' safety management systems. While FDM is expanding and aviation is the safest it's ever been for airliners, general aviation has yet to reap its benefits.

When Spidertracks partnered with satellite network Iridium, there were no longer geographical barriers in aviation tracking technology. With the launch of the Spider X, accessibility is no longer a barrier keeping general aviation from adopting proactive rather than reactive safety technology.

To learn more about Spider X and Virtual FDR technology, click here