RE:RE:Big data (Three last paragraphs are related to Star) ProofData Streaming Flight data recorder technology has evolved considerably over time. It began in the 1950s and 1960s with devices that relied on metal foil and recorded just a few flight parameters. Next came the addition of cockpit voice recording and, in time, the introduction of magnetic tape, followed by digital solid-state flight recorders in the 1980s and 1990s. As flight recorders became more sophisticated, their level of crash-survivability and the amount of useful information that could be gleaned from the recorder once recovered also has increased (see sidebar). Some of the latest commercial aircraft, such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787, are capable of recording many more flight parameters than originally envisaged in the pioneering days of flight data recorder development. Much longer durations of cockpit voice recording also are being required by regulators. Today, many believe that the next step is to develop flight recorders that transmit voice and flight-parameter data in real time, while in flight, to the cloud. Flight recorders that record images of the cockpit during flight, or can be deployed automatically (via ejection before impact) from an aircraft in the event of a crash, may become commonplace. Although the regulatory requirements for flight recorder design and manufacture are changing, they are changing slowly. The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370)on March 8, 2014, has influenced recent developments. Mike Bontell, director of sales and marketing for L3 Aviation Products, says that the introduction of a 90-day underwater flight recorder location beacon, with an increase in duration from 30 days, has been the most recent change to flight recorder technology in the wake of MH370. Next step for flight data recorders: Transit real-time data to cloud? MH370 loss prompting introduction of a 90-day underwater location beacon Industry support to pinpoint crash location to within 6 nm Dominique Fouda, head of communication and quality at the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), explains that the change to the specification of the flight recorder underwater beacon is meant to provide search teams with more time for locating the flight recorder after an accident over water. This requirement is applicable to all airplanes and helicopters that are fitted with a crash-protected flight recorder, including those currently in operation. Fouda adds that in 2012, new requirements were adopted by EASA that will phase out recording technologies now considered obsolete such as those using magnetic tape and extend the minimum recording duration of the cockpit voice recorder to 25 hr., instead of two. The new rules will apply to large aircraft manufactured as of January 1, 2021. EASA also says it is updating the certification specifications for flight recorders for large aircraft and large helicopters. In particular, certification specifications will be defined for the installation of a deployable flight recorder, or technology where the flight recorder is automatically deployed from the aircraft upon detection of a crash, and for the installation of an alternate power source backup power allowing continued recording by the cockpit voice recorder in case power is lost on all engines, adds Fouda. In March 2016, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) announced new measures aimed at preventing the loss of commercial aircraft experiencing distress in remote locations, in the wake of the loss of MH370. These measures, which will take effect between now and 2021, include the requirement for aircraft to carry tracking devices that can autonomously transmit location information at least once every minute in the event of distress. In terms of flight recorders, ICAO also agrees with EASA that the duration of cockpit voice recording should be increased to 25 hr. to cover all phases of a flight. It also wants flight recorder information to be more readily recoverable, which could require airlines to adopt flight recorders that are deployable (i.e., capable of being ejected before impact) from the aircraft in the event of a crash. ICAOs new strictures support the development of the Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System, which it proposed in 2014. The measures are intended to ensure that in the event of an accident, the location of the crash site will be pinpointed immediately to within 6 nm and that investigators will be able to access the aircrafts flight recorder data promptly and reliably. ICAO says it does not necessarily favor one new flight recorder technology over another. The reason ICAO develops performance-based standards in areas such as this is specifically to permit as much innovation and solution flexibility as possible, explains ICAO communications chief Anthony Philbin. Consequently, we wouldn't want to hypothetically prefer one solution over another by trying to anticipate where things may be headed but data streaming is one option which will likely receive serious consideration.