


iPods to be Used as Flight Data Recorders 200
udamahan writes "Flight Global reports small aircraft manufacturer LoPresti is introducing a system that uses an iPod as a flight data recorder. The company states that they chose the iPod for its size, low power requirements, and the 'thousands of developers passionate about writing applications for the iPod.' The article notes that data recorders are typically used for maintenance, flight/safety analysis, or, assuming proper protection, crash investigation."
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
Excellent Idea... (Score:5, Informative)
iPod as a model airplane flight recorder (Score:4, Informative)
Should use these... (Score:3, Informative)
The Monolith [lordpercy.com] mp3 player. Described as 'bomb-proof'. It can also be run over by a car.
Pelican Case or UK Case! (Score:3, Informative)
I wouldn't recommend either company's iPod cases for this application either. Go with something like a Pelican 1200 or UK 5010 so that there's LOTS of foam padding. We're not talking about 15 minutes of jogging followed by a drop from 1 meter, we're talking about hundreds of hours of vibration.
We have customers that buy UK or Pelican cases, then drill through them to mount ruggedized connectors like Cannon or Amphenols, RF connectors (RFI or Amphenol), or Eaton harsh environment switches to use for controls. Both lines stand up well to field abuse.
Re:Streaming Blackbox? (Score:3, Informative)
The short answer is that it would not be technologically feasible.
The long answer:
1. Each stream of data is going to need its own radio channel/cell connection/other
2. The FAA is going to have to buy gobs of storage across the country & pay for it all to be managed
3. Every private pilot is going to have to buy a new avionics package
That's just off the top of my head, not to mention that the FAA isn't actually sitting at every airport. They mostly make rules & investigate screw ups.