Air Transport

Miniaturised data recorder explained:

A working flight data recorder the size of a cigarette packet, weighing less than 1kg (2lb) and costing less than $500, has been developed.

In flight trials on light helicopters the device ­ dubbed Jemma ­ has been demonstrated to provide quality data streams that would aid not only post-accident investigation, but would provide engine, control and systems data that could be used for preventive maintenance.

Electronics engineer Alan Barclay, developing the device as part of a PhD at Aberdeen University, comments that the US Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency are "very interested" in the device.

Its main drawback for light helicopter operators, he admits, is that wiring the device into the systems to be monitored takes time and money that they might not be prepared to invest.

Therefore, in parallel with the data recorder, Barclay has been trialling a low-cost, miniature system for high-definition video recording of the cockpit, which visually records all the parameters on the instrument panel and the crew actions.

This, he says, has some of the advantages of a simple flight data recorder, but it does not need to be hard-wired into systems, and it can be used for flight operations data monitoring and training sortie debriefs.