Flight Data Monitoring and Analysis is proving to be a key part of increased flight safety and operational efficiency

 

Flight data monitoring and analysis systems monitor the activity of an air traffic controller in the cockpit. This is usually done with onboard electronic data capture and storage devices and subsequent post-flight analysis software. The purpose of these systems is to record live aircraft movements and to provide an analysis. Many times, FDM systems are used together with radar detection systems to detect aircraft when in the air, on the ground, or in flight.

FDM systems must be very reliable because of the time required to initiate and handle live events and the potential for data processing errors. Many FDM analytical and monitoring tools have been developed over the years. Some of them are command-line based, while others are run by text file applications. FDM analysis software is usually text-based. It runs on terminals and it requires special software for analysis. An important part of FDM is the verification of aircraft operations. For instance, all the flight data monitors must provide the status of the airplane and the status of the aircraft in the air.

A manual like the Operations Manual of the airline should be provided to the cabin crew members before take-off. If required, the cabin crew members can take the plane manual from the aircraft after take-off and verify all the related information. If there are some problems related to the plane operation, the cabin crew must verify the faults by themselves. The main purpose of FDM is to prevent the occurrence of unwanted events or anomalies. Flight data monitoring and analysis are also used for quality assurance. Before take-off, the pilot must submit the logbook of the aircraft in the FDM-compliant zone. If there are some anomalies in the logbook, then the pilot has the obligation to inform the concerned authority and if it is determined that the anomalies were due to FDM, he/she will be charged with a reprimand.