Abstract:
This paper addresses the design, development, and operations of a portable wireless flight reporting system applicable for the unique characteristics of vertical flight aircraft. The Airborne Flight Reporting System™ (AFRS) provides an affordable, yet robust and FAA-compliant "black box" for a wide range of air vehicle platforms. AFRS provides mission-critical in-flight information to air and ground crews and posts enroute flight information useful to individuals vested in passenger and cargo transit. AFRS is also applicable to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and the FAA's NextGen and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) programs. AFRS is a Portable Electronic Device (PED) which is experiencing increased market expansion since the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has determined that airlines can safely expand passenger use of PEDs in airplane mode during all phases of flight. AFRS incorporates advancements in Global Positioning Systems, wireless sensors, and multi-modal communications, making it possible for all categories of general and corporate aircraft to have many of the features and advantages typically found in large commercial aircraft. The benefits of AFRS include improvements in flight safety, air-to-ground communications, early warning, evaluation of crew performance, and flight and maintenance transaction logs.