Automated Data Capture System To Track GA Airplanes
An FBO and flight school located in central Florida says it is
installing an automated flight data capture and analysis system
that also incorporates a cockpit voice recorder system in its GA
airplanes. Sunrise Aviation in Ormond Beach, FL says it has already
installed the
Wi-Flight system in one of their 40 training
aircraft, which it will expand to 3 aircraft during a short
evaluation period. Later, Sunrise Aviation expects to install the
Wi-Flight system in all of their single-engine aircraft, a fleet of
over 30 airplanes based at Ormond Beach.
Ramp At Sunrise Aviation
The Wi-Flight flight data recorder system is a combination
cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder that sits atop the
airplane glareshield and automatically records, uploads to the
Internet, and analyzes the data from each flight. Wi-Flight will
email Sunrise Aviation whenever a flight exceeds school set safety
parameters including low-level flights, flights in unauthorized
airspace, or even hard landings. Wi-flight’s playback
features will also allow flight instructors and students to review
each flight visually through the use of Google Earth 3-D
simulations. The audio features of Wi-Flight will permit playback
not only of each radio transmission to air traffic control but will
include all crew intercom communication and ambient noise as
well.
Devon Dorato, Chief Pilot at Sunrise Aviation, said "the
Wi-Flight flight data recorder will not only add an element of
safety to our flight program, but will also enhance our flight
training capabilities."
Pascal Gosselin, President of General Aviation Safety Network
and makers of the Wi-Flight system, commented that “We are
delighted to have Sunrise Aviation evaluate Wi-Flight for
fleet-wide deployment. Wi-Flight's full automated flight capture,
upload and analysis were tailored exactly for the type of mixed
fleet operations of larger flight schools such as
Sunrise."
The Wi-flight system consists of a mobile smart phone which
serves as a wireless flight data recorder. That flight data
recorder automatically records GPS position and accepts audio input
for the entire flight. When the flight ends, the device uploads the
data to the Internet via the nearest Wi-Fi network for analysis by
the Wi-Flight servers. Sunrise Aviation already has a wireless
Internet system in place and will optimize that system for better
uploading on their parking ramp at the Ormond Beach Municipal
Airport in Florida.
Flights instructors, students and management will be able to
view browser-based Internet playbacks to “view” their
flights using Goggle Earth 3-D that features both cockpit and chase
plane simulated views. Streaming audio from the radio, intercom and
ambient noise will be available with the simulated view.
Instructors will be able to view how well the student executed each
maneuver. Students can login at home and review each flight at
their convenience. All students, but especially those from
non-English speaking countries, will be able to listen as often as
they like to their own communications with air traffic
controllers.
"Sunrise's evaluation of Wi-Flight begins as we have just
released a powerful new flight playback and analysis interface,"
Gosslin said.