Can Flight Data Recorder Memory Be Stored on the Cloud?

Abstract

Flight data recorders (FDRs, or black boxes) generate data that is collected on an embedded memory device. A well-known difficulty with these devices is that the embedded memory device runs out of space. To avoid getting into this problematic situation, the software of the FDR is designed to operate in a watchful mode, constantly working to minimize the use of memory space; otherwise a larger FDR would be needed. However, larger FDRs can be a problem because they have very rigorous requirements; thus, enlargement is costly. Outcomes of this research include the recommendation to send FDR data to a remote cloud storage system, so the data memory device will be unbounded.