MIDS/JTIDS Transmission of Critical Aircraft Flight/Emergency Data

Communications and data processing have progressed to the point where it is now feasible to widely employ MIDS/JTIDS technology on commercial aircraft. By tapping the flight data information sent to the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), information can be transmitted in real-time to air traffic monitoring sites. In the event of a mishap or accident, rescue agencies would be able to quickly determine the precise location of the incident as well as make initial determinations as to the cause of the incident. The system ViaSat is proposing provides the required MIDS/JTIDS based Flight Data Transmission and is referred to as M-FDT (MIDS Flight Data Transmission). No other company large or small has demonstrated enhanced thruput modes without any modification which would effect the IPF/EMC features circuitry. The enhanced thruput Link-16 modes developed at ViaSat allow the M-FDR to provide a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) function and provide Quick Access Recorder (QAR) functionality allowing parameters to be sampled at increased data rates to aid in hazard identification and prevention.