Being watched from the inside…what secrets does your electronics hold?
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In this environment of security theatre, many folks are very attune to all of the surveillance we are under, but you might need to consider the equipment you have on the airplane you fly that is also watching you.
All of the popular glass cockpit EFIS systems that I’m familiar with keep data on all of the parameters that feed into them. In my particular case, the EFIS takes a snap shot of all the data points available every two seconds and stores that information into memory (the image above is a download from my airplane with thousands of lines of data). Don’t forget that your panel mount or portable GPS can also keep precise records of what has occurred recently, or not-so-recently, and this includes your smart phones and tablets depending on the software being employed.
The good news is this information is great for helping accident investigators recreate what occurred, assuming the data isn’t compromised; the bad news is, this data can and will be used against you if something shows up untoward.
Another item that is rapidly coming on scene is small, high-definition, video cameras like the GoPro, which I use. These can also lead investigators to more accurate conclusions using both the video and audio tracks that are saved and often recovered.VISIT OUR SPONSOR for Training DVD's, affordable headsets, cable adapters, headset parts, LED strobes and lights, and more! They cover ALL EXPENSES for iFLYblog.com to keep it coming FREE to you FOREVER!
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Great minds think alike, I guess! I wrote about this 6 months ago. In my case it was prompted by people posting videos of their Stupid Pilot Tricks(tm) on YouTube:
http://www.rapp.org/archives/2013/01/big-brother/
Ron,
That’s funny! You are right, great minds do think alike. I enjoyed reading your post on the topic this morning – good stuff!
I am glad that folks are at least being warned about the potential unintended consequences of all this great new technology.
Brent
A very late comment, but this post took on new significance because I’m the proud new owner of (one third of a) Cirrus SR20 with the Garmin Perspective avionics. As you describe, the G1000 writes a data log for every flight and stores it in a directory on one of the SD cards inserted into the MFD. It is amazing how many parameters it stores, but I’m particularly excited about all the engine data (EGT, CHT, power setting, MP, fuel consumption rate, etc). Over time this will let me keep an eye on how the engine is aging and hopefully get early warnings about upcoming maintenance issues. There’s even a web site (cirrusreports) that makes it easy to upload these logs, store them, and display them graphically. (Although I do sometimes worry about what else they are doing with all this data we Cirrus owners are giving them for free.)
We are a responsible group and I am not worried about anyone trying barrel rolls or buzzing houses. But if I catch anyone overleaning, or running at 90% power all through a 4-hour cruise, it’ll be a topic at our next gathering.
By the way, I think the previous owner was utterly unaware of this feature, because he left the entire set of every single flight he made in the plane since it was new. I wonder if he knows how much of his own private life he handed over to us along with the keys?
Charley,
That’s for sharing you real-world experience on this topic. It’s very cool to be able to go back and see every little detail, especially regarding the engine, as you stated. A brave new world indeed.