Evaluation of Low-Cost Solutions to Support Flight Operations Quality Assurance

During the period 2003~ 2011 worldwide accident rates for business/corporate aviation were nearly four times that for commercial aviation. Flight Operations Quality Assurance or Flight Data Monitoring - the collection of real-time flight data for continuous safety improvement - has been routinely used by commercial aviation for over 50 years. Regulatory authorities only require airplanes over 27 tonnes Maximum Take-off Weight to operate a Flight Operations Quality Assurance Program . Corporate/business aviation operators generally operate airplanes less than 20 tonnes using a diverse range of airplanes which may include a single engine, twin engine, turbo-prop and/or very light jets. This study investigates the use of low-cost, independent Commercial-off-the-shelf technologies utilising a combination of Global Positioning Systems and Attitude Heading & Referencing Systems to sense and record key flight data parameters in support of a Flight Operations Quality Assurance program for corporate operators with diverse, lower weight category and legacy airplanes. The preliminary results suggest that such systems and Electronic Flight Information Systems (where installed) can usefully support a Flight Operations Quality Assurance for lower weight category and legacy airplanes.