The two-year hunt to find Air France Flight 447 was the impetus, not MH370. Locator beacons that transmit for 90 days should greatly increase the odds of finding a lost jetliner even in deep water. Flight 370 had 30-day batteries in its beacons. They were about out of juice by the time aquatic listening devices picked up their signals for a short time. Another 60 days would have helped their cause. By 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration will require all new planes to come with the 90-day capability. All older planes must have it by 2020, the FAA says. Malaysia has sent its preliminary report on Flight 370 to the International Civil Aviation Organization, the U.N. body for global aviation. But it hasnt released it publicly. It just adds fuel to the fire -- which is like a furnace now -- of disbelief, particularly in China, as to what is going on, said Geoffrey Thomas, managing director of AirlineRatings. There are so many questions. Are there better ways to track commercial aircraft? Can planes be followed better by using satellites to track their movements with transmitters that cant be shut down? Every phone has GPS. Cant we keep closer tabs on aircraft worth hundreds of millions of dollars?
Posted on: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 13:49:47 +0000