eli5 Why can’t black boxes in Aeroplanes update data to a cloud throughout a flight or after a crash has occured? why do we need to find the physical box?

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eli5 Why can’t black boxes in Aeroplanes update data to a cloud throughout a flight or after a crash has occured? why do we need to find the physical box?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

The plane already broadcasts its flight data if you want it to do it.

The black box purpose is to be a self contained, completely independent recorder, that works no matter what is broken on the plane.

Not even pilots can override it while they can for most the other devices.

It’s simply there and running all the (relevant) time. No other system can do that. Broadcasting can’t be guaranteed, not only at plane level, lack of satellite or ground coverage means you are broadcasting to no one that can listen.

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