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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Black boxes are fairly basic devices. They record everything with the intent of it being preserved through a crash. A lot of aircraft data is recorded and broadcast, such as ADS-B data, but streaming the cockpit voice recorder as well as flight data requires a lot of additional technology that costs more money and requires more equipment that needs to be made robustly (to avoid dying in a crash). That said, companies like Inmarsat are trying to create a black box in the cloud.
https://www.inmarsat.com/en/insights/aviation/2016/the-black-box-in-the-cloud.html#:~:text=’%20Officially%20termed%20Flight%20Data%20Recorders,vital%20signs%20to%20cockpit%20conversations.
There basically needs to be upgrades to the aircraft, as well as ground supports/satellites to manage this information. For the ICAO to consider this as good enough, not only does it need to be as strong as a black box type recorder but also have the reliability that we just don’t currently have infrastructure for, nor the real desire from an aviation money side to implement.
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