Flight Recorder Electronic Documentation (FRED) Subcommittee

Last Updated: May 15, 2008

Chairman: Robert Swanson - FedEx
APIM: Electronic Data Format Documentation (EDFD) Standard for Recorded Data

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Goal: FRED Subcommittee completed their work to prepare guidelines for a standardized method to document the format of data stored on an airborne flight data recorder. The objective of the completed product was to provide for backward compatibility with earlier versions as the document evolves over time. An additional goal was to prepare the guidelines in such a manner that the documentation can be stored on and retrieved easily from the recorder.

Project: Flight Recorder Electronic Documentation Guidelines

Scope: The scope of this activity was to prepare a specification for the methodology to describe the format of stored data on a flight data recorder and to store the documentation in an electronic form on the recorder.

Benefit: Prior to the readout of data from current flight data recorders, a map of the data structure must be acquired to determine the types and location of data, the timing and the engineering units. The acquisition of the data map can be difficult particularly if the readout is being performed by accident investigators outside of the country of aircraft registration. If standard means for defining a method to develop a data map and to store it on a flight data recorder were prepared, the process of determining the data structure will be simplified for accident investigators. The portability for the purpose of data readout would be improved significantly. This should prove to be extremely beneficial for FOQA programs and airlines' maintenance programs. The automatic configuration of ground readout stations to read "documented" data recorders could result in a substantial savings of man hours. In addition the certification process is expected to be eased.

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AEEC General Session (October 2006) Update:

The following document was adopted by AEEC:

Draft 3 of Project Paper 647A: Flight Recorder Electronic Documentation (FRED)

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Current Drafts:

Draft 2 of Supplement 1 to ARINC Specification 647A: Flight Recorder Electronic Documentation (FRED)

Next Meeting Announcement:

Working Papers:

Draft XML Files for Supplement 1 to Specification 647A (zip, 12K)
  (May 15, 2008)

Last Meeting Report:

Flight Recorder Electronic Documentation Subcommittee
May 3-5, 2006; Annapolis, Maryland

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