Open-Source Flight Data: Free, but at What Cost?

Abstract

The proliferation of open-source flight data has been heralded throughout the aviation industry, from air traffic service providers seeking efficiencies to the voyeuristic tracking of celebrity aircraft movements. However, the rise of open-source data presents challenges when juxtaposed against the traditional safety management systems that have sustained commercial aviation until now. Open-source data are not protected legally to the same extent as traditional flight data, and data from open-source platforms are not subject to the same validation standards as traditional flight data. Pilots are now able to interface with their own flight data, which diverges from the original aggregate intent of flight data monitoring programs. This paper addresses regulatory, legal, and ethical topics pertaining to the use of open-source data in U.S. commercial aviation, and offers recommendations to the industry in light of the new data landscape.

Keywords

• ADS-B
• data ethics
• flight data monitoring (FDM)
• flight operations quality assurance (FOQA)
• safety management systems
• voluntary safety programs