Gathering and analysing data on the British Airways Boeing 757 aircraft

The maintenance and operational benefits of a data system connected to 24 serial digital data paths between avionics units are described. The set up includes a quick access recorder with on onboard playback capability, using a printer-plotter on the flight deck. A single unit collects, processes and distributes parameters. Separate processors handle the mandatory and integrated data system operations. Any parameter can be displayed, call up being through a simple mnemonic. Routine evaluation programs monitor flight operations, propulsion units, autoland performance and integrity, fuel performance, and the autoflight system. Engineers can request a printout of the times at which defined points of the flight occured, and use these to define the time at which reported incidents happened. The relevant parameters for this, and adjacent times, are quickly available.