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Originally Posted by Manic!
Well they do have equipment to measue altatude speed engine RPM and other things. One of the reasons they claim the plane does not sent GPS info via satilite is the cost. But if they are already sending out engine info why can't they sent out 12 numbers along with it.
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I would expect it is not about the cost of the data, but rather the cost of implementing the GPS device. Keep in mind that development costs for aviation are HUNDREDS of times what it would normally cost due to the incredible testing and approval process required for FAA certification. You already have a device and a backup that transmits GPS data from the plane, there is no reason to duplicate this in the engine. The engine transmits information that isn't duplicated elsewhere - operating information - for the purposes of optimizing operations.
Mark