GUARDA – flight parameter recorder
The registration of flight parameters is a generally accepted aviation standard recommended by the FAA, EASA, and ULC. It is an integral element enhancing safety for commercial aircraft. Everyone has heard at least once that in the event of an accident, black boxes are sought. The operation of these devices is based on recording flight parameters measured using sensors and then storing them on an appropriate medium. These devices are often large and heavy, so there have been no advanced solutions dedicated to skydiving that would allow for recording parameters such as the spatial orientation angles of the skydiver during the jump, accelerations acting on them during canopy deployment, or landing.
We are pleased to present the GUARDA recorder, which was developed based on our many years of experience in designing microcomputer devices and aviation expertise. This unique lightweight device allows for the recording of key flight parameters, serves as an emergency locator, and, when connected to the transmission module, enables real-time communication with the instructor station.
The number of recorded parameters and the use of high-quality sensors are not the only things that distinguish us. Specifically designed for training purposes, we have created software that allows you to quickly and easily analyze the recorded flight.
Why all this? With parameter registration, you will be able to objectively:
- assess progress in training
- document each flight (digital logbook that can be approved by ACC)
- draw conclusions from mistakes made
- share experience with others
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Why is it worth using the GUARDA recorder?
- Improved training efficiency
- Enhanced safety
- Size matters
- The possibility of visualizing data from formation jumps
- Unprecedented communication
- Intuitive software
- The exceptional locator
- The element of the PSSP-01 system
- Possibilities for development
The flight recording is an important element in the training methodology, which helps to avoid the paradox associated with fishing. After all, the fish caught always grows with the repetition of the story…. Similarly in aviation training, our memory can be unreliable and susceptible to the emotions accompanying it. One way to draw correct conclusions is through objective recording of flight parameters. What distinguishes our product is the list of recorded parameters, among which are:
- barometric altitude
- rate of descent
- geographical position
- angles of spatial orientation
- angular velocities
- accelerations acting on the recorder
Skydiving and paragliding are sports that involve a high degree of risk. The number of aviation incidents involving skydivers and paraglider pilots indicates that accidents are an inherent aspect of their practice. Each of these accidents has a cause or a series of causes, but only through thorough registration is it possible to understand the so-called contributing circumstances and analyze the full course of the flight. We tested our recorder for use as a black box. Its resistance to environmental conditions means that it is able to successfully record even the most dangerous incidents during skydiving and paragliding flights. Unfortunately, sometimes it may prove to be the only source of information about why an accident occurred… Bearing all this in mind, we have equipped our recorder with GSM locator functions… Simply send an SMS to the locator number to receive a return message with its geographic position (provided it is within GSM network coverage). This allows you to shorten the time to reach the injured person by the time needed for their search!
Typically, as the number of functions offered by a device increases, so do its dimensions. After all, the larger the device, the better…
Not in the case when the goal is the safe recording of parachute jumps or paragliding flights. A large-sized recorder reduces comfort during the flight and may pose additional risks in the event of an accident. Therefore, ideally, from a safety point of view, the recorder should record everything and be smaller than a grain of sand… but how do you read the data from it?
Taking into account the design limitations, instructors’ feedback, and functional requirements, we have created a device with dimensions:
– 120 [g]
and weight:
… and charging and data retrieval is done using a USB-C cable.
Formation jumps are among the most spectacular aspects of skydiving. When practicing in a group, the risk of accidents increases because you can collide with someone else in the air. Our software allows for the visualization and analysis of multiple jump recordings simultaneously. This allows you to estimate the distance between formation members at any given moment, and if someone makes a mistake or performs a task incorrectly, you’ll know how to improve it in the future. It’s the perfect solution for briefings before and debriefings after jumps.
Sometimes, evaluating a skydiver’s behavior after a jump comes too late. GSM network can be unreliable at higher altitudes, so it’s not always possible to use it for real-time flight monitoring. For this reason, we have developed the GUARDA-TE, recorder, which has been expanded with a transmission module. This allows you to transmit data from the recorder to the instructional station live, enabling on-the-ground analysis of the jump and assessment of factors such as separation distance between skydivers. The dimensions of the set have not significantly changed… To achieve long transmission ranges, however, we have used an external, flexible antenna with high gain.
Analysing data can be a struggle, especially when using equipment that is difficult to operate and not adapted to airport realities. Additionally, incorrectly interpreting data can lead to erroneous conclusions. All of this can lead to the opposite effect despite the goal of improving safety.
With our software, that’s a thing of the past. By collaborating with a large group of instructors and experienced engineers, we have developed software that will help you better understand the course of a recorded flight. In addition to the traditional visualization of trajectories on a map, just a few clicks will separate you from visualizing flight parameter graphs over time. Traditional piloting and navigation instruments will facilitate quantitative analysis for recorded parameters, and if that’s not enough for your application, you’ll always be able to easily export data to formats such as *.csv or *.igc.
The application of the GUARDA recorder is not limited to skydiving or paragliding. We have successfully used it to record parameters in other objects, including assessing loads acting on a dummy in research on new types of building safety systems. We also work closely with the young and ambitious SuperCluster team on a high-altitude balloon mission, and we plan to send our recorder to the edge of space soon along with other developed instruments. If you need it, it can assist you in recording data from your application.
Our recorder collaborates with the other components of the PSSP-01 system. You can recreate a skydive or paragliding flight recorded with it in virtual reality and if you use the instructor station and the recorder with the data transmission module, you will be able to monitor aviation operations in real-time!
Do you need additional features in the recorder? Are you interested in specific measurements? Do you want to conduct flight research? Contact us, and we will try to help you. We offer custom solutions:
- conducting flight research and assessing the properties of parachutes and paragliders,
- the ability to expand the measurement system and conduct measurements according to the client’s needs,
- providing consultations regarding flight research and overseeing the progress of tests.