From the front lines, I’ve watched integrated avionics—retrofit and forward-fit—energize the avionics market for the past 15-plus years. The amount of technology packed into this equipment continues at the pace of the personal computer in its heyday. The vast amount of information now available should allow us to aviate, navigate and communicate with a higher degree of safety.
However, the statistics show that technology has played only a small part in improving safety, and in some cases, contributes to accidents. Moreover, our capability to process technology depends on the understanding of the systems, repetitive use and human factors. That’s not easy.