Aircraft Missing - An Integrated Electronic Search System

Observing the difficulties experienced with the search for the Malaysian flight MH370, it was and is very evident, that when an aircraft's electronic and electrical systems are interfered with, by forces known or unknown, The current search procedures and systems are unsatisfactory.

I  published my blog MH370 Tragically Mort April 6 2014, where I have endeavoured to highlight the whole scenairo, of Aircraft; Civil and Defence Radar systems and the incredibly expensive search procedures used. I  now will take you on a journey into the possibility of turning the whole search protocol's upside down and I introduce the two words "Match Specific", which I hope we will keep in mind through out this story.

I keep harping back to Lockerbie and for the very good reason, that the events following take off of the Pam Am flight 103 and MH370, were to my mind very similar. Both were Boeing of the latest design for the period; both had conventional pilot hand controls;both were powered by Rolls Royce engines (four for 103 and two for MH370- different sizes of course, designed by the same company procedures.) and most importantly both flown  by dedicated highly trained pilots.

Before we get down to the serious stuff, I must repeat my statements made, previously - My blog's are stories based on facts as I remember them- Because the other day a fello I know, a good ,man and true,said 'I have read your blog and it seemed all over the place, like the way you speak, your mind racing ahead' and that racing mind took me back when a quite high ranking chap from a Police HQ, said Mason , when we get reports and comments, where the i before the e can change in a paragraph  and other idiosyncrasies  it confirms it was from you and that was in the seventies or was the sixties, long gone now of course. Read on.

The pilots are interesting, both dedicated men as were their co-pilots I expect. Both rather cavalier, The Pan- Am one by  general reputation, Sky Masters or something. Remember the story I told of the one on approaching Saigon in a 707. The pilot said due to problems around the area, we will make a steep approach and have you on the ground shortly. By golly he did, head down first, then head up and bang we were on the ground . He waved to us as we walked to the terminal, nineteen sixty something.

Not too long agoe Patricia and I on the way to Paris, we had a stopover in Panang. On the late flight  from Kuala Lumpur the aircraft was going far far too fast for my liking and vibrating, I called an attendant to ask the pilot to slow down, she came back and said all is well,we are making up time to Penang. Not good I thought.As luck would have it ,in those days, as we were getting into the Orchid Hotel car, I noticed the crew boarding a minibus. I approached and spoke to them, not the pilot though and said please note that I had read a report that this aircraft with I think GE engines,where the engines if run at over speed during flight,
there had been cases of turbine blade failure. Please read the bulletin's.

One last word before the main event. When the fly by wire and centre stick hand control was being programed and refined, I was asked what I thought -goodness know's why- My reply was clear 'Retrain pilots to the new system, but never ever let them switch between hand control's. That is ,once on centre stick, thats it'. As the new generation of pilots come along, it will be all centre stick and all will be well. Of course that was not implimented and accident's did happen and will continue, in my humble opinion.

I have my Talking stick to hand, by the computor, hopefully to ensure your attention and respect for my point of view.

"Aircraft Missing - An Integrated Electronic Search System."

"Match Specific" are the key word's I will use to explain the system and word picture of the equipment.
Essentially there are two main items.
1. Electronic signal reflector,which is inert in that it has no electrical circuits of any kind, ie not battery powered. It is within or attached to, the 'Black Box'. More radically, the reflector could be the main case housing the Aircraft Control and Voice Recorders,the so called 'Black Box', orange in colour. In turn the reflector, could be suspended within a frame, like a  tradesman's generator.
2. A very powerful Electronic Transmitter/ Receiver, which is "Match Specific" perfectly to the Signal reflector.

These two items will have been developed as an integrated sytem. One on land or in water, fresh or salt and the second in the air on an aircraft or on the sea aboard a ship, where there is all the power necessary for the adequate performance of the whole.  

"Electronic Signal Reflector".
The reflector to be spherical of Geodetic form. Material High carbon steel, with Parabolic reflectors filling the lattice. I at first thought just Concave reflectors, but a friend- another Birmingham Graduate School of Thermodynamic's  man, a year behind me, suggested Parabolic - Good idea David.
Depleted Uranium comes in here somewhere.
Thus, if the final design is a sphere of geodetic design and housing the 'Black box' we would have a Reflector active at any angle or position. With a powerful enough Electronic Transmitter/Reciever and when in range
would make the Signal Reflector "Sparkle" electronically------ Got Him.

"Electronic Transmitter/Receiver"
Whether on an Aircraft or Ship.we will have all the power deemed necessary to make the equipment effective and definitive in the search for a missing Aircraft, such as  MH370 and others before it.
The specification is quite simple. The creation of this "Integrated Electronic Search System", could be a little more lateral thinking in it's design; development and manufacture.
(a) Electronically tuned to the "Electronic Signal Reflector"
(b) Pulse  powerful to 6 klm's above possible location of the reflector ie above seabed or ground.
(c) 300 degree circle at say 13 degree's angle and pulsing from the centre to the periphery.
(d) I would have thought very low frequency and out of the ranges of  Radio band,s; Radar; And Micro wave HF's. Of course out of the low frequency of Whales in water and Elephants on land. (Not silly really)
(e) The effect of this system of matched units, is that when the 'Electronic Transmitter" comes within the  circle, the pulsing electronic burst's will via the Parabolic reflectors, make the  system Electronically "Sparkle".
This equipment best tuned to work on a Fast Patrol Boat and/or a slow as possible turbo- prop surveillance aircraft.

I hope that some clever people out there, will seize on my specification for a "Aircraft Missing - An Integrated Search System".

A verse by  Patience Strong, many years agoe and which I have abided by, for nearly as long.
'Any thing, that I can do for any one.  Let me do it now,for I may not pass this way again.'

All the best until next time.

Malcolm E Mason.
Per Ardua Ad Alta