Originally Posted by
silver_halide
My understanding is pilots don’t want longer recordings for privacy reasons. In part, hey are afraid it will be used for things other than crash investigations. Do you want someone recording (and keeping) every word you say at work?
Originally Posted by
eigenvector
Leaving aside whether it's reasonable to record someone performing a safety critical function, there are very simple technological solutions. Just encrypt the recording with keys owned by the OEM or regulator (FAA, Transport Canada, etc), so that it is impossible for the airline to access them surreptitiously outside of a bona fide incident investigation.
Exactly. It's not hard to solve that problem. Even if you do it through legislation rather than technical reasons.
"It is an offence to listen to the contents of a CVR of an aircraft registered in Canada except by or under direction of Transport Canada for the investigation of an accident or incident." (IANAL, but you get the idea)
Done.