Abstract: The invention is that of a flight data recorder with significant reduction in size, weight and power making it suitable for use with most unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). A flight data recorder of the present invention may be mounted to a UAS or stored in a payload bay or compartment therein. It is an object of the invention to enable programming aircraft flights and recording flight data when autopilot fails, dramatically improving data collection and the ability to determine flight limits and detect problems. An FDR according to the present invention comprises onboard hardware and software systems enabling the programmable collection, storage and processing of flight data along with a means of transferring data to other devices for use. It is an object of the invention to enable wireless data transmissions while maintaining the ability to disable wireless transceivers during flight to prevent interference with flight management signals.

Abstract: The invention comprises systems and methods useful in the management of vehicle fleets. Preferred embodiments include a software platform for predictive analytics in fleet management, enabling methods of determining the causes of problems in the field, based on aggregated and consolidated shared data from multiple sources, asset management and improved safety and regulatory compliance. Illustrative embodiments are applicable to the management of aerial vehicle fleets such as fleets of unmanned aerial systems. Users of the system may be de-identified and various encryption and security techniques implemented to keep the system secure and access limited to authenticated users. User hierarchies are implemented wherein users within various role-based categories have visibility to different data inputs and outputs.