FlyBy Aviation Academy Signs Agreement with FlyData.io to Fit 35 Aircraft with Flight Data Recorders

Implementation begins in September, making FlyBy the first flight academy in Spain, and among the first in Europe, to deploy fleet-wide live tracking and flight data recording, in FlyData.io’s largest contract to date.

FlyBy Aviation Academy, one of the largest and most international EASA-approved pilot training organisations in Europe, is pleased to announce the signing of a strategic agreement with FlyData.io, a specialist provider of smart flight data recorders (FDR) for general aviation. Under the agreement, due to be implemented in September 2026, 35 aircraft across FlyBy’s fleet will be fitted with FlyData.io’s FDR technology.

The FlyData.io FDR acts as a “black box” for general aviation aircraft, continuously recording high-frequency flight data, including position, altitude, speed, pitch, bank, G-force, vibration, sound and cabin CO levels, while enabling real-time live tracking of every aircraft in the fleet. In the event of an incident or an abnormal manoeuvre, the system can reconstruct the flight in three dimensions within minutes, giving instructors and safety teams a precise, data-based view of what happened.

Beyond the safety case, this technology transforms the quality of student debriefings: instructors will be able to review detailed flight-path, control-input and performance data alongside cadets after every flight, turning each session into a more precise and objective learning opportunity.

With this agreement, FlyBy becomes the first flight training organisation in Spain, and one of the first in Europe, to deploy this type of fleet-wide live tracking and flight data recording system at this scale. The agreement is also the largest contract signed by FlyData.io to date in terms of number of aircraft equipped, reflecting the scale and ambition of FlyBy’s operation.

This partnership reinforces FlyBy’s continued investment in operational safety and training quality, consolidating its position as a benchmark in aeronautical training at both European and international level.

Daniel Marques, CEO of FlyData.io, said, “This is the largest contract we have signed to date in terms of aircraft equipped, and it could not be with a more fitting partner. FlyBy’s scale, professionalism and safety culture make this exactly the kind of operation our technology was built for. We are proud to support FlyBy in becoming a reference for data-driven flight safety in Europe.”

Victor Baz, COO of FlyBy Aviation Academy, said, “Equipping 35 aircraft with FlyData.io’s flight data recorders gives our operations team a level of visibility we have never had before. From live tracking to detailed post-flight data, this technology allows us to manage our fleet more efficiently, respond faster when it matters, and continuously raise the bar on the quality of our training.”

Marcia Nunes, Safety Manager at FlyBy Aviation Academy, said, “From a safety management perspective, this is a major step forward. Having objective, high-frequency flight data across such a large part of our fleet strengthens every layer of our Safety Management System, from proactive risk identification to incident investigation, and it gives our instructors far richer material for effective, data-based debriefings.”

Key Figures

Aircraft to be equipped with FlyData.io FDR: 35.

Implementation: September 2026.

Positioning: first flight academy in Spain, and among the first in Europe, to deploy fleet-wide live tracking and flight data recording.

Scale: FlyData.io’s largest contract to date by number of aircraft equipped.

From the African Pilot GA Desk

The introduction of live aircraft tracking and flight-data recording is particularly relevant to South Africa’s flight-training environment, including the hour-building phase. Following the fatal ZS-KFB accident in June 2025, the Accident and Incident Investigations Division recommended that flight schools develop mentorship programmes for CPL hour-builders that would enable the monitoring of navigational planning.

Technology of this kind could support that oversight by giving an ATO greater visibility of where its aircraft are being flown while pilots are operating away from direct instructor supervision, including whether agreed routes and operating areas are being followed. In an emergency, recent position and track information could also help narrow the initial search area and support search-and-rescue efforts, while recorded flight data can assist with subsequent debriefing and safety review.