What term describes a two-way text communication link between an airliner in flight and the airline's main ground facilities?

What term describes a two-way text communication link between an airliner in flight and the airline's main ground facilities?

• A. VHF Data Link (VDL 2)
• B. Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR)
• C. Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS)
• D. Satellite Communications (SATCOM)

Answer: (C)

Two-way text communication between an in-flight airliner and the airline’s ground facilities is provided by ACARS. This digital datalink system lets crew and ground operations exchange short text messages for routine, day-to-day flight management—things like flight plans, weather updates, maintenance notices, and operational data. ACARS can use different transport methods depending on coverage: VHF data link (VDL 2) when near land-based ground stations, HF when over oceans, or SATCOM for global reach. The other options aren’t this system: a flight data recorder collects and stores flight data after landing, while SATCOM is a method that can carry various kinds of communications, but the established term for the two-way text link described is ACARS.

Two-way text communication between an in-flight airliner and the airline’s ground facilities is provided by ACARS. This digital datalink system lets crew and ground operations exchange short text messages for routine, day-to-day flight management—things like flight plans, weather updates, maintenance notices, and operational data. ACARS can use different transport methods depending on coverage: VHF data link (VDL 2) when near land-based ground stations, HF when over oceans, or SATCOM for global reach. The other options aren’t this system: a flight data recorder collects and stores flight data after landing, while SATCOM is a method that can carry various kinds of communications, but the established term for the two-way text link described is ACARS.