I found the reverse engineering part interesting too. Like I said, it's incredibly well done. But it's also legally problematic and anyone reading this should understand the risks they are taking. Fighting an FAA enforcement action will be far more expensive (think 5 figures) than just paying the money to do it the legally correct way. If someone does it wrong it might cost them their life (see paulmd's comments above).
Pilots operate in an complex regulatory environment and things that may seem okay from the outside are not okay to the government. It's so complex that otherwise well meaning and law abiding pilots each year run afoul of the various regulations, and there are few legal protections afforded to pilots facing an enforcement action. A good example of this is the relevant FARs about reimbursement for business expenses when flying yourself. They're not the same as driving and being caught breaking them could cost you your certificate.
Whole books are written about aviation law and attorneys specialize in it. And all pilots are expected to be familiar with them. But the devil is in the details, and that's where they'll get you,
He says he didn't put it in his plane, so he's fine. And it was a super interesting technical read. But others reading this need to understand the ramifications of doing this or something like it to an actual airplane is just asking for problems.
Sure, and that's what a disclaimer, like the one you even acknowledged, does. Make it obvious that this is something that he did for fun and that you shouldn't do the same unless you know the risks.
So, going back to izacus's comment, is the preaching really necessary? He gets it, and people who read this and are in a position to act upon the information (ie. have a plane, with this GPS, and want updates) also are likely to understand the ramifications, so, really, what does the preaching add, other than negativity, as was mentioned?
I found the reverse engineering part interesting too. Like I said, it's incredibly well done. But it's also legally problematic and anyone reading this should understand the risks they are taking. Fighting an FAA enforcement action will be far more expensive (think 5 figures) than just paying the money to do it the legally correct way. If someone does it wrong it might cost them their life (see paulmd's comments above).
Pilots operate in an complex regulatory environment and things that may seem okay from the outside are not okay to the government. It's so complex that otherwise well meaning and law abiding pilots each year run afoul of the various regulations, and there are few legal protections afforded to pilots facing an enforcement action. A good example of this is the relevant FARs about reimbursement for business expenses when flying yourself. They're not the same as driving and being caught breaking them could cost you your certificate.
Whole books are written about aviation law and attorneys specialize in it. And all pilots are expected to be familiar with them. But the devil is in the details, and that's where they'll get you,
He says he didn't put it in his plane, so he's fine. And it was a super interesting technical read. But others reading this need to understand the ramifications of doing this or something like it to an actual airplane is just asking for problems.