For IGC-approval, the recorder design includes adding a security code to the downloaded file of flight data. This code and the file data itself can be checked ("validated") at any time later using a validation program originating from the recorder manufacturer that is posted on the IGC GNSS web site for general use. This validation program checks three things. (1) That the file has properly originated from an approved type of recorder, (2) That the recorder has not been altered from its IGC-approved state, (3) That the data in the downloaded file that is being validated is identical to when it was originally downloaded form the recorder. This allows the data to be used for the validation of flight performances up to and including world records.