According to one embodiment, an airborne communication network includes a node configured on an aircraft having one or more communication devices that communicate using a native communication protocol. The node includes an information conversion system that receives information formatted according to the native communication protocol from the communication devices, encapsulates the information in packets according to a common communication protocol, and stores the packets in a mass storage device. The packets may then be published for receipt by other nodes configured on other aircraft. The information conversion system may also subscribe to packets stored in the nodes of other aircraft.