Aviation Navigation
There are many different methods for air navigation. The system that a pilot uses for navigation depends on the type of flight that will occur, which navigation system is installed in the aircraft, and the navigation systems that are available in that certain area.
The GPS (Global Positioning System) has become the most valuable method in the aviation industry because it is reliable, precise, and easy to use. GPS allows the pilot to pinpoint specific three or four-dimensional location data. It uses triangulation in order to determine the aircraft’s exact location, track speed, and measure distance. The time is takes for the transmission of the satellite’s position and exact time of transmission show how far the plane is from the satellite. To ensure the accuracy of timing, each GPS satellite carries four atomic clocks.
The GPS is comprised of three components: the space segment, the control segment, and the user segments. The space component consists of approximately 31 satellites. At any given moment, a minimum of twenty-four satellites are operational in an orbit, ensuring that at least four satellites are in view at the same time from a point on the Earth. With four satellites, the altitude of the aircraft can be determined. Satellite navigation is established on a network of satellites that transmit radio signals in earth orbit. The control component involves ground stations that interpret and relay satellite signals to receivers. An example of this includes WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System), as mentioned in class. Airports must have a WAAS receiver in accordance with a GPS receiver. The user component consists of the industries that make up the database.
The GPS satellites orbit approximately 12,000 miles above us and complete one orbit every 12 hours. Ground stations use the signals and provide the master control station with data. Then, the master control station provides precise position data to the satellites. The receiver in
The GPS (Global Positioning System) has become the most valuable method in the aviation industry because it is reliable, precise, and easy to use. GPS allows the pilot to pinpoint specific three or four-dimensional location data. It uses triangulation in order to determine the aircraft’s exact location, track speed, and measure distance. The time is takes for the transmission of the satellite’s position and exact time of transmission show how far the plane is from the satellite. To ensure the accuracy of timing, each GPS satellite carries four atomic clocks.
The GPS is comprised of three components: the space segment, the control segment, and the user segments. The space component consists of approximately 31 satellites. At any given moment, a minimum of twenty-four satellites are operational in an orbit, ensuring that at least four satellites are in view at the same time from a point on the Earth. With four satellites, the altitude of the aircraft can be determined. Satellite navigation is established on a network of satellites that transmit radio signals in earth orbit. The control component involves ground stations that interpret and relay satellite signals to receivers. An example of this includes WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System), as mentioned in class. Airports must have a WAAS receiver in accordance with a GPS receiver. The user component consists of the industries that make up the database.
The GPS satellites orbit approximately 12,000 miles above us and complete one orbit every 12 hours. Ground stations use the signals and provide the master control station with data. Then, the master control station provides precise position data to the satellites. The receiver in
References: Aviation. (n.d.). GPS.gov: Applications. Retrieved April 2, 2014, from http://www.gps.gov/applications/aviation/ Diana, C. (n.d.). Understanding the Global Positioning System (GPS). Understanding the Global Positioning System. Retrieved April 2, 2014, from http://www.montana.edu/gps/understd.html