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Earth shattering news: UK CAA says GPS is a Good Thing

Dave_Phillips wrote:

Norman Buddin, my CFI (an ex-RAF Vampire

You’d have hoped they’d have picked that up in the medical.

Did he only fly at night?

EGLM & EGTN

Peter wrote:

UK CAA says GPS is a Good Thing

Actually they don’t quite say that, they say this: https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAA6395_Skyway_Code_AW_160817_PRINT.pdf

Aveling wrote:

The actual receivers in modern day iPad must be far far better than those in KLN-94 and 430, because they can acquire and maintain a signal while inside the aircraft, on the floor or whatever while the certified versions need a dedicated external antenna.

This has amazed me too. Even when flying airlines, I pull up my AvPlan app to check progress. These days iPhones in Flight Mode have GPS receiver still on. Putting it on the tray table of a window seat is enough to get the gps working. Much better than those dull seat entertainment system maps!

Same in the car. It’s often stowed away in the centre console. GPS still works even though it only sees a teeny tiny bit of the sky. What is the signal strength of a gps signal. It must be minuscule!?

Last Edited by Archie at 02 Oct 11:10

That Skyway Code doc came up before here and I have updated the local copy. It is a good piece of work.

Of course anybody with a brain will embrace GPS as a navigation tool, but we seem to be a long way from it being used in the PPL as the primary nav tool, which is what the original link claimed.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Pavel wrote:

The time base of the SPGs is synchronized by using GPS receivers.
Recently some of their units started behaving erraticaly, sometimes, somewhere.
They realized that Japan has launched satellites called Quasi-Zenith Satellite System. Signal of these satellites interferes with the GPS signal and can cause the GPS receiver to unlock.

Japan’s QZSS is their local SBAS for Navstar GPS, so frankly I’m surprised it makes GPS reception worse (!)

ELLX

Peter wrote:

we seem to be a long way from it being used in the PPL as the primary nav tool, which is what the original link claimed.

The CAA here (CASA) is tiptoeing into this area being gun shy at the same time i.e. they are keen for flight schools to include EFB into their curriculum, but at the same time you can’t use it on your flight test!!!

Archie wrote:

but at the same time you can’t use it on your flight test!!!

Do you mean SkyDemon to navigate or JeppFD to get your plates?

EGKB Biggin Hill

The UK CAA has come a long way in a short time in terms of embracing new technology unlike some other EASA states who seem to wedded to certification rules and unable to think in a pragmatic way. However it’s not just the authorities that are to blame, a lot of people in maintenance business are very inflexible resulting in new technology not being fitted. The new traffic systems are a classic item of misunderstanding with people not integrating them with aircraft systems because of perceived or misunderstood certification issues.

As for iPad gps performance, mine seems to work just as well as the systems fitted to Mr Boeing’s finest, instatll Jepp flight deck and put the flight plan in and you get all sorts of useful data and airspace warnings.

Well, we did have several incidents of Russian jamming in Northern Norway the last year. It could last for weeks, and made every single GPS useless, not just aviation GPS’es, although they were effected most due to the jamming signals (or whatever it is) reaching them better. If SAS and Widerøe had been 100% reliant of GPS, they couldn’t fly there.

It’s still some time before maps, compass and VOR/ILS/DME is completely redundant.

MGL recently announced their (non-certified) NAV receiver.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

Only lost GPS signal once, late 90’s IFR to Zagreb when there were still some NATO restrictions. Am guessing NATO were degrading signal/jamming. Zagreb radar asked for a maximum speed ILS as there were two MIG-21s behind.

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

If someone is able to jam GPS on large scale, I don’t see what will prevent them from doing the same with a VOR/ILS/DME?

Then you are left with compass/watch or sun/stars (for the brave) as “safe alternatives” but honestly how much they are useful?

Even if all cockpit navs fails, you still have VDF/radar fixes which you can use before reverting to “stars catalogues” and “real pilot nav skills”, while GPS/LPV and VOR/ILS may seem redundant, personally, I think you can do with just one of them but you need ATC backup…

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom
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