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?
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.
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!?
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.
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 (!)
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.
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?
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.
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.
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…