GPS 10 Years Later

Richard L. Collins

Saturday, February 01, 2003 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

GPS offers significant advantages in aviation, including superior stability, precise navigation, enhanced situational awareness through flight planning and graphical maps, and integration with weather and terrain systems, making it the author's primary navigation tool.
The FAA's initial promises for GPS (e.g., widespread vertical guidance, VOR/NDB phase-out) have largely not been met, and concerns persist regarding pilot underutilization or dangerous misuse of unapproved handheld GPS units for approaches.
The reliability of the GPS system is increasingly questioned due to satellite constellation degradation, launch delays, and potential jamming threats, emphasizing the ongoing necessity of ground-based navigation systems (ILS, VORs, radar) as crucial backups.

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It is a cliché, but time does fly when you are having fun. Interesting is fun, and almost nine really interesting years have passed since I got one of the first (if not the first other than a manufacturer) approvals for GPS approaches. The FAA approval is dated 7/25/94. That first unit, a Garmin GPS 155, offered some installation and operational challenges, but after I mastered them it became my primary bit of navigational gear, both for en route and for approaches.

Since getting that unit approved I’ve changed, evaluated and upgraded units and now have a Garmin GNS 530 and a Bendix/King KLN 94. Several other navigators have been in the panel along the way, but there has always been an approach-approved GPS in my airplane.