GPS/WAAS Scorecard

Did you know that GPS performance worldwide is continuously evaluated in great detail, to make sure the system remains safe and reliable for use by everyone? In 1999, the FAA began publishing quarterly Performance Analysis Reports on the basic Standard Positioning Service (SPS) that is provided by GPS. Lets take a look at some performance information critical to pilots. The latest report covers April 1 to June 30, 2013, and well look at some of…

Editorial Staff

Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

GPS performance is continuously evaluated through quarterly reports, with the April-June 2013 period showing 100% Standard Positioning Service (SPS) availability in the U.S. and accuracy significantly better than minimum requirements.
The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) has maintained high integrity since 2000, never recording a Hazardously Misleading Information (HMI) event, and consistently met LPV approach error specifications.
GPS accuracy can be degraded by various factors including satellite geometry (PDOP), natural phenomena like solar activity, and man-made electromagnetic interference, all of which are actively monitored.
All scheduled and unscheduled GPS outages and tests are communicated to users through "Notice: Advisory to Navstar Users" (NANUs) and FAA NOTAMs, ensuring awareness of potential disruptions.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Did you know that GPS performance worldwide is continuously evaluated in great detail, to make sure the system remains safe and reliable for use by everyone? In 1999, the FAA began publishing quarterly Performance Analysis Reports on the basic Standard Positioning Service (SPS) that is provided by GPS. Let’s take a look at some performance information critical to pilots. The latest report covers April 1 to June 30, 2013, and we’ll look at some of that information.