Readback: December 2019

In the August 2019 Readback, your reply to the writer who was referring to the More ILS vs. LPV article (February 2019) errs when you say that GPS is a single receiver system for various satellites and WAAS ground station(s). WAAS data is transmitted to users from geostationary communications satellites. Currently three geo comsats are broadcasting WAAS signals covering North America.Jim TorleyColorado Springs, CO

Key Takeaways:

• WAAS signals are transmitted from geostationary satellites, which receive position corrections from ground stations, and anecdotal aviation stories are presented for humor, not as endorsements of unsafe or regulatory-defying practices.
• Pilots must adhere to Minimum Descent Altitudes (MDA) as a hard deck for non-vertically guided approaches, even with GPS-calculated vertical paths, as using Decision Height (DH) in lieu of MDA is restricted to authorized operators.
• NAV CANADA's Phase 3 ADS-B requirements are currently undefined, creating uncertainty for pilots who must choose between equipping for full future compliance or waiting for potential exemptions or clearer, possibly cheaper, solutions.

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