Using RNAV/RNP

In 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first man-made satellite. The American psyche was troubled by the potential of this technological second place. This planted the seeds of one of Americas greatest military and technological innovations-GPS.

jmiller

Friday, September 15, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

GPS evolved from early satellite tracking into the essential backbone of modern aviation's Performance-Based Navigation (PBN), which includes Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigational Performance (RNP).
Critical to GPS navigation is integrity monitoring, achieved through systems like RAIM (Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring) for fault detection, and the more advanced WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) which provides enhanced accuracy and reliability.
Pilots must adhere to strict operational procedures for safe and compliant GPS navigation, including checking NOTAMs for potential outages, ensuring current navigation databases, correctly filing flight plans, and utilizing required equipment for specific RNAV procedures.

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In 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first man-made satellite. The American psyche was troubled by the potential of this technological second place. This planted the seeds of one of America’s greatest military and technological innovations—GPS.

As Sputnik whirled around the planet, two American physicists realized they could use the Doppler Effect to determine its position. This observation led to the first satellite navigation system, successfully tested in 1960.