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, initially developed in response to Sputnik, forms the backbone of modern Performance Based Navigation (PBN) in aviation, encompassing Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigational Performance (RNP).
GPS navigators rely on onboard integrity monitoring systems like RAIM (Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring) or WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) to continuously verify their accuracy and alert pilots to any performance degradation.
Pilots utilizing RNAV/RNP procedures must adhere to strict operational requirements, including proper flight plan filing, ensuring current navigation databases, pre-flight route verification, and using specified equipment like a flight director or autopilot for SIDs/STARs.
RNP procedures offer significant advantages, such as the elimination of secondary obstacle clearance areas and the use of curved radius-to-fix (RF) legs, enabling more efficient and safer flight paths in challenging environments.

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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.