VORs for Armageddon

Its the summer of 2020, and youre tooling along in your G10,000-equipped bugsmasher, dutifully tracking that magenta line direct to your destination because NextGen allows free flight RNAV-direct navigation. Weve come so far from the days of A/N ranges and dead reckoning.

Editorial Staff

Friday, August 01, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is implementing a two-tiered plan to address aviation's increasing reliance on GPS for navigation and position in the event of GPS failure.
The interim solution is the Minimum Operating Network (MON), a reduced system of 497 strategically placed VORs to provide basic ground-based navigation, primarily above 5000 feet AGL.
A long-term solution, Alternate PNT (APNT), is under development for deployment around 2025, aiming to provide seamless backup navigation and ADS-B during GPS outages.
Despite GPS's inherent robustness, the plan acknowledges vulnerabilities like strong solar flares and emphasizes the need for pilots to maintain traditional VOR navigation skills.

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With everything going to GPS for navigation and position on ATC scopes, what happens if GPS fails? Fear not, the FAA has a plan. Don’t you feel better now?

It’s the summer of 2020, and you’re tooling along in your G10,000-equipped bugsmasher, dutifully tracking that magenta line direct to your destination because NextGen allows “free flight” RNAV-direct navigation. We’ve come so far from the days of A/N ranges and dead reckoning.