Airline Pilot Central Forums

Quote:

Originally Posted by fr8rcaptain (Post 624399)

Soon, almost every aircraft flying over water will require GPS. As the airspace RNP (required navigational performance) goes below 10nm, gps will be required to take advantage of the compressed clearance requirements, etc.

Our MD11s and 747-400s (and soon our 767s?) combine the gps information with CPDLC (controller pilot data link communication) and ADS (automatic dependent surviellance) on many over water (and some over land) routes. The controller can see me on his virtual radar screen (using my ADS info) and we talk to each other via digital sat comm messaging. No more HF, except for the mandatory SELCAL check! All position reports are sent automatically, and the controller sets the update rate for ADS, and it automatically changes to a rapid update mode if I vary my route or altitude by a predetermined amount (or hit the ADS emergency button).

The FANS system works really well in the long range enroute system.

Canadian controllers use the ADS portion while we're flying over remote central to northwest canada enroute to/from Anchorage. We don't have to make position reports any more, and the Canadians don't have to spend huge amounts of $$(Canadian) on remote radar sites.

I would not be suprised if the last VOR was decommisioned during my flying career (and I'm 50). NDBs are basically gone, and the 2+ million dollars spent on each VOR stations 15 year expected lifetime adds up.

I have no idea if the doomed Air France flight was broadcasting an ADS position to any controller.

This is a great system and probably should have been implemented 5 years ago, however I have several concerns about moving toward a GPS only solution. First off you have the risk of a foreign country shooting down the satellites in a war. The second thing being the sun. I just read an article which mentioned that we are entering a 20 year cycle of increased solar activity which could cause havoc with our satellites. I would hope the second item has been accounted for but these days I don't know anymore.