Gps Tracking Keeping Airlines On Track

GPS, or Global Positioning Systems, is a sophisticated tracking system based on the position of the GPS satellites

. The satellites are owned and maintained by the U.S. government. Currently there are 60 satellites available and can be accessed by anyone with a GPS receiver. GPS provides location and time information anywhere on or near Earth where an unobstructed line of sight to at least 4 satellites is visible. GPS has become the backbone for modernizing the global air traffic system.

The GPS receiver continually transmits messages that include the time the message is sent and the satellite position at the time of the transmission. The distance from at least 4 satellites is calculated and position displayed are the longitude and latitude and the elevation, if desired. The GPS receivers also generate a flowing map showing the location of the satellites and the subject object.

GPS has become an extraordinary application for the airline industry. Airlines have instituted fleet tracking with GPS, and that enables the ground crew to know exactly where each plane is every second of the day or night. The flight information can be programmed into the planes computer system before each flight, allowing the plane to know the correct altitude and position at all times. The landing points are programmed into the plane flight information, allowing the plane to land efficiently and on target with control by the pilot.

The control tower has constant locations of all planes in the air and on the ground at all times. Planes can fly closer together as the control tower no longer has to wait for the radar, which degrades over distance and cannot penetrate mountains and are not available over oceans. Planes can fly more direct routes and well organized flight routes as GPS can be used almost anywhere, unlike before when there were regions where radar was not always visible.

GPS used in aviation is less costly to purchase and maintain. GPS also reduces technical error and increases dispatch reliability. Airlines will realize savings by reducing flight errors and more direct routing of flights. New and improved methods of air traffic and management are being developed to work with GPS, adding a great deal of efficiency to fleet tracking.

While GPS will direct the flights, piloted landings will still be necessary. Auto landings can be programmed into the flight system, but it provides special training and a human pilot can anticipate and detect wind changes and make the necessary corrections before the plane sinks below the glide path while a computer can only react to such a change.

Through GPS, weather data can be transmitted to the pilot immediately rather than transmitting weather data that can be as old as 12 to 18 hours. This allows the flight crew to fine tune the flight plan or the ground crew can make the necessary amends to the flight plan and transmit it to the flight crew to overcome weather related challenges while in the air.

GPS will not replace ground based navigation such as radar based navigation. Those types of systems will become a backup system in the event of a satellite outage or other malfunction.

GPS allows airlines to save on fuel and flight time with better organized routes, reducing the airlines carbon footprint. That means more on time flights, reduced workload for pilots and crews and those involved with the navigation of flights. With fleet tracking, airlines also save on operating costs for airspace and the service provider.

by: Jordan McPelt

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