Satellite Navigation made Better
It’s doubtful there’s anyone whose life isn’t touched by GPS. Today’s world expects a universal source of position, navigation and timing (PNT) that is dependable and accurate. Every industry relies on it, and without it, many things we take for granted would not be possible.
Almost every aircraft in Australia uses satellite navigation in some form, from hand-held devices to multi-sensor flight management systems. All Australian IFR aircraft now have a TSO C145/146 GNSS, first available in 2003, or an older TSO C129a system.
TSO C145 and C146 were developed to support the Wide-Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the world’s first SBAS, which covers North America. These standards also contain other improvements, including Fault Detection and Exclusion (FDE), and the integrity parameters needed for ADS-B. Many Australian IFR aircraft have been upgraded to TSO C146 avionics to simplify IFR alternate approach requirements and facilitate ADS-B.
It’s expected that TSO C146 equipped aircraft will be able to use the emerging Australian SBAS with little more than a software upgrade, although actual compatibility will depend on individual equipment manufacturers.
Why augment?
In Australia, GNSS uses the GPS satellite constellation of the USA. GPS satellites orbit the earth roughly once every 12 hours, arranged so that a
