Questions tagged [navigation]
Navigation is the process of planning and controlling travel from one location to another. There are many methods of navigation using different techniques and instruments.
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Could "Lady Be Good" Incident Prevented by the Technology of its Time?
For those who don't know, Wiki page of the incident sums up. I don't have much knowledge about communication systems of WWII, but I know how radio communication work. This page has
The aircraft flew ...
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How can I solve this question using the 1 in 60 rule?
What is the explanation for the question below in detail?
A pilot is heading east and decides to fly to an alternate airfield which is 4NM south and currently 30NM from his present position. What is ...
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Why don't planes (mostly airliners) primarily use GPS for navigation?
For the four airliners that I use in Microsoft Flight Simulator (A320neo, A319, A310-300, and 747-8I), I always have to align IRS and set up RAD NAV on the MCDU. Why can't we just use GPS?
On the 747, ...
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How many areas have RVSM being implemented worldwide?
The data provided by Eurocontrol and latest i could find is of 2003 from internet (source: https://www.slideserve.com/benjamin/cns-1207305 ).
I wanted to know in how many areas still left where RVSM ...
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How is TSO C145 equipment different from TSO C146 equipment?
From the AIM1-1-18 c1)
C145 - "Airborne Navigation Sensors Using the GPS Augmented by the Wide Area Augmentation System"
C146 - "Stand-Alone Airborne Navigation Equipment Using the ...
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Should turns always be standard-rate?
I know that the turn coordinator has markings that allow you to turn at a particular rate, so you can use the TC and a clock or stopwatch to turn a particular number of degrees. Are you always ...
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What does it mean for a GPS PRN to be unserviceable?
There is a current NOTAM:
!GPS 02/035 GPS Navigation PRN 28 unserviceable Feb 21, 2023 2020Z to May 31, 2023 2359Z
What exactly does it mean for a GPS PRN to be unserviceable, and what significance ...
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Why do we measure translational accelerations but angular velocities in an IMU aircraft?
I am wondering why we measure for attitude of an aircraft its angular rate (instead of angular acceleration) and for the translational channel the acceleration instead.
The computers can integrate ...
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When is it required to enter an airway? (IFR)
Assuming I'm not using a computer program to generate a flight plan for me, for cross-country IFR flight planning in the United States, how quickly after finishing departure procedures is one supposed ...
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Why do they say PBN is under RNAV?
PBN exists under the umbrella of area navigation (RNAV).
[FAA AIM, Section 2. Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) and Area Navigation (RNAV)]
As far as I know, RNAV and RNP exist under PBN, and as an ...
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Can a commercial aircraft fly at night with complete navigation and communication equipment failure?
Disclaimer: I know there are numerous redundancies and the complete failure of navigation and communication system may not be possible. Hence, let's approach this question as a pure thought experiment....
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What is the difference between position and navigation lights on light training aircraft?
What is the difference between position and navigation lights on light training aircraft (or general)? When I search for both, I find the same lights: red on the left, green on the right, and white on ...
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FMC and MCDU not talking
I have a test bed in which the FMC and MCDU are hooked up to one another.
FMC menu was populated on MCDU and was able to be navigated.
After making some changes to the FMC GPS #2 lines, the FMC ...
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Why isnt the structure of the aircraft affected by high true air speeds or high ground speeds?
Let's suppose that in Cruise flight I exceed the VNE in TAS or in ground speed, why isn't the structure of the aircraft affected by the high speeds?
I am sorry for my english, I am not a native ...
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Communicating one's ground position by sighting an overhead aircraft (M*A*S*H)
In an episode of the 1980's television show M*A*S*H, several of the characters are stranded in the wilderness when their vehicle breaks down.
In an attempt to communicate their position to any allies ...
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How can stand numbers 1, 2 and 3 have the coordinates of 07.9 minutes North ins, but stand number 9 have the coordinates of 07.8 minutes North?
How can stand numbers 1, 2 and 3 have the coordinates of 07.9 minutes North ins, but stand number 9 have the coordinates of 07.8 minutes North? As can be seen from the blue line I drew visually, ...
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Getting Minimum Grid Area Altitude from navigational chart
One of the questions for the EASA PPL(A) exam sounds like this:
What is the highest Minimum Grid Area Altitude between BERTA (point 1) and LJLJ (Ljubljana) along route A (yellow)?
And the following ...
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Easy way to calculate distance between two GPS coordinates
I'm studying for my EASA PPL(A) exam, and for some questions for the Navigation exam, I'm requested to calculate the distance between two points, like so:
What is the distance from VOR Brünkendorf (...
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Understanding UNOS and exceptions from it
I'm studying for my EASA PPL(A) exam, and one thing that I came across are the following questions:
Q: An aircraft in the northern hemisphere intends to turn on the shortest way from a heading of 270°...
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GNS 430 Instrument Panel Self Test Page OBS readout does not agree with OBS Hdg selected on CDI
Our Newly installed Overhauled GNS 430 OBS readout on the Instrument Panel Self Test Page does not agree with the Heading selected on our CDI. Prior to the 430 overhaul they agreed perfectly. ...
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Calculating True Course, Magnetic Heading and Compass Heading when Wind, True Heading, Magnetic Course and Deviation is known
I came across another exercise while studying for my PPL(A) exam where I would need some help with some calculations.
The question sounds like this:
Given: WCA: -012°; TH: 125°; MC: 139°; DEV: 002°E ...
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How is rotational dynamics related to navigation?
I've been learning how to do dead-reckoning using just an ordinary IMU chip (a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope). In a number of textbooks I've read on aircraft navigation, the motion of a ...
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Calculation of density altitude
When using an e6b flight computer which temperature will I use with the pressure altitude to get the density altitude
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How to determine QNH zones like New Zealand did?
I saw a file stating that New Zealand has 11 zones and was wondering how it was determined and divided, does anyone have any idea?
the paper offers a short description that doesn't cover much ...
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How many channels does the VOR have?
VORs are assigned radio channels between 108.0 MHz and 117.95 MHz. How many channels are in-between? I guess that each decimal value represents 1 channel? for instance (108.1)(108.2)(108.3)(108.4)........
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How do VOR beacons detect?
I assume that any military aircraft can find the position to any VOR ground station. Is the VOR invisible to the military aircraft?
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What is that green dashed circle on ND?
I think this is a navigation display from a boeing aircraft
I searched around the internet for the meaning of the "green dashed circles" but got nothing.
Thanks in advance for your answers!
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What coordinates do helicopters (preferably) use?
There are different ways of representing coordinates.
When I went to school, in geography class, we learned longitude and latitude as degrees, minutes, and seconds (like 52° 30' 59" N, 13° 22' ...
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How can a plane or an object gimbal lock itself?
I've been trying to work out some rudimentary dead-reckonings with an IMU chip, and most of the kinetics/kinematics and algorithms are borrowed from aviation related textbooks. I understand what the ...
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Is QDM displayed wrong for the VOR in the aircraft?
Clearly, the VOR signals follow a great circle track. Since, they follow great circle tracks, the track to the station, measured at the aircraft (either, true or magnetic), would be different due to ...
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How were compasses in early interwar planes safeguarded against interference from flight?
I understand during the early days of flight that compasses were regarded as extremely unreliable and unfit for even basic navigation, but I'm unsure as to what caused this unreliability and what the ...
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Can a modern commercial passenger flight recover from failed sensor(s)? [closed]
ABC News reports a failure in a pitot tube sensor may be the cause of an AirFrance Rio to Paris flight tragedy. Excerpts from the news include:
An Associated Press investigation at the time found ...
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Could Apple Airtags interfere with aircraft communication and navigation systems?
German media reports that Lufthansa has banned Airtags in checked bags:
This is specifically because of the transmission function.
Lufthansa claims that the transmission function needs to be turned ...
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Confused about flight distance and flight time [closed]
I'm having a hard time understanding how the flight times of these flight are so different.
I looked up PDX (Portland, Or) to DEN (Denver, Co) is roughly 923 miles, with a flight time of 2h30m to DEN ...
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How do pilots refer to an aeronautical/aviation chart in casual terms?
How do you refer casually to an aeronautical chart? For example, in casual conversation between pilots and/or other related personnel, do you say the entire phrase? Or is it just something like "...
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What is magnetic variation under RADIO AIDS TO NAVIGATION in FAA Chart Supplement, and How to use it?
I'm going to use couple examples to ask my question:
Looking at KBVY chart supplement, it says:
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Is there a general rule for picking a set heading point?
I'm currently working on a couple of Nav-logs. I have a leg where I have to climb from sea level to 9500'. This takes up about 26NM of horizontal distance. Is it bad practice or even wrong to pick a ...
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Along Track Distance ATD
ATD (Along-Track Distance) is used by ATC for certain types of (rare) NON-Radar Separation. I am training as an Air Traffic Controller in the USA. I have been told the only way to know if an aircraft ...
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Can TCAS and GPWS work at the same time?
A manoeuvre to avoid a collision with terrain, might put you onto a collision course with traffic above you.
Can TCAS and (E)GPWS work at the same time? Are they coordinating?
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What are dry and saturated lapse rates values or ranges for a rising or lowering parcel of air in degrees Celsius?
Environmental lapse rate average is rounded to 2 degrees celsius per 1000 ft.(Note that environmental lapse rate varies through the day).What about parcel of air lapse rate.? Dry lapse rate is a ...
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Why is the true proportional guidance law considered closed form? What does 'closed form' mean over here and how does it apply to other guidance laws?
Can someone please explain why they refer to the solution as closed-form? From my understanding, the term closed form would imply that the command constant 'c' can only take values from a finite set? ...
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How to fix JeppView VFR charts font display [closed]
Some of the VFR charts printed by JeppView for Windows incorrectly display various letters on the map. This is especially visible in the NDB/DME designations ("INN", "PAT", "...
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When was the need for a truer Earth shape for aeronautical navigation realized?
Motivated by Federico's answer to Can a great circle be drawn between any two points on Earth?
Earth is not a perfect sphere, and it can be argued that the degree of oblateness is negligible. So is ...
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Can a great circle be drawn between any two points on Earth?
If the two points are on the same parallel of latitude, then I can't imagine a great circle through them. Is it right?
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How do missiles navigate and determine their orientation without GPS?
When a missile is engaged in a GPS free tracking loop how is its internal orientation estimated with respect to ground?
I'm assuming this orientation is needed because the force of gravity will be ...
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Do GPS systems in modern avionics mitigate against spoofing attacks?
There exist a number of different techniques [PDF] to mitigate (or at least detect) GPS spoofing, but the most effective techniques require access to the military-only M-code [PDF]. However, there was ...
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How do I calculate the point of no return for a flight with multiple legs?
In every textbook where Points of No Return (PNR) are discussed (or at least, those I've read), the method of calculating them is always between point A to point B as a direct route. This is simple ...
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Do airlines use GPS for critical purposes? If so, why?
It is being reported that airlines in Finland have noticed interference with their GPS signals near Russia. This is causing them to be unable to land at at least one airport:
Lithuanian airline ...
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Why is the listed sectional for KEIK Cheyenne instead of Denver?
I'm confused why a municipal airport (KEIK in Erie, CO) lists Cheyenne as its appropriate sectional, instead of Denver?
It's just over 20nm WNW of KDEN under its outer class bravo shelf and is well ...
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Do large cities contain enough iron to significantly affect an aircraft's magnetic compass?
In most areas of the world, the magnetic compass is the ultimate heading reference. Although pilots look to the directional gyro most of the time when flying (because the directional gyro's reading ...
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