Pilots and people who work in airports know just how difficult it can be to navigate through the air — it is something we cannot control after all. Even if you do not work at the airport or with an airline, you probably already have a gist of how hard it can be to drive or navigate a huge plane in the air, especially if you have been on several flights yourself.
This is exactly what makes GPS simulators very important for pilots, as navigating a plane in the air and the skies are undoubtedly a hundred times more difficult to navigate than on land.
How Exactly does it Work?
The GPS satellite orbits for about 12,000 miles in the air above us. These huge things are solar-powered, meaning that it gets its power from the sun. It completes its orbit in 12 hours, and it flies in medium Earth orbit. It is known to transmit radio signals to the receivers on the ground, which is known to be the ones who work at the airport, feeding the essential information to the pilots.
There are numerous ground stations that use signals to track these satellites, as well as monitor them. The master control station then feeds the precise and specific information data to the satellites.
After this, the receiver or the pilot in the aircraft receives time data from the atomic clock of the satellites. It then compares the time and carefully calculates the exact distance based on the accurate time provided by the MCS.
When and Where Should GPS be Used for Pilots?
As we have mentioned earlier, GPS is widely and popularly used in air and flight navigations. All airlines are required to install a GPS in every single aircraft, whether it is for general, commercial, or business aviation.
GPS systems can also be useful for determining position data to airspeed, as well as tracking airport locations. GPS definitely is a must-have for every aviation company because, without it, they would be blind when it comes to navigating their units.
These systems can also be used for IMC and other IFR flights. Most of the instrument pilots rely heavily on GPS, as it helps them maintain situational awareness when flying a plane.
Those who fly VFR use GPS systems to help them navigate and as a back up for dead reckoning techniques. The system is also important in emergency situations, as this can help them find emergency landing spaces if need be.
Some GPS systems can still have errors and pilots can sometimes experience these slight errors. Clock errors, orbital errors, and position errors are the most common problems and sometimes, the Earth’s atmosphere can cause such problems to arise. Buildings and terrains can sometimes be at fault, too.
This is why it is extremely important to choose the right GPS system to use for navigation. Buying high-quality GPS systems is a must to keep your pilots and customers safe, which is especially important if you are running a commercial or business type of airline company.
