Aircraft Navigation Basics

1
Aircraft Navigation Basics

• 1/C MQS

2
Two Schools of Air Nav

• Visual Flight Rules (VFR)
• Navigation accomplished primarily by visual
  reference to the ground (charts, DR)
• Requires at least 1000 ft. cloud ceiling and 3
  miles of visibility (must be able to see where
  youre going!)
• Basic pilot training/certification
• Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)
• Navigation accomplished primarily by reference to
  onboard instruments, electronic navigation aids,
  and Air Traffic Control
• No weather minimums
• More advanced pilot training/certification
  required

3
Methods of AirNav

• Visual (Pilotage)
• Dead Reckoning
• Course Rules (preplanned routes based on major
  landmarks)
• Charts
• Global Navigation Satellite System
• GPS
• GLONASS
• Radio Beacons
• Automatic Direction Finder (ADF)/Non-Directional
  Beacon (NDB)
• Very-High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR)
• Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN)
• RADAR Surveillance
• Air Traffic Control
• Airborne/Shipboard RADAR

4
Visual Flight Rules

• VFR Charts Display
• Major landmarks/obstacles
• Airports and relevant information
• Population centers
• Major roads
• Airspace dimensions

5
Global Positioning System (GPS)

• Primary navigation method for modern aircraft
• Minimal error
• Can be used for precision landings
• Worldwide coverage

6
Non-Directional Beacon (NDB)

• Fixed ground station provides basic bearing to
  information
• Greater range but less precision than other
  methods
• Aircraft can use signal to home on the station

7
Radio NavigationVHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR)

• Ground station emits directional radio signals
  360 around station
• Offers more precise course guidance
• Line-of-Sight (LOS) dependent
• Provides aircraft with a line of position to/from
  the station (radial)
• Multiple station fixes can be used to triangulate
  position

8
TACAN (TACtical Air Navigation)

• Available to military users only
• Ground or ship-based
• Provides bearing AND range information
• Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) onboard
  aircraft sends and receives signals to ground
  station to determine range (similar to active
  SONAR).
• Distance provided is slant range distance,
  which is not the same as distance over the
  ground!

9
RADAR Surveillance

• Navigation function performed by RADAR stations
• Ground facilities
• Airport towers
• Approach/Departure Control
• Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCC)
• Ships
• CIC
• ASW/ASUC Tactical Air Controller (ASTAC)
• Aircraft
• E-2 Hawkeye
• E-3 AWACS
• Primary function is aircraft separation and
  airspace management
• Requires two-way communication

10
Signals Degradation

• Navigational data is typically provided
  simultaneously, providing redundancy and enhanced
  reliability.
• Any of the navigational aids utilized by aircraft
  are vulnerable to attack/jamming/compromise.
• In a degraded signals environment, aircraft
  navigation and operational performance will
  suffer as data inputs are reduced or eliminated
  altogether.
• Many modern weapon systems such as the GPS
  guided JDAM are similarly vulnerable to a
  degraded environment.

11
Review

• Two categories of aircraft navigation
• Visual Flight Rules (VFR)
• Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)
• Methods of aircraft navigation
• Dead reckoning, visual orientation, pilotage
• GNSS (GPS)
• Radio beacon (NDB, VOR, TACAN)
• RADAR Surveillance
• Signals degradation
• Navigational accuracy and operational performance
  are degraded when input signals are jammed or
  compromised