Farewell NDB's, VOR's, DME's

[pmccarthy]

I played with the ADF today and it did seem strangely quiet.

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

(And the RPT boy or girl pilot will be in 90 day IFR currency to satisfy CAO 40.2.1 if it's actual IMC). Sometimes we forget it's the equipment and the pilot

No need to satisfy CAO 40.2.1 anymore!

 

[dsam]

I suspect as GNSS develops more and more large chunks of the backup network will end up decommissioned too, particularly once the Galileo network comes online fully, with 3 different space based navigation systems available it's pretty unlikely they would all fail at once.

I've pondered what it might take to knock out all the navigational satellite systems (extremely unlikely though it is). I suspect that a MASSIVE solar storm could generate an EMP that could impact many of the satellites simultaneously (including non-navigational Comms satellites). Such a storm has not happened since satellites were first launched, but likely has happened in earlier human history, I believe.

 

As well, a single atomic blast in space (1960's over Hawaii) generated an EMP that knocked out some early satellites. Consequently, modern satellites have electronics that are "hardened" against this, stemming from that un-expected experience.

 

Ultimately, if a solar storm of that magnitude should occur, the whole world would experience a lot of troubles, not just aviators.

 

Hmmm... potential for a sci-fi movie script??

 

 

[ian00798]

I suspect anything that wipes out all three satellite Nav networks will probably leave us with more significant problems than navigating aircraft. Local jamming is certainly a possibility, but jamming GPS over a large area really needs a military sort of effort, and would probably be an act of war. Of course, the US could just turn GPS off, but they have kindly promised not to....

 

Not to mention, that would still leave GLONASS and eventually Galileo available, although I don't think most aircraft avionics can use them at the moment, but that will most likely change in future. That would really be a great extension on the RAIM concept, comparing systems from all 3 Nav networks.

 

 

[dsam]

Interestingly, I believe I read that the iPad Air 2 (cellular) was GLONASS capable.

 

 

[ian00798]

All iPhones since the iPhone 4s and all iPads since the iPad mini have had dual GPS/GLONASS capability.

 

 

[Kiwi303]

Anything sold in Russia/CIS must by law be GLONASS capable. And a market of 130 million or so it worth sticking a few chips and an antenna in for. esp since the chips are already out there from third party sources.

 

 

[KRviator]

Because I have nothing better to do (and get bored easily), I plugged the remaining VOR coordinates into GPSVisualizer's calculator, with the range set to give the theoretical range of the BNN VOR's at 5,000 and 10,000'. Here's the result...

 

Red are your typical ASA-owned VOR's, Oakey is green as it is DoD downed, and Avalon, Hamilton Is and Christmas Is are blue, privately-owned VOR's.

 

Oh, and I take no responsibility if you get yourself lost using these. They're worth what you paid for it!

 

The country-wide coverage at 5,000.

 

 

And at 10,000.

 

 

Victorian coverage at 5,000.

 

 

And 10,000.

 

 

NSW Coverage at 5,000.

 

 

And at 10,000.

 

 

Qld/NT Coverage at 5,000.

 

 

And at 10,000.