Is GPS navigation really safer?

[Guest airsick]

Where is it said that below 5000 ft we don't adhere to atmospheric cruise levels..the sticker in our jab goes from 500 ft odds and evens for vfr..Whats the problem??

From CAR 173:

 

When a V.F.R. flight is conducted at a height less than 5,000 feet above mean sea level, the pilot in command must, subject to any contrary air traffic control instructions, ensure that the cruising level of the aircraft is, whenever practicable, appropriate to its magnetic track.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The key here is whenever practicable. I gave the example earlier of where terrain doesn't give you much option so in these instances it would not always be practicable and therefore you may not stick to the prescribed cruising levels.

 

 

[Captain]

a reasonable expectation of avoiding injury to persons onboard the aeroplane,/quote]...:"a reasonable expectation to avoid injury" ...... allows the pilot (with a radio) a goodly amount of discretion to err on the safe (high) side if he or she is flying the correct hemispherical levels.

 

 

 

markendee mentions that this is a "hot bed". However I have found this thread and the one about motza's issues with the RPT into Taree very worthwhile, informative and enlightening. Almost all contributors have a valid point or 2 to add, and it's all being done in the right vein. It's real good stuff.

 

 

 

Regards Geoff

[Guest DonC]

GPS Nav

 

On the subject of gps navigation, Airservices recommend a right offset of 1.0 nm.

 

Pretty simple really!

 

 

[ahlocks]

Unless everyone is flying a precise 1nm offset. Still has potential for slower traffic to be to mown by faster traffic.

 

GPS is still a good accurate clock, ground speed indicator and 'am I still going in the right general direction' indicator though.

 

Flame suit on and standing by.:devil:

 

 

[Guest airsick]

There have been a few people that say the AIP's recommend this and Air Services says that, etc. Where can we find these things? I have looked through the AIP's and found nothing.

 

Any ideas?

 

 

[Guest DonC]

Airsick, you don't expect ASA to make it easy for you! If you get on their website and go to Pilot Centre, then Special Operations Information, it's called GPS Parallel Offset something or other. Actually I have been flying at least a mile right of track since my

 

early navex days in a Warrior - flew directly over waypoint without seeing it!

 

 

[Guest airsick]

Thanks Don, that's precisely what I have been looking for.

 

For others it can be found here - http://www.airservicesaustralia.com.au/pilotcentre/specialpilotops/gps.pdf

 

 

[Guest disperse]

Don't you just stay to the left of the white line ....... ??? ;)

 

with my limited ability and knowledge .... I was under the impression that the white line was a flight level ???

 

Sorry but I haven't even started. XC

 

 

[skybum]

Fly both with and without GPS. I have found that GPS is great for checking met report for winds are accurate. Big Sky Theory has been tightened up a bit by the use of GPS. I am old school, I didn't like the idea of going hemispherical from quadrantal heights. Technically, you can have close to opposing tracks at the same level. Very bad news for picking up visually.

 

As for my flying, GPS is the aid. I still plan as per butt saving practices. Tiger country is as bad as long over water for me. GPS is great for picking up planned track after a weather diversion. Also great for picking up track after Waldo Pepper impersonations when I get the chance to fly above SCT fluffy stuff with a few buildups to fly around.

 

Hope we never stop learning compass clock and map. Whizz wheels will never need batteries.

 

 

[Yenn]

In the good old days we had true quadrantal heights and split the heights into 500' segments for each 90deg of heading. then they split VFR from IFR, so we now have 180deg per level. I don't think it has made it any safer, but the powers that be may have figures to prove me wrong.

 

 

[ahlocks]

... I enjoy flight planning and wizz wheeling ,it's part of the prestige or mystery or whatever you want to call it of being one of the relative few who dare to take to the skies, cheers mat

I call it part of the fun. Trawling the map. Playing with pencils, protractor and ruler and then working it out on a contraption that doesn't even use batteries. Who'da thunked it!

 

 

I don't think programming the GPS gives you, well me anyway, the 'big picture'. I do like the GPS for ground speed check and a quick reference that it's all going to plan though. And I suppose if there was any other piece of technology, it'd have to be a net connection when planning, to have a look at the route with Google earth and for met reports etc.

 

Cheers!

 

Steven B.

 

 

[poteroo]

Having passed under a twin on a reciprocal heading not once, but thrice, in the days when we used ADF as the gospel, I'm convinced that with increased use of GPS, we are going to see more and more close encounters of the aviation kind. But, does everyone need to fly precisely on altitude? I tend to give myself at least 150ft above or below the hemi level, plus an offset of 0.5 to 1.0 nm.

 

cheers,

 

 

[Yenn]

I tend to wander about following the lines with the best chance of surviving an engine failure, so the GPS is only a rough guide. I do like to keep at the correct altitude, but my visibility is first class. I can see about 150 deg with ease. The real joy of GPS is having an elapsed time available and a distance and bearing to be able to tell others exactly where I am.

 

 

[farri]

GPS Navigation.

 

GPS navigation,is it safer?

 

GPS`s were becoming popular just before I retired from teaching,as an instructor I became frustrated that students who believed that a GPS was a better way to navigate than "dead reconing",which,to my knowledge is still taught in GA,didn`t feel that they needed to understand all that "Dead reconing" involved.

 

When I decided to try a GPS for the first time over a well known course so that I could gague it`s accuracy I very quickly learnt that batteries go flat,not that I didn`t know this, I had simply overlooked this,had I been in the middle of nowhere with little knowledge of the basics??????.They need to be wired to the aircrafts power source.

 

A GPS is fine and should be no, more or less, safe, than the conventional method,everyone needs to understand that we humans make mistakes and simply pressing a wrong button could be disaster to someone who doesn`t know they`ve made a mistake.

 

On the visual and collision avoidence side of it,our eyes are our best collision avoidence instrument and a very good lookout at all times is required and will do the trick, it would be very hard to see an aircraft coming straight at you and not take action.

 

Remember we must only fly in "Vissual Metrological Conditions" and be "Clear of Cloud",at all times.

 

farri.

 

 

[Yenn]

Not only do batteries go flat. The ability to put in the wrong co-ordinates is a real one. I did that years ago and by coincidence the position I put in was on the correct track, just about 60 nm. further on.

 

I didn't notice the error until I turned onto the last leg which I expected to be about 40nm. and it was 100. I had been using the map so continued without the GPS and arrived. Now I always do a rough check of distance and bearing and compare it with the GOTO.

 

 

[Guest clemair]

All of the above carry valid points, having learnt to fly in the good old days when GPS was not even heard of, we still tend to base our navigation on the tried and true method. Like all the fancy dials and guages in the aircraft, they should be scanned regularly, while keeping a good look out, to give a total picture and increase situational awarness. For my money there is only one thing better than a GPS......... that is 2 GPS's.

 

As for flying hemispherically at all levels, as far as I am concerned, I do and we should. This thing about RAA aircraft not flying above 5000', I will stand up in any court on any day if challenged and say that it was a command descision, height increases distance/time and distance/time increases survival prospects regardless of the terrain under your wings.

 

Fight the good fight.