Aviation News Item: 00302

22nd Sep 2009

Source: ubmaviationnews.com

The FAA has approved the installation of Honeywell's 'Smartpath' precision landing system as the US' first ground based augmentation system (GBAS) at Memphis, Tennessee. The navigational aid based on the global positioning system (GPS) is to become operational early next year. It has been built and certified in a partnership between the FAA and Airservices Australia. GBAS augments the GPS to provide precision approach guidance to all qualifying runways at an airport. It monitors the GPS signals to detect errors and improve accuracy by transmitting correction messages to aircraft via local radio broadcast. GBAS will initially supplement the legacy instrument landing systems currently used at airports.

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