Intelligent Pilots Use GPS

Amelia Earhard had an appropriate amount of technology to fly 22,000 miles. Unfortunately, her goal was to fly the 29,000 miles that made up a flight around the world. In July of 1937, Amelia Earhart would have located and landed on Howland Island if she had a Global Positioning System (GPS) aboard the plane during her famous flight.

These days, any smart pilot takes advantage of the GPS technology that is available to everyone from flyers to drivers, boaters to hikers. GPS is being equipped on even the most modern wireless phones available today.

The Global Positioning System was invented in the 1970s by the United States Department of Defense, who gave it the official name NAVSTAR GPS. It was intended to be used by the military. When the Soviets shot down Korean Air Lines flight 007 for meandering into Soviet airspace back in 1983, two hundred sixty nine people perished in the disaster. This prompted President Ronald Regan to make GPS available to civilians worldwide at no charge.

There are three parts to the Global Positioning System: over 24 satellites that send precise microwave signals, receivers for those signals, and the control and monitoring stations on Earth. Latitude, longitude, and altitude signals that supply three-dimensional locations are picked up by each receiver. They can also pick up time. For both the military and civilians, the Global Positioning System offers services such as timing, navigation, and reliable positioning.

The Global Positioning System fulfills needs in both civilian and military sectors. To prevent enemies from using GPS technology for hostile purposes, the US Government has regulations in place that control the civilian use of such devices.

There are three primary parts of GPS, which are absolute location, relative movement, and time transfer. Absolute location is mainly used as a component that aids navigation or as a surveying tool. Time is becoming an increasingly critical element of GPS to many industries. There are multiple atomic clocks in each and every satellite, contributing very precise and accurate time data to the GPS signals. These allow precision measurements of time, down to 100 billionth of a second. These precise time calibrations have applications for communications systems, power companies, and complex financial networks. The GPS time component is even used by Hollywood studios to manage audio and video data for multi-camera sequencing.

GPS was a tremendous benefit to aviation. Flights now have constant, dependable, and precise position information thanks to the Global Positioning System. It has also enabled gas efficient, flexible, and safe routes for those using airspace. GPS has reduced aircraft delays by allowing a decrease in the separation minimum between the aircrafts and increasing the efficiency of air traffic management.

The cost of a GPS receiver is negligible when compared to the advantages of having one aboard your plane. In fact, one could go so far as to say that no pilot should ever fly without the assistance of a GPS monitor. You can usually get a good deal on a GPS from eBay, but is it worth the danger? Reputable companies that have extensive knowledge of aircrafts and aviation are probably the best places to go for those in the market to purchase a receiver.

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