AN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE VIEWS NAVIGATION SATELLITES

R. R. Bohannon

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	The introduction of turbojet aircraft into the aeronautical service in the late 1950s has all but revolutionized international travel. Their in-creased speed and comfort has served to beckon many individuals who otherwise would have chosen some other means of transportation or would not have traveled at all. The receptiveness of the traveling public to this modern means of transportation has truly been overwhelming and it continues to grow each year. This rapid growth is contributing to a "population explosion" of sorts over the air routes of the world which in the next decade is expected to reach major proportions. It has been predicted that by 1975, for instance, that 900 flights per day during peak season can be expected in the North Atlantic region. As a result, approximately 278 aircraft could be in the air simultaneously in this area. Included in this traffic will be our present day jet aircraft as well as supersonic types with three times the speed. Unlike another type of population explosion, we encourage this rapid growth in air transportation and recognize in it the need now for the greatly improved navigation and communications systems it will require. To illustrate the magnitude of the problem by comparison, it is estimated that during the peak season of 1965 there could be approximately 300 flights per day over the North Atlantic or only one third of the volume predicted for 1975. During peak periods, it is presently an exception if an aircraft is able to obtain a clearance to fly at the requested altitude which is most favorable for economical operation of the aircraft. This one factor alone is estimated to have cost Pan Am many thousands of dollars last year. Therefore, economics combined with increased traffic flow will impose very serious problems to airlines and to ATC in the North Atlantic in coming years. In searching for a solution to the problem, greater utilization of airspace seems to present itself as being the best answer. Several factors become relevant when consideration is given to reducing separation of aircraft, the principal one being navigational capability of the aircraft.
Published in:	NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation, Volume 13, Number 1
Pages:	23 - 28
Cite this article:	Bohannon, R. R., "AN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE VIEWS NAVIGATION SATELLITES", NAVIGATION: Journal of The Institute of Navigation, Vol. 13, No. 1, Spring 1966, pp. 23-28.
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