The Diversity of Intelligent Air Navigation Systems

J. Blake Bullock, Edward Krakiwsky, Neil Grant, Kenneth Grandia

Abstract:	Since the Wright brothers’ first flight early this century, technology and innovation have been a large part of the aeronautics industry. Advances in materials and design have overshadowed advances in instrumentation and navigation equipment. Navigation should not be under rated. Historically, in times of war, precise navigation has been as big an advantage as range and speed. In today’s world, a great emphasis is placed on safety and efficiency in the airline industry. These demands have led to an astounding pace of development in avionics and airborne navigation. Computer processing, electronic charts, and radio navigation techniques, in particular the Global Positioning System (GPS), have made precise navigation available to every pilot. Intelligent air navigation systems range from small handheld GPS navigators that cost under $1,000 to complex flight management systems (IMS) that integrate many navigation and positioning systems with aeronautical charts and the other information systems on the aircraft. At The University of Calgary, the authors have been gathering information about intelligent air navigation systems to be included in an electronic database to be used as an information and teaching tool. A total of fifty systems have been identified and included in the Intelligent Air Navigation Svstems Database. The database describes the capabilities and characteristics of each system, outlining the positioning methods used, the hardware involved, the target markets, the system features, and full references. In this paper, the authors review the basic types of intelligent air navigation systems in the database and illustrate the diversity among them. The role GPS is‘playing in this field is discussed, as well as the issues of standardization and certification.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 1995 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 18 - 20, 1995 Disneyland Hotel Anaheim, CA
Pages:	747 - 754
Cite this article:	Bullock, J. Blake, Krakiwsky, Edward, Grant, Neil, Grandia, Kenneth, "The Diversity of Intelligent Air Navigation Systems," Proceedings of the 1995 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Anaheim, CA, January 1995, pp. 747-754.
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