An Assessment of an Innovative Precision Approach System

Rob Conley and Don Brown

Abstract: This paper describes the approach and results of an initial precision approach system research effort conducted by Overlook Systems Technologies, Inc., for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).* The research concerned the innovative application of a Global Positioning System (GPS)-based navigation system to the precision approach problem. Gur proposed system is based upon the relative navigation concept, which precisely locates GPS receivers relative to one another. This paper reviews the results of the key points from the technical feasibility assessment portion of our research. We review our approach for performing the assessment, an approach which applies measured ranging error data to a dynamic precision approach simulation process. We deal specifically in the paper with the ability of the relative navigation concept to support precision approach accuracy, availability and integrity requirements. We also discuss practical methods for dealing with some of the technical issues associated with a relative navigation system. Chief among these technical issues was determining how to ensure consistent satellite tracking among all receivers within the terminal control area, a critical prerequisite for any relative navigation implementation.
Published in: Proceedings of the 5th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1992)
September 16 - 18, 1992
Albuquerque, NM
Pages: 395 - 406
Cite this article: Conley, Rob, Brown, Don, "An Assessment of an Innovative Precision Approach System," Proceedings of the 5th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1992), Albuquerque, NM, September 1992, pp. 395-406.
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