The Applications, Benefits, and Issues of Employing GPS and GLONASS with Automatic Dependent Surveillance

Keith D. McDonald, James Nussbaum, William Badurka

Abstract:	Currently, surveillance of aircraft in oceanic airspace is primarily accomplished in a dependent manner, using on board navigation system data transmitted to oceanic Air Traffic Control (ATC) facilities by the use of high frequency @IF) radio. The delays inherent in the use of I-IF radio limit the frequency at which such position reports can be made. This, along with the limitations of existing on board navigation systems, reduces the accuracy with which air traffic controllers know the position of aircraft in oceanic airspace at any given time. To ensure safety, large separations between aircraft are therefore required. Aircraft are required to fly less than optimal oceanic routes, resulting in increased fuel costs and flight time. Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS) uses a digital data link to automatically transmit three dimensional aircraft position data, time, and other data to air traffic controllers either periodically or on request. Satellite data link communications are available in areas where line-of-sight transmissions between aircraft and ground facilities are not possible (e.g., oceanic airspace, offshore and remote areas). The improved navigation accuracy of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) has the potential to improve overall navigation system accuracy by orders of magnitude. GPS navigation data obtained by oceanic aircraft and transmitted to the ground automatically by ADS appears to assure substantial benefits to oceanic aimraft employing ADS.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 1992 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 27 - 29, 1992 Catamaran Resort Hotel San Diego, CA
Pages:	179 - 187
Cite this article:	McDonald, Keith D., Nussbaum, James, Badurka, William, "The Applications, Benefits, and Issues of Employing GPS and GLONASS with Automatic Dependent Surveillance," Proceedings of the 1992 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, San Diego, CA, January 1992, pp. 179-187.
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