GPS to Replace Radar

Even though the contract to develop GPS (Global Positioning Systems) for the aviation industry was given to ITT by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in 2007, it was only in 2009 that the urgency to switch over from radar to GPS was acknowledged. More than two hundred passengers traveling on Air France Flight 477 were lost over the Atlantic Ocean when the radar system failed to located the missing aircraft. Radar can only pick up aircraft that are within two hundred miles from the land, leaving aircraft traveling over the ocean in a vulnerable position.

The Need for Eco-Flying

According to a recent report written by many of the world’s most respected scientists, carbon emissions, that nasty problem at the root of most climate change issues, is largely due to humans burning gas, oil, and coal. Airplanes alone generate two percent of the world’s carbon emissions. That amount is likely to increase substantially over the coming years as fare prices lower and more people can afford to fly. Already, airplanes are the fastest growing source of carbon dioxide in the United Kingdom and in several other countries around the world.

The Next Generation Air Traffic System

A recent New York Times article focused on the issue of replacing our current air traffic system. Much of the technology used today was developed during World War II when there were far fewer airplanes in the sky than now. It’s a huge credit to air traffic controllers that flying is as safe as it is.

Garmin Releases New Aviation GPS – Airplanes

One of the newest Aviation GPS units on the market today is the Garmin GPSMAP 496. For pilots who rent planes or just prefer portable GPS models, the 496 combines several attractive features including terrain alerting, a detailed color map, and satellite datalink weather, which is available with a subscription to XM WX Satellite Weather.

FAA Announces Next Generation of ATC

By 2014, all airplanes will be monitored in the United States using global satellite positioning instead of the radar system currently used. Known as the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system, or ADS-B, the new system is expected to be safer and more cost efficient than existing air and ground traffic control technology. UPS, Australia, and the FAA have been successfully testing it for years.