What's happened to PRNAV in the UK?

[peterh337]

There have been a lot of noises about this and this (http://www.peter2000.co.uk/aviation/tb20-experience/EG_Circ_2012_Y_023_en_2012-03-22.pdf) suggests it is coming in 2014, but the other day I heard from somebody who meets the CAA regularly that it has been abandoned.

That would be great news because the aircraft approval cost is 4 figures, unless you put in the GTN650/750 in which case it is a Minor Mod (EASA) but it is a varying hassle for an N-reg.

There are some airports with PRNAV-only SIDs and STARs but fortunately ATC tends to ignore that.

I never understood it because it is equivalent to RNP 1.0 whereas GPS approach approval is an EASA Minor Mod and that is equivalent to RNP 0.3. In effect, GPS has caused the bottom to fall out of the navigation market, rendering PRNAV meaningless. This happened ages ago.

Does anybody know any more? I know a number of ATCOs read this site.

[bookworm]

There have been a lot of noises about this and this suggests it is coming in 2014, but the other day I heard from somebody who meets the CAA regularly that it has been abandoned.

Your contact is misinformed. This is very much a live issue, and probably the most important one in play for non-commercial IFR at the moment. PBN is clearly the future, but the way in which it is implemented in the short term is critical.

[peterh337]

I wrote to Eurocontrol with various questions but got no reply.

For many or even most private IFR pilots this could force a £10000-20000 avionics refit, for no new capability.

The key Q will be how it will be implemented. Most light jets are not certified either so hopefully a lot of @@@@ will hit the fan in due course.

[Sir George Cayley]

The CAA Future Airspace Strategy (FAS) is the overarching policy which seeks to describe how the UK will deliver on SESAR.

In order to meet required navigation performance (RNP) tolerances P-RNAV is the key. The aim has to be top down, so GA will be the last to be required to conform.

SGC

[chubbychopper]

Sir George,

How on earth do remember all the TLA's? I have approvals to fly MNPS, RNAV, B-RNAV, RNP `1,4,5 and 10 but I can never remember them?

What is the secret?

[peterh337]

"In order to meet required navigation performance (RNP) tolerances P-RNAV is the key"

Why is that?

PRNAV is RNP 1.0 but any aircraft which can fly GPS approaches can fly to a lateral accuracy of RNP 0.3.

Yet GPS approach approval is now routine, but PRNAV is much more difficult, and impossible with all but some specific avionics.