PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Is aviation in Africa really unsafe?
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Old 22nd Jun 2011, 07:25
  #77 (permalink)  
chuks
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
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Ground-based navaids....

Modern integrated GPS-based nav systems can replace ground-based aids with very little difference seen by the crew.

For instance, you can fly what looks exactly like an ILS approach using the VNAV function, with the only difference being that the guidance symbols are shown in magenta instead of green.

If you are asked to report over a VOR or an NDB then you can identify that point very easily using your GPS, and never mind if the actual navaid is working or not. This means that you can use the same chart for the navaids when using the GPS.

Problems come in with legality, though. It is not always allowed to substitute the GPS signal for the actual navaid. Not least, you may not get a warning if the GPS signal becomes degraded while doing that pseudo-ILS; not all systems can do that.

One time in Lagos, the LA beacon was stolen, carted away in the middle of the night by thieves who killed the watchman. This sort of stuff usually goes in the 'Only in Africa" thread, though.
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