Nav Aid Calibration

[vlumansi]

Hi pilots. Anyone with valuable information on Nav Aid Calibration Flying?
1. Are the pilots supposed to be authority approved for Nav Aid Calibration or the company doing calibration?

2. Any performance specifications required by aircraft being used apart from the equipment for calibration that should be on board?

Thank you...

[Genghis the Engineer]

Routine navaid cals are normally the responsibility of the avionics maintenance shop. The only variation on that I can think of is in the USA where pilots routinely do 30 day VOR checks.

Initial cals for installation, particularly related to totally new equipment will usually be buried in the procedures and STC/mod approval for the new kit.

G

[vlumansi]

Thank you G.

I meant the ground based stations like the VOR , ILS and NDB calibration. I understand the a/c would be loaded with calibration equipment or electronics to facilitate in data collection . Before calibration of the ground stations .

From the pilot side, what should one know or be acquainted with before carrying out the exercise with the technician in the back ?

thank you

[happybiker]

Hi Vlumansi,

The information you require is in ICAO Doc 8071 "Manual of Testing of Radio Navigational Aids Vol 1" This places responsibility on the State to establish the status of the Nav Aid facility. The State can authorise/approve an organisation to carry out a flight inspection and the persons involved should be formally certified by the State as part of the approval.

UK CAA CAP 670 contains requirements for the Approval of Flight Inspection Organisations.

https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP%20670%2023%20May%202014.pdf

[vlumansi]

Thank you so much for the feedback. I will look for the doc and read more on the requirements

[olderairhead]

There are a number of companies around the world who conduct inflight calibration and flight checking of all ground based aids including radar and military installations.

The governing state determines how they want the aids to be flight checked and usually contract flight calibration units to conduct these flight checks.

Experience and training requirements are determined by the contracted company.

The aircraft usually carries a flight inspector who operates the on board equipment that assess the performance of the particular aid that is being flight checked.

As for flight crew it is not just a matter of flying the aircraft but also having a very good knowledge of the system both ground based and that contained in the aircraft.

I trust this explains the operation.

[ICT_SLB]

This video of a NAV Canada CRJ-200 might give you an idea of Flight Inspection of an ILS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCvKU8kesOM