GPS- The Magical Magenta Line

Have you ever been in the car with someone who is using a GPS? Its pretty easy, right? You just plug in the address, or maybe search out some tasty food or a nearby coffee shop. And once you've selected your destination, the GPS just draws a path directly from you to where you want to go and then gives you turn by turn directions.

Well, guess what! Airplanes have something similar. Well, I say its similar; it really isn't. Okay, its both. Just as there are dozens of models of GPS devices for your car out there, there are lots of models and types for your aircraft. For simplicity's sake, I'll just talk briefly about the one I used the other day to shoot some approaches and to navigate the skies!

Well, the basic principles are the same. When I was on the ground, I booted up the GPS and ran it through some tests to make sure it was working well. This includes making sure there are enough satellites within range to provide accurate navigation. Also, I make sure that the database is up to date and not expired. Updating the database of waypoints and other current informaiton is even more important in a plane than in a car. Another item I test is that the GPS unit is correctly connected to the instrument in the aircraft that indicates to me which way to fly.

After the tests are complete, I load up my own flight plan! This is pretty simple- Just choose a destination and whatever waypoints I want to use to get there. I can even ask it to take me directly there in a straight line, though this function is rarely used. There are actually "highways in the sky" that pilots use, which helps keep everything under control. After I've selected where I want to go, I can select lots of other things like which approach I want to use when I get there and which departure procedure I want to use when I leave!

Now, here is the best part of it all- once I tell this thing to activate my flightplan, it draws a magenta line on the screen and all I have to do is follow it!

Okay, well, its actually a lot more complicated than that, but it IS quite a reduction in workload to use a GPS versus traditional methods of navigation. For example, using a GPS, I no longer have to change my navigational radios to different frequencies enroute and I also don't have to check each signal to make sure its correct. I don't have to compute my groundspeed or head/tailwind components by hand, either. I don't have to get out maps and look up airports I could use as alternates. The GPS does all of this and alot more.

Now, imagine you are driving to a big city in your car with your brand new GPS. You've never been to this city before, either. Once you get downtown and find the restaurant you wanted, you go in and eat. But when you come back out, someone has broken into your car and stolen your GPS. How are you going to get home if you can't see any street signs and you weren't really paing attention to where the GPS was taking you?

The same thing can happen in an airplane. If the GPS fails, the pilot has to transition seamlessly back to traditional methods of navigation. With GPS, maintaining situational awareness is harder to do because it does SO many things for you. If you had to do things 'the old way' and look up maps and charts and frequencies and airports, you would have a much better idea of where you and and where you're going.

So, in the end, GPS technology has revolutionized the way pilots navigate, although it is really just doing the same things we were doing all along- but with the aid of computers and satellites. I love the ease that comes with GPS while flying, but I treat it as a perishable privilege and I always keep my radio navigation equipment tuned to the proper frequencies and ready to go just in case.

As so many pilots more experienced than me have told me, "The question is never IF an instrument is going to fail, but WHEN it is going to fail." Keeping that in mind, I continue ahead in my pursuit of an instrument ticket... just a few more flights, a written exam and an FAA checkride. Then its on to multi engine! And then a commercial license! And then and ATP! And then FLYING 787's AROUND THE WORLD!

Hey, gotta dream big, right,?