PBN 3.1 Introduction to Area Navigation and PBN Flashcards
How do acft normally navigate?
Using external electronic guidance or self-contained information
By what is external guidance provided?
NAVAIDs (ground-based navigation aids)
GNSS (global navigation satellite system)
What do NAVAIDs include?
NDBs (Non-Directional Beacons)
VORs (Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Ranges)
How were route structures historically developed?
Between NAVAIDs
Which known as?
Conventional Navigation
How were routes defined?
By the geographical positions of NAVAIDs or fixes based on the intersection of radials from two NAVAIDs or a distance and a bearing from one
What were the acft required to do?
Overfly these NAVAIDs and fixes
What happened to some European NAVAIDs in the 1980s?
They started to become saturated with the number of ATS routes focussing on a single navigation station
What was used to relieve NAVAID saturation?
Navigation computers
When was Area Navigation initially introduced as a mandate for en-route operations in Europe?
April 23rd, 1998
What did the mandate for “Basic Area Navigation (B-RNAV) require acft to fly?
Fly waypoint to waypoint with a performance of +/- 5 NM
Today this application is known as RNAV5
Are waypoints co-located with NAVAIDs?
Not necessarily
How many waypoints could be stored in the 1970s?
4
What’s the ICAO Definition of Area Navigatoin?
a method of navigation which permits acft opertaion on any desired flight path within the coverage of ground-based or space-based navigation aids or within the limits of self-contained aids, or a combination of these
What does area navigation allow the acft to fly?
Legs between points called “waypoints”, which are not necessarily co-located with ground-based navigational aids
For what purpose is Area Navigation the key enabler?
Performance Based Navigation (PBN)
What’s the ICAO definition of a Waypoint?
A specified geographical location used to define an area navigation route or the flight path of an acf employing area navigation
As what is a waypoint defined?
A geographic coordinate (in WGS84)
How is it identified?
either as:
- 5-letter unique name code: e.g. PRADO
- If located with a ground-based NAVAID, by the 3 letter ICAO identifier for that station: e.g. TEB
- For Terminal Airspace only, by an alphanumeric name code, e.g. MD016
How can an acft fly to and from waypoints?
For terminal operations:
-Fly-by
- Fly-over
For en-route operations:
most waypoints are treated as fly-by, althouth some nav specifications may allow the option of flying over the point
What’s an Area Navigation Route?
An RNAV route is an Air Traffic Services (ATS) route established for the use of aircraft capable of employing Area Navigation
How are RNAV routes defined?
By significant points called Waypoints
How are Waypoints in RNAV routes defined?
By coordinates
What path can RNAV routes follow?
Any desired path, they are not constrained by the position of ground-based NAVAIDs
What acft can navigate effectively to these waypoints?
Acft equipped with an on-board navigation computer.
Commonly referred to as an RNAV system
How is the acft position calculted by the RNAV system?
using inputs from one or more of the following:
DME/DME
VOR/DME
GNSS
IRS/INS
How does an acft fly a route with an rnav system?
With an on-board navigation computer
It may or not have an integrated navigation data base
To what is the data in the database specific?
To an Aircraft Operator’s (AO’s) requirements
From where is this data taken?
From the States’ Aeronautical Information Publications (AIPs)
In what form?
- Route structures
- Operational procedures
- Navigation Aids (NAVAIDs)
How is the intended flight path created?
By the pilot, selecting or inputting a series of waypoints into the navigation computer
How does the navigation computer define the required flightpath?
By linking the waypoints together, using the database
What if there is no database?
Pilots must manually insert all waypoint data
Where is the intended flightpath displayed?
On the ND (navigation display)
How are flightpath displayed in simple RNAV systems and what about in map displays?
- Lateral deviation from the required track is only displayed in Simple RNAV systems
- In a map display the RNAV system displays the intended flightpath
How is acft position calculated?
Ground-based or space-based sensors
- NAVAIDs
- On board INS
How are coordinates of ground-based NAVAIDs taken?
From the database
To what is the accuracy and consistency of the acft’s ability to fly the desired path subjected?
Aircraft capabilities and on-board functionalities
RNAV System Functoinality
What does the RNAV system integrate?
Information from:
- Sensors
- Inputs from its internal database and crew entered data
What does this data information provide?
- Navigation
- Flight Plan Management (referencing waypoints, not ground-based NAVAIDs)
- Guidance & Control
- Display & System Control
To what is an RNAV system designed an certified?
To provide a particular level of navigation accuracy with repeatable and predictable path definition
What does the navigation function compute?
Acft position
Velocity
Track Angle
etc
Where is this data displayed?
On the Navigation Display (ND) or a Course Deviation Indicator (CDI)
It may be displayed on the Flight Director and fed to the autopilot
What does the Flight Plan Management function use and for what?
Internal database
To compute the reference path (defined path)
How does the RNAV system provide lateral guidance?
By comparing the acft’s estimated position using the most accurate navigation sensor fitted to the acft, with the defined lateral path to generate steering commands
What must the required navigation accuracy of an aircraft take into account?
All of the errors, this is referred as:
Total System Error (TSE)
What are the causes of these errors?
- Defined path may not exactly match the desired path
- Aircraft’s actual position may not coincide with its estimated position
- Ability of the pilot or the avionics to fly from the estimated position onto the defined path
What’s the error when the aircraft is certified?
Aircraft is capable of flying the required performance 95% of the flight time with all of the errors combined
Introduction to PBN
What’s the evolution of PBN?
Required Navigation Performance (RNP) concept was replaced by the PBN in 2007
What are the names of both old and new manuals?
Manual on RNP, ICAO Doc 9613-AN/937 Edition 2, replaced by
PBN Manual, ICAO Doc 9613-AN/937 Edition 3
What’s the shift that PBN introduces?
Move to a more extensive statement of required performance in terms of:
- Accuracy
- Integrity
- Continuity
- Availability
of GNSS signal in space, together with descriptions of how this performance is to be achieved in terms of:
- Aircraft functionality
- Navigation Sensors
- Crew requirements
Why are global definitons of terms provided?
To remove any previous regional differences
For what are the set of globally compatible Navigation Specifications provided?
To be used as a basis for local or regional Navigation Applications in the:
- Enroute
- Terminal
- Approach environments
On what is the Navigation element of an Airspace Concept based?
On PBN
The PBN Manual
Into how many parts is it divided?
2 Volumes
- Volume 1 covers the PBN Concept and implementation guidance
- Part A:
- Description of PBN Concept
- Airspace concepts as they relate to PBN and stakeholder uses
of PBN
- Part B: provides extensive guidance on how to implement PBN by
following 2 set processes- Process 1: Identifying ICAO Navigation Specification for
implementation - Process 2: Validation and implementation planning
- Process 1: Identifying ICAO Navigation Specification for
- Part A:
- Volume 2 covers general information related to all the Navigation Specifications, as well as the navigation specification for each operation
- Part A:
- Details on use and scope of Navigation Specifications
- On-board performance monitoring
- Alerting
- Safety assessment - Part B:
- Details on implementing operations NOT requiring:
- on-board performance monitoring and alerting and
safety assessment (RNAV Specifications) - Part C:
- Details on implementing operations requiring:
- on-board performance monitoring and alerting (RNP
Specifications)
- Part A:
Beware of the appendices and attachments pertinent to specific Navigational Specifications
What are the PBN benefits?
- Identifies which crew procedures, RNAV system functoinalities and navigation sensors are capable of achieving the required performance, which wasn’t the case in the RNP concept
What was the drawback of RNP’s focus on navigation accuracy?
Resulted in diverse regional implementation
Lack of harmonisation and of interoperability
What does the PBN Manual describe to addres the weaknesses of the RNP concept?
- Coherent concept
- Implementation guidance
- Detailed Navigation Specifications
- Global framework with boundaries in which future regional Navigation Specifications and Navigation Applications can be developed
- Clarifies ways in which are navigation systems are used
- Avoids need for development of sensor specific routes and procedures
- Allows more efficient use of airspace
What are the European Mandates for PBN?
2 Implementing Regulations covering the use of PBN in European Airspace:
- Pilot Project Implementing Regulation (PCP IR) - 716/2014
PBN Implementing Regulation (PBN IR) - EU 2018/1048
What are the three components of the PBN concept?
Navigation Application
Navigation Specification
NAVAID structure
What’s the Navigation Aid (NAVAID) Infrastructure?
Ground, space-based NAVAIDs or on-board capabilities which support or provide positioning capability
What’s the Navigation Specification?
details the acft and flight crew requirements needed to support PBN operations
- A Nav specification is either a RNP specification or an RNAV specification
- RNP specifications include a requirement for on-board performance monitoring and alerting functionality, whilst RNAV specifications do not
What’s the Navigation Application?
application of a Navigation Specification and the supporting NAVAID infrastructure to specific routes, procedures and/or defined airspace volumes
Of what is the NAVAID infrastructure comprised?
NAVAIDs that support or provide the positioning capabilities
- Ground:
- VOR
- DME
Note 1: - TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation) may be used provided the system meets specific criteria
Note 2: - NDB is not an acceptable NAVAID for PBN
- Space
- GNSS: the NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) together with augmentation (ABAS/SBAS)
- GLONASS (in the future) together with Galileo and Beidou will become further core elements of GNSS
- On-Board
- INS
What do States need to consider ?
NAVAID infrastructure and their NAVAID policiy when implementing PBN Implemention Regulation
Each state should consider level of ground-based infrastructure required for contingency operations should the GNSS signals be lost
What do the Navigation Secifications define?
The performance required of the area navigation computer together with any aircraft and aircrew requirements to support the required performance level
What does each Navigation Specification have?
A designator, e.g. RNAV 5, RNAV 1, RNP 1, RNP APCH, RNP (AR) APCH
What does the number of the designator represent?
Maximum lateral track accuracy, in NM, that must be met for at least 95% of the flight time
What’s the required lateral track accuracy?
Combination of all the system errors combined.
Known as TSE and the aircraft will be certified to that performance
What happens when there is no number displayed for a Navigation Specification?
Indicates a different lateral track performance requirement in different phases of flight
What should be noted about the accuracy limit?
It is only one of the performance requirements for PBN procedures.
Where are ICAO Navigation Specifications detailed?
In Volume II of the PBN Manual
For what are the ICAO Navigation Specifications designed?
- Satisfy global requirements
- Globally compatible
- Limited to provide global harmony
What do these Navigation Specifications minimise?
The impact on implementation costs for existing aircraft and systems
What’s a Navigation Application?
It is the application of a Navigation Specification together with a NAVAID Infrastrucure on a specific Air Traffic Services (ATS) route or procedure, or in an airspace volume
What does the designator of a Navigation Application match?
The corresponding Navigation Specification
By what are RNAV and RNP Applications supported?
By RNAV Specifications and RNP Specifications respectively
Where can we find the designation of the required Navigation Specification plus any established limitation imposed for the particular Navigation Application?
They will be detailed in charts and in Aeronautical Information Publications (AIPs)
PB within the Airspace Concept
What does PBN support?
As it is not a stand-alone concept, it is one of the elements that support the strategic objectives of the Airspace Concept, together with:
- Communications
- Surveillance
- ATM
How can an Airspace Concept be viewed as?
As a master plan or vision for a particular airspace
What do Specific Navigation Application support? What do they provide?
Specific Airspace Concepts. They provide a context for a Navigational Specification
What do European mandates require?
RNAV 5 on the en-route ATS route structre
RNAV 1, as a minimum, for SIDs, STARs and transitions
RNP APCH for each instrument runway end (IRE)
What must a State take into account when it defines its own requirements?
- Functionality of their existing fleet and available NAVAID Infrastructure
- Capabilities of their communications
- ATS surveillance infrastructure
- ATM system
Does available infrastructure affect the application of a Navigation Specification?
Yes, it may place restrictions and therefore requirements may vary from State to State
