GPS-Based Airplane Tracker Creates More Efficient Flight Paths

Flight paths are improved with a new plane tracker based upon GPS tracking technology.

Waiting for their turn to land is an ongoing problem for aircraft at large International airports. Planes often circle the air, waiting for their turn to land — wasting both passenger’s time and fuel in the process.

This circling, in part, is caused by inaccurate data of planes before them waiting to land, and the flight paths becoming muddled.

Luckily, researchers have developed a way to expand upon GPS tracking technology with a new system meant to remedy this.

The system is called Required Navigation Performance (RNP) and will provide real time results of airplane flight paths based upon GPS aircraft tracking principles, for better time management than land-based navigational systems currently being used.

What is GPS Aircraft Tracking?

GPS aircraft tracking is a method used to collect data from an aircraft’s flight path. It utilizes a device that has been embedded into the aircraft with a sensor that sends information in real time to a local communication network. This lets the data be analyzed and recorded to provide the airplane’s position in real time.

This new technology can track the navigation of planes within 32 feet and 10 seconds of their arrival. It also creates a system for planes to fly along a three-dimensional flight path for more efficient flying paths. In essence, it creates a more efficient highway in the sky for planes to fly.

What are the Benefits?

All-in-all, this provides a number of benefits for everyone involved in the flight, including travelers who have shorter flight times, and airports with their lower fuel costs and better time efficiency.

The environment also wins with the GPS tracking technology by having lower greenhouse gas emissions from planes spending less time circling and waiting for their turn to land.

While it using new technology, researchers like to think of the RNP as a complete flight path tracking system. It was developed in part by GE Aviation and using GPS tracking technology, with new software and hardware for a procedure called area navigation. This lets all planes operate effectively with each other and know almost to the minute of when they will be able to land. Air traffic controllers analyze the data and provide landing approaches that are much more accurate, and can help avoid things like geographical obstacles and noise-sensitive areas.RNP has been used by several airports already, and is gaining popularity as busy airports try to find a better way to schedule flights and clear flight paths. It is helping travelers get to their destination within minutes prior to what it was before and airports are saving money continuously because of this system.

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