Area Navigation

Question 1

Define Area Navigation

Answer 1

A method of navigation which permits aircraft operation on any desired flight path within the coverage of station-referenced navigation aids or within the limits of the capability of self-contained navigation aids, or a combination of both.

Question 2

What is the basic concept of Area Navigation?

Answer 2

Instead of having to overfly ground navigational aids, the aircraft’s FMS will fly to a series of pre-loaded waypoints and position itself on a computed track between the individual waypoints.

Question 3

Describe B-RNAV

Answer 3

Basic Area Navigation

Forerunner of the RNAV Program. All IFR aircraft must be B-RNAV compliant.

Question 4

What navigation is becoming the standard in ECAC Airspace?

Answer 4

RNAV

Area Navigation

Question 5

Describe RNP

Answer 5

Required Navigation Performance

A statement of the navigation performance necessary for operation within a defined airspace.

Question 6

What is RNP based on and what was it previously based on?

Answer 6

Previously based on INS (Inertial Navigation), now based on GNSS (GPS).

Question 7

What are the main types of RNP accuracy?

Answer 7

0.3
1
2
4

Which equate to nm accuracies from the desired track for 95% of the time.

Question 8

What is RNP TSE?

Answer 8

Required Navigation Performance Total System Error

Question 9

What should happen if RNP fails?

Answer 9

ATC should be made aware and then ATC will take appropriate action to provide increased separation.

Question 10

Describe fixed RNP routes

Answer 10

Fixed RNP routes are published ATS routes which can be flight planned for use by aircraft approved for a specific RNP type.

They should begin and end at notified reporting points and waypoints are established along them.

Question 11

Describe contingency RNAV routes

Answer 11

Routes that can be made available during limited time periods or can be established to meet short notice temporary requirements.

Question 12

What is P-RNAV?

Answer 12

Precision RNAV

Question 13

Why do we have P-RNAV?

Answer 13

Precision RNAV (P-RNAV) allows for en-route and/or TMA operations that are standardised EU wide, ensuring consistent levels of flight safety.

P-RNAV is specific to Europe only.

Question 14

What is the required accuracy of RNP APCH?

Answer 14

RNP APCH requires an accuracy of +/- 1.0NM in the initial, intermediate and missed segments and 0.3NM in the final segment.

Question 15

What is RNP (AR) APCH and define what it requires?

Answer 15

RNP instrument approach procedures with Authorisation Required.

RNP AR APCH is defined as an RNP approach procedure that requires a lateral TSE of 0.10NM and requires crew training in the same way to ILS Cat II/III procedures.

Question 16

What are the three components of the PBN concept?

Answer 16

The Navigation Specification
The Navaid Infrastructure
The Navigation Application

Question 17

Describe the Navigation Specification component of the PBN Concept

Answer 17

Navigation Specification prescribes the performance requirements in terms of accuracy, integrity, continuity and availability for proposed operations in a particular Airspace. The Navigation Specification also describes how these performance requirements are to be achieved.

Question 18

Describe the Navaid Infrastructure component of the PBN Concept

Answer 18

Navaid Infrastructure relates to ground- or space-based navigation aids that are called up in each Navigation Specification.

Question 19

Describe the Navigation application component of the PBN Concept

Answer 19

Navigation Application refers to the application of the Navigation Specification and Navaid Infrastructure in the context of an airspace concept to ATS routes and instrument flight procedures.