GSA: EGNOS Flight Event, 6-7 May, Toulouse Text: Pavel Valenta, Foto: Pavel Valenta, GSA I have persuaded myself several times, that Toulouse is the capital city of aviation in Europe. Right here innovator of French aviation Clément Agnés Ader in 1870 applied the word Avion into the French language and also here today take place final construction of the biggest airliners of the world A 380. Between these two milestones right here there have been many events, which pushed the aviation a step forward. One of them was also a first LPV approach, which was done with aeroplane Falcon 900LX in 2011 at Aéroport Pau Pyrénées with use of EGNOS system. Not only for airlines, but also in some flight schools, not only at major international airports, but also at small regional or local airports GNSS is now being declined in all grammatical cases. I dare to state that at this point we are beginning to write a new chapter in the history of navigation, which helps enormously to small and large pilots. Getting closer of small and minor cities and their citizens in Europe become gradually a reality due to new possibilities of GNSS approach. We had a possibility to learn how everything works or is going to work at the meeting of European GNSS Agency (GSA), which took place as EGNOS Flight Event on 7th of May 2015, where else than in Toulouse. EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System) is a system of ground stations arranged in Europe and north Africa, transmission stations in Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Italy and Holland, 1
three geostationary satellites and two directive centres in Madrid and Rome. Into the system also belongs service centre in Madrid and development and engineering centre in Toulouse. This system provides improvement of GPS signal- Galileo, so it will be usable not only for route navigation, but mainly for precision LPV approach (Localiser Performance with Vertical guidance). It is an analogy of American system WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) and generally might be categorized between SBAS (Satellite- Based Augmentation Systems). Japan has a similar system (MSAS- Multi- functional Satellite Augmentation System) and India (GAGAN- GPS and GEO Augmented Navigation). In Europe ENGOS is already certified 4 years and has recorded significant success. GNSS approach is published at more than 140 airports in Europe and at many of them has wholly replaced missing ILS (Instrument Landing System). LPV minimums in Europe are now comparable with ILS. In the USA we can find airports, where the ILS minimums are same as LPV- DH 200 ft. 2
Installing of ILS is very expensive and for regional airports, which would like to expand, this type of approach is almost unavailable, not only investment. Do not forget that maintenance costs of ILS are about tens of thousands Euros per year. Of course this amount of money must be paid. But it is different with GNSS approach. There is not need any ground infrastructure. For EGNOS will not pay anything, European taxpayers have already paid and still pays him. Everything is available and works. Only remains to construct approach maps. Anyway, apart from ILS it does not have to be direct approach. In Europe we will probably wait some time for approach from any direction to airport centre and performing of last descending phase in turn above airport. But we can convince us, that it is possible, in American continent. This approach can take any local specifications, not only terrain, but for example reduce noise load of citizens, who have their homes in the axis of runway. But it is not so easy. How to provide distances between aeroplanes in class G? Instrument approach at non- controlled airport and even vacant airport? Illuminated instrument runway? Approach not at the runway threshold but to the centre of runway? Such questions must necessarily be said. There are well advised to look to the American continent. Vacant airport somewhere in Rocky Mountains with instrument approach, leaded by moderate turn in wide valley. The only obligation is to have a radio on board and use it. Is it possible also in Europe? Only in USA there are published more than 3.500 LPV approaches. Can we learn there something? 3
If we look at map of already published GNSS approaches, we can see, that leading position in GNSS area approaches has France and Germany. Czech Republic lags behind a bit, in addition GNSS approach is published at airports where is the possibility of ILS approach. Thanks to ATC CZ we are not going as badly as Spain, Sweden or Great Britain. What would our pilots certainly welcome, is GNSS approach to such airports as Benesov, Roudnice, Ceske Budejovice, etc. We do not have to whisper about the fact, that pilots have this maps already prepared, but we hope, that they will use them only in VMC, to test them. At EGNOS Flight Event in Toulouse was said that no EU citizen should not live more than one hour drive from the airport, to which may reliably get with use of regional airlines and EGNOS system. This idea is supported also by a producer of regional aeroplanes ATR, essential in Europe. For this reason we had an opportunity to fly a demonstration LPV approach with ATR 42-600, equipped by avionics Thales. Two displays in front of each pilot were similar to Garmin 500 system, which I knew really well from school aeroplane of University in Žilina. There is not also a big difference in fact, that the IPad with approach map is installed to holder on the window. Also in IPad on Jeppesen approach maps we can see our position, but it is not what we would like to show. The map of RNAV(GNSS) approach to RWY14R to LFBO(Blagnac) consists of two sheets- initial and final approach. IAF is called ADIMO, so after take- off it is direct to ADIMO and then standard procedure of GNSS approach to RWY 14R (RWY Elev 488 ft). Minimums for ILS to 14R are 688 ft, whereas for our LPV it is 740 ft. The difference of 62 ft. does not mean a lot in sunny day with sky without any clouds. The only difference is that we do not tune the frequency ILS, but we only choose the name of procedure, which we would like to fly. When we check EGNOS channel- in this case Ch 67314 E14A. Otherwise it looks quite similar as if we fly ILS approach. Maybe someone will argue that also exists a CATII ILS and minimums in this case are 588 ft. Yes, EGNOS does not claim to replace CATII/III, so far in any case. But such an approach will probably remain a privilege of large and important airports. 4
The last demonstration is on Airbus A 350. There is no any need for improvisations. Six large displays, in addition with possibility of separation of screen to half, it means even twelve displays give us enough space for displaying PFD, all aeroplane systems and still we have enough space for displaying of Jeppesen approach maps on individual screen. We set on FMS chosen approach and check EGNOS, we check display of channel settings with the data on the map. On second screen we check, that our setting is NAV/SBAS and we can see reply of accuracy of the system at the same time. After obtaining approval to land starts PF to AP mode LS (Landing system) and on PFD we can see approach, again similar to ILS approach. Only in right bottom corner of PFD we can see a violet remark SLS (Satellite Landing System). On the screen with map it is possible to check minimums setting. However, from large transport back to Business and General Aviation. The European commission, or GSA, sees the biggest benefit of EGNOS just in use of regional airports. It is not now known when we will see LPV approach in the Czech Republic, for example at Benesov aerodrome. Europe is largely integrated under EASA, but still has 29 national aviation authorities, which attitude to this issue is and will be different. Authorities institutional memory is a known problem in the Czech Republic, unfortunately, a significant phenomenon. Benefit, which USA has under single FAA, and therefore united view on this issue, what Europe currently does not have. Would not be one authority in Europe enough? 5