FAA Private Pilot Airplane (PAR)Navigation and Flight PlanningMedium
A pilot is flying a VFR cross-country flight using a GPS receiver for navigation. The flight plan includes several waypoints. To ensure the highest level of accuracy and integrity for non-precision approaches, what augmentation system should the pilot verify is available and operational?
- ARAIM (Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring)
- BADSB (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast)
- CLAAS (Local Area Augmentation System)
- DWAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System)
WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) enhances the accuracy, integrity, and availability of GPS signals, enabling GPS to be used for all phases of flight, including non-precision approaches (and even some precision approaches, with LPV minima). While RAIM provides integrity monitoring, WAAS provides a significantly higher level of accuracy and integrity required for instrument approaches.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. RAIM provides integrity monitoring but not the enhanced accuracy for non-precision approaches.
- B. ADSB is for surveillance and traffic information, not for GPS navigation accuracy.
- C. LAAS (now GBAS) is a ground-based system for precision approaches, not primarily for general navigation or non-precision approaches.
WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System)
A satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) that improves the accuracy and integrity of GPS signals, enabling their use for instrument approaches.
- Provides increased accuracy, integrity, and availability for GPS.
- Required for GPS-based non-precision approaches (LNAV/VNAV, LPV).
- Broadcasts correction signals from geostationary satellites.
Memory trick: WAAS Wows with Accuracy, RAIM Runs Integrity Checks