AA trials equipment to improve landing minimas.

[straitman]

First Private RNP Flight Expected Today


Aug 26, 2010
By Michael Mecham [email protected]
SAN FRANCISCO

The first commercial demonstration in the U.S. of a required navigation performance (RNP) landing developed privately and approved by the FAA will take place today when an American Airlines jet lands at Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Conn.

The American Boeing 737-800, making a regular revenue flight from Dallas/Fort Worth, is to use RNP procedures developed by GE Aviation to touch down on Bradley’s Runway 15. The flight will demonstrate procedures open to any carrier whose fleet is equipped for RNP operations.

Bradley’s current instrument landing VOR/DME range/distance standard for the runway has a non-precision decision height for a cloud ceiling that is, effectively, 1,100 ft. above ground level (AGL), says GE Aviation Marketing Director Ken Shapero. GE’s RNP procedures for takeoffs and landings come from Naverus, an RNP startup specialist founded in 2003 that GE acquired last November.

With NextGen’s satellite-based area navigation (RNAV), GE has lowered that to 350 ft. AGL, regardless of the weather ceiling height. However, Shapero says the airport is likely to be more conservative, not granting clearances below 400 ft. AGL.

 

[sr81]

Ok, I think that this sounds interesting but you need to dumb it down a shade. Can you put this in lay terms?

 

[markis10]

Ok, I think that this sounds interesting but you need to dumb it down a shade. Can you put this in lay terms?

High Precision approach using aircraft based equipment rather than relying on land based aids, resulting in lower altitudes where the aircraft needs to see the runway in order to land.

 

[samh004]

I think it means the clouds can be lower (closer) to the ground and planes can still land, instead of holding or being diverted?

Or as above.

 

[straitman]

Ok, I think that this sounds interesting but you need to dumb it down a shade. Can you put this in lay terms?

sr81,

I have added the link that I forgot to add the first time. It gives a bit more understandable detail.