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Ground Based Augmentation System Office - News

FAA and Spain�s Aviation Service Provider Participate in GBAS Technical Interchange Meeting

In September 2008, representatives of the FAA met with Aeropuertos Espa�oles y Navegaci�n (AENA) in Madrid for a technical interchange meeting and update on FAA and AENA ground-based augmentation system (GBAS) planning and implementation activities. The FAA and AENA, the Spanish service provider, have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the mutual exchange of information for development and implementation of GBAS. AENA is one of the leading air navigation service providers (ANSP) in Europe for the implementation of GBAS capability, along with DFS Germany. Please click here for the full article.

Operational Implementation Aspects of GBAS

As the time for initial Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) commissioning gets closer, the next question may be what is needed to use GBAS? Questions on topics such as GBAS procedure development and GBAS avionics are likely to become more popular. Also, once GBAS is established at Memphis and Newark, other airports may wonder how to get a GBAS of their very own. Click here for the full article and information that may help to address these questions.

Honeywell GBAS Prototype Updated With Integrity Algorithms

September 2006 - Honeywell has delivered all integrity algorithm description documents (ADDs) in conjunction with MOD 2 of the contract to the FAA for review. These ADDs have been uploaded into the GBAS provably safe prototype ground station at Memphis. A "provably safe" design means that the 16 key integrity risks identified at contract award have been mitigated through analysis and the algorithm design and prototype processes.

GBAS Flight Tests for Honeywell Contract Complete

September 2006 - The FAA Technical Center successfully completed over 100 approaches for the Honeywell contract, using the GBAS prototype ground station at Memphis. The purpose of these flight tests was to evaluate the accuracy of the provably safe prototype by determining the horizontal and vertical navigation sensor error (NSE).

GBAS Terminal Area Path Flight Testing

Summer 2006 - The FAA Technical Center and the GBAS Operational Implementation Team have developed several terminal area path (TAP) approach procedures for the Memphis terminal area airspace. The TAP approaches were designed to prove that an older, analog aircraft such as Federal Express's Boeing 727 could fly an "RNAV-like" approach. The FAA Technical Center flew the approaches in Atlantic City using their own Boeing 727 to evaluate TAP benefits. The flight tests were successful and showed initial time and fuel savings versus radar vectored approaches. FedEx plans to fly the TAP approaches at Memphis in their Boeing 727 in early 2007 and already equipped their aircraft with an upgraded truthing system and multi-mode receivers.

Memorandum of Understanding with AirServices Australia

February 2006 - The FAA signed an MOU with Airservices Australia (ASA) to cooperate in the regulatory approval process for an ICAO SARPS compliant GBAS. Airservices and Honeywell will develop a certifiable (DO-178B/Do-254 compliant) ground system based on FAA developed integrity algorithms. This certified software, along with upgraded processors and receivers will allow for a non-Federal regulatory approval of the Memphis GBAS ground station. Honeywell is currently working with the GBAS Program Office to obtain the system design approval, facility approval, and service approval needed for the non-Federal approval for Memphis. Honeywell is also working with ASA to provide the same updates to the GBAS station in Sydney so that the ground stations in Memphis and Sydney are the same and obtain approval at approximately the same time. The groups are aiming for a September 2008 Category I non-Federal approval.

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