Euro Flight Demos for CAT I Approaches

Rockwell Collins recently participated in flight demonstrations of European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS) Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance (LPV) approaches in Europe. The company’s Flight Management System (FMS) and GPS-4000S global positioning system receiver were on board an Air Nostrum operated Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft for the flights. Rockwell Collins is participating in a European consortium called GIANT that is working to implement EGNOS in Europe using GPS-enabled elevated levels of precision and integrity. GIANT is an initiative from European GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA) and Eurocontrol. EGNOS improves the availability and integrity of GPS navigation, thus enabling suitably equipped FMS to provide horizontal and vertical navigation to Category I equivalent minimums for all users at all locations within the service area, without requiring airport-based transmitters or other supporting functionality. Additionally, EGNOS provides service for all classes of aircraft in all flight operations in its coverage, including en-route navigation, airport departures and airport arrivals. This includes CAT I equivalent approaches with minimums initially down to 250 feet in Europe.